Indian Classical Music Thread

Discussion in 'Music and Recordings' started by shaizada, Feb 7, 2016.

  1. bobboxbody

    bobboxbody Friend

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    Might as well just leave these here, from the same performance:


     
  2. Thad E Ginathom

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    Wow, straight in the deep end! A very controversial, idiosyncatic performer: many people love to hate him --- but he will always have a full-house audience. I spent too long listening to what other people said about him, rather than hearing for myself. My loss!

    The mridangist there is one of my favourite. Very sensitive, and has a very musical sound. Of course, the violinist is great too. People have to be good to accompany TMK... and prepared for anything. He follows his own way, not the usual carnatic-concert formula. This can be a little uncomfortable for the audience. His music is a wonderful experience.

    The young guy strumming the tambura in the background is called Ritvik Raja. He is a student of TMK. His concerts will be somewhat more conventional. Give him a try on youtube :)
     
  3. Thad E Ginathom

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    Here is Praveen Sparsh, that mridangist, playing mridangam with his beautiful violinist wife. They make an amazing team.



    I was at that concert. :)
     
  4. archer88

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    Wow did not expect to find carnatic /indian classical music aficionados here and that too TMK fans!
    Did any of you listen to his Friends in concert streaming event.
     
  5. bobboxbody

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    I didn't hear it, is it archived somewhere?
     
  6. archer88

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    It was a paid concert for which access was available only for 3 days. I really hope he releases it in the future for purchase.
     
  7. Koth Ganesh

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    TMK lives in the same street as I do. He helped me clear dead tree branches in 2016 due to cyclone Vardah. Controversy is his middle name these days as he strayed into the political arena. He is bold and unconventional these days in his music. That leaves the mainstream Carnatic music followers a bit unsettled.
     
  8. archer88

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    Yes he is vocal about his politics but I think it is needed. That maybe a conversation for another day, but his music is top notch.
     
  9. archer88

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    I made a HD screen recording of the concert not knowing if it will be made available later. If folks here are interested I can share the file.
     
  10. bobboxbody

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    I would pay for this if it becomes available, but I'll gladly watch your file in the meantime.
     
  11. archer88

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    What are the forum rules regarding this. Can I just share a google drive link publicly or DM you
     
  12. Thad E Ginathom

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    Yes indeed! Both from/in India and otherwise. Are you Indian? (If I may ask).

    I did not see the TMK video. Have been in a privileged position for last couple of weeks of being able to take myself and my camera to non-public recordings for internet streaming, at one hall where I know the owner, and she likes my pics. So I have not been watching much of the currently mostly-online Chennai Music season that is Covid-19 2020. So, almost every day live music for me. Since I took up concert photography, it is very nice to be able to give something back to the musicians. And I am very chuffed when they like my pics :D.

    I think that both Hemalatha and RKSK were in the video? Two of my favourite violinist, And two of my favourite people to photograph. Arunprakash is another favourite mridangist of mine

    So no, I didn't see the TMK video, although I think I know most of the people in it. Not including TMK himself: haven't been to enough of his concerts, and they are always packed, so one face is just another face. I've no time for his politics, but he is a great musician and, I suspect, a great teacher too. Now I can add timber moving to the list!

    It's not that he doesn't do good things. He does. But others do stuff like taking music to villages and those that would not normally hear it. And they seek less publicity and don't get international awards. No, all this has little to do with just enjoying the music. My beloved Grateful Dead were absolutely sexist.
     
  13. archer88

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    Yeah I am from India.
    Oh sweet. That is amazing. Private concerts heh? Btw how does one become a concert photographer.
    That video (concert film is more appropriate) has 13 artists including TMK and Sangeeta and is split into 5 segments.
    Here is the trailer: https://twitter.com/tmkrishna/status/1334492152466788354?s=20

    Well more power to those who are doing the good deeds. But that is probably a small portion of artists right. I would not agree that he does all this to seek publicity. But at the least thanks to him there seem to be more open conversations about carnatic: in terms of both the form and artistry as well as the social aspects.
     
  14. Thad E Ginathom

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    Well, they would be public except for a certain virus!
    Take your camera to concerts. Literally, just that. There are (apart from the occasional press guy) a couple of people in Chennai who are serious, experienced photographers: well known to rasikas and sabhas alike. I'm a newcomer to that club. But I have a friendship with a lady who owns/runs the music side of the hall that her father founded and built: she likes my photos, so I get the invitation. I have also sponsored, with her co-operation, three special birthday concerts there.
    He doesn't object! But then those that add a political aspect to their work seldom object to publicity.

    Without wishing to go into to much of the cause, about which I am barely qualified to comment ayway, I feel that he is fighting a battle that was both won and lost quite some time ago now. I doubt very much that any teacher would reject a non-Brahmin student; I'm guessing that the last time other musicians would not eat with their non-brahmin accompanist was at least one to generations ago. On the other hand, Brahmins seem to be (almost) the only ones bothering with the music anyway. (This does not apply to Sri Lanka and its diaspora, which has a healthy non-Brahmin carnatic community).

    Probably best we get back to the music :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2020
  15. archer88

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    I meant a private concert for you :p
    But I hope this filming/streaming continues in the coming years. Online audience like me are spoilt for choice this year.

    Interesting. Where do these photos by you and other photographers usually end up. Social media sites?

    Touche
     
  16. Thad E Ginathom

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    Oh yes! on a handful of occasions, i Have been there all by myself apart from the hall people and the musicians. handful of others, just my wife and I. I could have got used to being a king or emporor!
    It's growing, and it was before corona. See youtube channels for Parivadini and Arkay Convention centre for lots and lots of concerts and other stuff. If you don't know them already, they will keep you going on carnatic-music supply for a while!
    I have a Instagram account and am yet to get around to posting any pics! I give the photos to artists, and sometimes to organisers if I know them.
    It's like, who the hell am I to argue about the Brahmin/non-Brahmin thing: I'm not even Indian, having married in. But if the conversation is happening, then yes, I do have feelings and opinions about it. Which, I guess, are not wholly inline with TMK's views. But it's a conversation for another time and place. I know people who get quite venomous about TMK's sociology and musical non-comformist ways. Not me: but I'd rather listen to his music than talk about the other stuff.
     
  17. bobboxbody

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    Really nice playing on the sarod despite low volume level due to technical difficulties, plus great mridangam from Praveen Sparsh again. I enjoyed the veena playing as well, but it got too busy for me at times, at least partly because of it's louder relative volume.
     
  18. Thad E Ginathom

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    I don't think I'm a fan of that young guy: I guess he has a style, and it just doesn't happen to be to my taste. However, I did catch the end of that particular concert in the flesh here in Chennai and quite enjoyed it.

    I've never heard a sarod unamplified. My guess is that, take the mics and the pickups away, and it would be louder. Despite its size, the veena has very little volume.

    Veena is something of a controversial instrument, because its sound has come to be defined by electronics. It is not really heard as an acoustic instrument, not even as an amplified acoustic instrument. By which I mean that we don't really get to hear the sound of just the strings and the wood.
     
  19. Koth Ganesh

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    "Veena is something of a controversial instrument, because its sound has come to be defined by electronics. It is not really heard as an acoustic instrument, not even as an amplified acoustic instrument. By which I mean that we don't really get to hear the sound of just the strings and the wood."

    This. I have had the privilege of hearing the veena played by Balachander and Chitti Babu. The acoustice those days were pretty average, even in a place like Music Academy (in Chennai). yet, you could hear the string sound very distinctly.

    Fast forward to today and when a person like Rajhesh Vaidhya plays the veena, it's like playing an electronic sitar where the reverb drowns the sound of the strings. It does however have an emotional tugging especially when one is very familiar with the song.
     
  20. Thad E Ginathom

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    No microphones? Speaking of our generations, I would doubt that. Were the concerts that you attended not amplified at all? As to acoustics, many venues used (or owned by) sabhas these days are nowhere near average, and some are awful.

    Veena to me is a bit of a mystery. I've sat in the same room as student veena players many a time. They use an amplifier even at home. If not... it is very quiet. But it is a concert instrument, so it must have been audible. It was even an accompanying instrument before violin became the standard.

    I've been to as many mic-less (except for recording) concerts as I could, for the experience of listening to music rather than speakers. a few years back, one lady organised two a month for nearly two years. I'm trying to remember if any of them was veena: I'm pretty sure not. I don't think anyone plays really-acoustic-unplugged. Not even for a house concert.

    Edit... curious, I googled a bit, and found that, according to one guy, SB was the first to use a pickup mic on the veena.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2021

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