A lonely bird in a higher sky

Raga Shankarabharanam by M.D.Ramanathan: Vocal

T.N.Krishnan: Violin

Vellore Ramabhadran: Mridangam

At 26^th minute of the track: Akshayalinga Vibho- Shankarabharanam

https://soundcloud.com/sekharam/sets/id-063-m-d-ramanathan-t-n

Have a nice day

Inner Skies of a Recluse

Thirteenth century Japanese author and Buddhist monk Kenko Yoshida once commented on a kind of a recluse:

“A certain recluse, I know not who, once said that no bonds attached him to this life, and the only thing he would regret leaving was the sky”

As all of us know, at the peak of his career that too in his thirties Mali ( T.R.Mahalingam), the legendary flautist from Karnatic music had lost his interest in performing for the public and most of the time he had withdrawn into his own inner worlds. I am sure Mali had a sky within which he considered as intimate and valuable. Here is a one hour video footage from one of his elaborate concerts. The concert starts with an amazing Anandabhairavi. This video recording is believed to be his last concert on 31 December 1985. He died at the age of 60 on 31 May 1986.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajr07JUa79I

An Evening with Madhuvanti

Yesterday evening was given for Madhuvanti. I have heard a number of renderings of this evening raga by many such as Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pt. Ravishankar, Pt. Ram Narayan on Sarangi, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Rashid Khan, and M.S.Gopalakrishnan on violin / Ustad Sultan Khan on Sarangi as a Jugalbandi.

In 1970s, just before the Islamic revolution had taken place in Iran, a young, handsome Ravishankar along with a vibrant Allah Rakha Khan performed a Madhuvanti in Iran's Shiraz music festival. It is a delight to the eyes and ears watching this video, when Ravishankar’s fingers transforms to butterflies in search of a flowering ‘Madhuvanti’

Let me share the same here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAAfhi_5mOk

This Kabir for Szymborska

“I cannot speak for more than an hour exclusively about poetry. At that point, life itself takes over again”: Szymborska

Wislawa Szymborska, the Polish poet, one of the most important writers of our times died at the age of 88. When she was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1996, the award committee related the poet not to any of the poets of the past, but to two great musicians of the world. She was described as "Mozart of poetry" but with "something of the fury of Beethoven".

Let me dedicate these Kabir lyrics sung by Pt. Kumar Gandharva, the singer of many of the modern Indian poets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2k0JcfByg

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My 2 G Spectrum

The crucial verdict of the Indian Supreme Court on the 2-G spectrum scandal had prompted a friend to write the following letter to me:

“I don’t understand the ways your mind works. How can you continue to post music, music and only music, when the nation’s psyche is crumbling with the burden of its filthy, corrupt ministers?”

We can understand her mind and reasons for the fury. I don’t intend to reduce the intensity of her anxiety. I respect that feeling. However I responded by offering my 2 G spectrum as a relief to any sort of anger, amazing pieces of Gajananbua Joshi and Gangubai Hangal. Friend loved the response and permitted me to post this mail.

1. Pt Gajananbua Joshi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQCfnohmqfk
2. Vidushi Gangubai Hangal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaJeupmwBJQ

The Art of being Happy in what one does

Vikram Sampath, biographer of one of the legends in the modern Indian music, S. Balachander says about the maverick master:

“He is a biographer's delight. He had this habit of putting down his thoughts on paper and so, every day of his colourful life has been recorded complete with paper clippings, drawings and comments, into eight albums”. (The book titled “Voice of the Veena: S. Balachander” is released recently)

I am giving a link for 30 minutes of video footage of the playful moments of an amazing artiste with Veena. I request you to spare at least 10 minutes to see the art of being happy in what one is doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My9VUKzssp0

‘Karuna Kyo Nahin Aave’ and ‘the Absolute’

It was quite accidental that I heard Chandrasekhar Vaze (Kirana Gharana) singing Ustad Abdul Karim Khan Saheb’s favorite thumri ‘Gopala Mori Karuna Kyo Nahin Aave’. I was driving my car in the evening and the CD that being played had this song. The friend who was with me appreciated: “I feel like already had my two pegs of vodka due for this winter evening”. My reply went like: “If so, what would you feel when you listen to his Guru Pandit Firoz Dastur singing the same, having two pegs of ‘the Absolute’ itself?”

Here are both the tracks, please don’t miss:

1. Chandrasekhar Vaze: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUhFVEoRSTc
2. Firoz Dastur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZmyWYqA2wo