Margazhi Musings Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan Sanjakku Nigar Sanjayye As HE broke into Bhairavi raga piece Varnam ( A Varnam MS Amma had made her own opening salvo- Many songs have attained special

Margazhi Musings
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
Sanjakku Nigar Sanjayye

As HE broke into Bhairavi raga piece Varnam
( A Varnam MS Amma had made her own opening salvo- Many songs have attained special status just for the way M.S.Subbulakshmi rendered them. Among the gems is the ‘Viribhoni’ varnam in Bhairavi by Pacchimiriam Adaiyappa. The varnam is a short piece with Muktayi swaram and several rounds of chittaiswarams that capture the essence of the raga. Deceptively simple, they were probably placed in the beginning of the concert for the singer to warm up for the complex songs to follow- lest you get it wrong – borrowed not stolen from a write up- conceded- with shameful humility ) one forgot Covid,Masking ( with the mask, of course), social distancing ( though the less than full hall made sure of that), contact tracing ( one is yet trace the canteen contacts), Delta,Omicron mutations and the Modena, Pfizer, Covidshield, Covaxins. Is it real? Are all lockdowns and quarantine zones gone? Day: Saturday. Date: 11.12.2021. Venue: Narada Gana Sabha, Alwarpet, Chennai,Bharath, Asia, Universe.

For now, duly social distanced with a N95 ( that is another expression we got to know and use), one was ensconced to key in , as Sanjay Subramanyan eased into this beautiful rendition, in Harikamboji , on who else but Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi,my recent hero to muse, I came out of my momentary reclining stupor. I was reminded that I was not sitting on my throne In home abode. But in the Sabha. And better behave.

And this was the piece:

பாமாலைக்கிணையுண்டோ (ஹரிகாம்போதி)
பாமாலைக்கிணை உண்டோ

சுப்ரமண்ய பாரதியே — நீ பக்தியுடன் தொடுத்த
பாமாலைக்கிணையுண்டோ
பூமாலை ………….
பூமாலை மணம் அழகும் அழியும் கணம்
புவனம் உள்ளவரை
கமழும் எளிய நடை
பாமாலைக்கிணை யுண்டோ

தமிழ்நாடு செய்த …….. தமிழ்நாடு செய்த
தவப்பயனாய் வந்து
அவதரித்தாய் ,
மனிதர் மன இருள்-அச்சம் துணித்தாய்
அமிழ்தினும் இனிது நின் கவிதையின் நயமே
யார்க்கும் தரமோ ?
உந்தன் அற்புத கற்பனை நிறை !

Mylopore’s own Papanasam Sivan on Triplicane’s Bharathi. It is all so local you see. What lovely verses in praise of the incomparable Bharathi as god’s garlandish gift to Tamil Nadu. What a perfect tribute to Chinnaswamy on his hundredth death anniversary. More to come.

And then. And then. Shri Rajagopala, a composition of Muthuswami Dikshithar in raga Saveri set to Adi Talam describes the presiding deity at the temple town of Mannargudi in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. This Mannargudi Rajagopalan whose beauty is beyond the keying skills of this nincompoop,is also said to have inspired Bharathi and his Kannan Paattu, rivals the beauty of the lord in its sweep and simplicity.

The serenity and flow of Saveri as a Karuna Rasa fits this Muthuswamy Dikshithar piece like no other. And Sanjay’s full mouthed, not loud mouthed, adroitness lends it the tingling beauty it encompasses. OMG! And when he goes Vaibha,Madhava to break into swaraprastharams, the notes are literally dangling in dance. I caught a couple, you see!

What next! Bettada Melondu, a Kannada sizzler as the middle piece. In Narayani raga, Sanjay lets it sizzle brighter and beautifuler. A concert for the gods thus far from an agnostic, if not an atheist. God is cruel. Why the hell did he starve the likes of me- as Stephen Fry said- from being able to sing. Sanjay has no natural voice. But he is a natural. That is the beauty. Sanjay is a Gladwellian 10,000 hour chiseled singer. Sorry, it must be 1.00,000 hours! Not the David Epstein ‘multibagger Roger Federer’ with a pie in many a sport before Tennis got him.

Margazhi is yet to dawn. The musings have. The difference? The concert is an ‘in-house production’. His own. Very own. Abou Ben Adham has gotten commercial. Why not? May I ask? Carnatic music has not been in the pink of financial health. Sanjays and RaGas may attract big. Rest sell season tickets. Not full chairs. Singing to the Gods Sanjay may be. Singing to empty chairs is not easy. Ask me. I always do. And it is ugly. Both singing and the emptiness. Sabhas may be wondering why HE is not singing for them. ‘They’ made him. Now HE cannot forsake them to become Sanjay Sabha himself. Is HE in the Packer mode or a T20 franchisee? He is there for the long haul. Test Cricket buff. Let us wait and see.

Now it’s time for Varnam,Vaggeyakaras, Raagam, Thanam, Pallavi, Swarams, Thani Avarthanams and Mangalam- not Masking et al. Sanjay loves Bharathi. Bharathi must love him too. For his RTP- Bharathikku Nigar Bharathiye – Bharathi alone is Equal to Bharathi- in Revati – was Regal. Terrific. A Platform to jump into Vhinbachiru Kilye to Payum Oli- Bharathi classics – set to music by Sanjay himself. Sanjaykkyu Nigar Sanjayye.

One of the most memorable songs from BhArathiyAr is பாயும் ஒளி நீ எனக்கு (paayum oLi nee enakku) that is within the கண்ணம்மா (kaNNamma) series that contains a number of romantic songs inspired by his wife chellamma. I know. I know. I have been reading and writing you see on Chellamma and her Bharathi. Bharathi called it Chellamma Paattu. It was Chellamma’s brother Appadurai who changed into Kannamma Paattu. Appadurai wanted to protect Chellamma’s privacy!

And to round of the beautiful day made so sweet and mellifluous, even without staple triumvirate companions- Kasi Halwa, Muruval Rava and Filter Coffee, a Thillana, of who else the legendary Lalgudi Jayaraman who himself never became a Sangitha Kalanidhi. Why? For he was Sangita Samrat.

It was a Sanjay show all the way. Sorry, Carnatic music is a team sport. S Varadarajan in the violin is an extension of Sanjay’s musical notes.When the two tango it is tap dancing time in the aisles. Add Neyveli B Venkatesh on Mirudangam & Anirudh Athreya on Khanjira , it is an unbeatable combo like my own Kasi Halwa….

My reverential Pranams to my parents who parked me in Gopalapuram. Within Ragam, Thanam,Pallavi distance of Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, Brahma Gana Sabha, Krishna Gana Sabha, Mylapore Fine Arts, Rasika Ranjana Sabha- enabling this Madrasi to sit through a concert,in full, and not be compelled to leave early to go a distance.

Let me be honest. One has been comforted and comfortable with Virtual Courts. Been so reticent and reluctant to get physical. Huge Collateral benefits.

Carnatic music and a Sanjay concert? What are you talking?

One would any day adore the physically virtual or virtually physical plane . No comparisons. No doubts. That is the alluring allure of Margazhi and who would exchange it for any, on another plane?

The concert lasting all of 132 minutes took a starving audience to entranced zone. There they stood up applaud in unison – a deserving standing ovation. We may as well have been standing all the time. Margazhi is Margazhi in Chennai.

Margazhi Musings is the Thottukka. Not the main course.

( Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)