More Poems

Life

Life is brief so live it right,
Don’t totter into the somber night,
Life is such an enticing sight,
Life is dainty so hold on to it tight.

This is the time to make merry,
Do not dissipate it in a hurry,
What will befall tomorrow we will never apprehend,
Life is brief so live it right!

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Holidays

Holidays are the times to have fun,
The times to play and run,
Nothing wrong in having fun,
Have a lot of fun till you’re done,

Holidays are the times to reunite,
Families getting together are beautiful sights,
It is the time to fly kites,
And (if you’re up north) watch the northern lights,

Holidays are the times to rejoice,
The times to entice,
The times to enjoy and revise.

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I am the sun

I am the one and only sun!
I wonder what will happen when I’m done,
I hear the sound of planets moving around,
I see thousands of stars that surround,
I want to see the whole Milky Way,
I am the one and only sun!

I pretend I am a red giant star,
I feel the earthlings are going to kills are going to kill themselves with war,
I touch asteroids falling down,
I worry that I will turn brown,
I cry when I loose a comet to another star,
I am the one and only sun!

I understand that the Universe is large,
I say “we are a small part of this gorge”,
I dream that I am at the center of the Milky Way,
I try to look over the earthlings as they play,
I hope that I live for 10 billion years,
I am the one and only sun!

Excerpts from my Tampa Concert

Excerpts from my Tampa Nandalala Concert - 7 Sep 2008.

Hamsadvani Varnam

Pilangoviya - Hindustani Kapi - Purandara Dasar Krithi

Sriman Narayana - Bauli - Annamacharya Krithi

My First full Concert

Once the vacation began, it was all hard work. I started practicing for my first complete concert. I practiced everyday for 2 hours in the morning and evening to perfect the songs I was going to sing. At first, my concert was just an hour. After a few weeks, it was extended by half an hour. So I added another song to my song list.

Two or three days before the concert, I practiced with the mridhangist and learnt how to end the thani avarthanam. Sadly, I couldn’t practice with the violinist. On the 25th of May, 2008, the concert day, I had many butterflies in my stomach.

The concert was at the Bhavani Shankara temple in Vasanthapura, Bangalore, India. My concert started around 10 a.m. I started with the varnam, Jalajaksha in Hamsadvani with a small virutham. Next, I sang the famous kriti, Mahaganapatim in Naattai. There was a little alabanai and some kalpana swaras. Next was RamaRama in Vasantha as I was singing in Vasanthapura. Then it was Brocheva revare in Sri Ranjani. This also had alabanai and kalpana swaras. Following was Sujanajeevana in Kamas. It had alabanai, neraval and kalpana swaras. The main piece was Eeshapahimam in kalyani. It is one of Thyagaraja’s Lalgudi Pancharathna kritis on Lord Shiva. It had alabanai and kalpana swaras. It also had a thani avarthanam. I managed to end the thani avarthanam at the right point. Everyone clapped loudly.

Then we had the tukdas. I sang Raminchuva Revarura in Suposhini. There was Govardana Girisham in Hindolam. I sang Enagoo Aane Ranga in Kedaram. Then it was Sarasanetra in Shankarabarnam. To end the concert I sang Bhagyadhalakshmibarama in Madyamavati. The concert ended at 11:30 a.m. everyone clapped loudly.

I think the concert was a success. This was the first time I had sung for one and a half hours. I hope that I will soon perform 3 hour concerts and many more with my Gurus’ Blessings.

Pic: A Section of the audience

My gratitude to Vidwan Shri Chakrapani sir from Thirupathi who played the violin and Vidwan Avinash Krishna who played the Mridhangam.

I sincerely thank my Gurus – Shri R.N Thyagarajan Sir, Shri K.N.Sashkiran Uncle and Shri Ganesh Uncle for all their teachings, guidance and blessings.

Shri Gurubyo Namaha!

Some sample renderings:
1. Naatai


2. ShriRanjani

My Sample Renderings...

I am a Carnatic Vocal student and am learning from Shri R.N Thyagarajan sir (Rudrapatnam Brothers) and also from Shri K.N.Sashikiran uncle and Shri Ganesh uncle (they sing together as Carnatica Brothers). I am trying to put some of my renderings here...
http://aadithmoorthy.googlepages.com/SujanaJeevana.WAV
Incidently, I got the first prize for this song/rendering recently at a competition in Bangalore.

More songs for your listening pleasure:
* Chalamu Varnam of Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman set to Valachi Raagam

* Brocheva - Sri Ranjani - Thyagaraja Krithi

* Narayanathe Namo Namo - Behag - Annamaacharya Kriti

* Anjaneyam - Rare Nottuswaram in Shakarabaranam - Shri Muthuswami Dikshitar

Please give your comments.

My first Chennai Season Experiences

This was my first (live) music season - December 2007. It all began on 23/12/07. The first concert I went to was of Ms.S.M. Vilasini. She sang a major piece in kharagarapriya and then Idhi thano tilay in sindu bairavi.

Next was a jugalbandi of my gurus - the Carnatica brothers and Shri Ramesh Narayan – a hindustani singer. The brothers sang Natai and he sang Aberi. There was an alapana contest between the brothers and him and one of my gurus, Chitravina Ganesh touched the upper “Sa” of the melastayi. Then the brothers sang Hamsanandi and he sang Sohini.
Next there was a concert of Sri Sanjay subramanium. He sang the marvelous piece Kanukontini in Bilahari. He also sang an ashtapati in sindu bairavi. He also sang a beautiful piece, Pranathali Hari in Several ragas.
On 24/12/07 we first went to a violin concert of Mrs. Lalgudi Srimati and Mrs. Anuradha Sridar. They played a ragamalika of Varali, Suddha Saveri, Kamas etc. and the famous Sutum vidi chudarai.
There was a concert of Ms.Nisha Rajagopal. She sang Sita pate na manasuna in Kamas and Pankaja lochana in Kalyani. I learnt that now she has quit her job and fully into music! This will be Carnatic Music's gain.

Next there was a concert of Shri. T.M. Krishna at Krishna Gana Sabha. He sang the famous Kalaharana in Suddha Saveri. He sang the famous ragamalika pallavi “Sankarabarananai azhai Thodi vadi Kalyani Darbarukku” for RTP. I really did not like the settings and audio at the Krishna Gana Sabha. I think it is miles away from the Music Academy's systems!

Last we zipped through Chennai Traffic like crazy to Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha - to the concert of Mrs.Gayatri Venkataragavan. She sang Bavayami gopala balam in Madyamavati and a thilana. Her rendering of the "Vitala" Abhang really made several people cry and sent a wave through the hall!

On 25/12/07 I went to a Hindolam speech by Guru, Shri Janakiraman. We learnt the 36 Hindolam varieties:
Raga name--Family
Indrapriya---Kanakangi
Alaru---Salagam
Swayamvaram---Ratnangi
Aditya---Jalarnavam
Svirini---Ganamurti
Varunatmaja---Jalavarali
Sarthalangi---Vanaspati
Ranga---Navaneetam
Saravanti---Manavati
Nivaram---Pavani
Vipani---Tanaroopi
Alava---Ragupriya
Anguru---Senavati
Kavarthan---Gavambodi
Hindolam---Hanumatodi
Karmuru---Bavapriya
Kadaram---Denuka
Thita---Subhapantuvarali
Varam---Natakapriya
Nili---Sadvidamargini
Kamalaa---Gokilapriya
Asathi---Suarnangi
Ashti---Rupavati
Kamala---Divyamni
Kanaka---Gayakapriya
Talpem---Davalambari
Sallabam---Vakulabaranam
Sadhvee---Namanarayani
Tharavam---Mayamalavagaula
Niharam---Kamavardini
Nila---Chakravagam
Viba---Ramapriya
Daka---Suryakantam
Sumalavimodini---Gamanasrama
Kamalini---Hatakambari
Chandrika---vishvambari

From this speech I learnt how to do good aalapanai and make my own pallavi. Before this speech I thought there was only one Hindolam variety.
Next we went to a concert of Abishek Raghuram in the Academy. He sang the famous Vatapi ganapatim bhaje in Hamsadwani. He also sang KaaVaaVaa in Varali.
Finally on 29th evening, we went to my gurus - Carnatica Brothers' concert at the PSBB School in KK Nagar. They sang the famous Viriboni in Bhairavi and Seetamma mayama in Vasanta. On 30th December morning we went to a concert of my other gurus Rudrapatnam brothers in the Great Academy Auditorium. The best pieces were Saminine in Sri and Narasimha mamava in Bilahari and an RTP in SriRanjani with swaras in Sri, Ranjani, Mega Ranjani and Jana Ranjani. They also sang a very rare raga – Tivra Vahini!

One word about the Music Academy hall and the audio systems - No wonder people say that every seat is a good seat in the Academy!

This was my first season so I did a lot of 'Sabha hopping'. I learnt many things this season. I learnt to do alapanai for some ragas, how the thani avarthanam ends in a concert, to give gamakas in a song etc. Overall this was a great experience for me and I already look forward for the next season 2008!