Ramana Balachandhran: Ragam Gamakakriya

The centrepiece of Ramana Balachandhran's recital at the Mumbai chapter of the FEA-curated CROSSROADS festival was an astonishing rendition of Ragam Gamakakriya with a composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar, Meenakshi Memudam Dehi.
Ramana was accompanied by the ever brilliant and tasteful Patri Satish Kumar on mridangam.

[@yeshprab]

Even though Nadaswara is considered a Mangala Vadya, an auspicious musical instrument, played at weddings, temples, and religious ceremonies, when our Puranas and Shastras described the Vidya devatha Saraswati, they did not put a Nadaswara in her hands; instead, they placed a veena gently in her lap. That is because, of all the musical instruments, the veena comes closest to reproducing human voice. And like human voice, it can not only express bhaava clearly, in the caressing hands of talented musicians, it can actually sing too, using all the ten gamakas, no less. As Sri Muthuswami Deekshitar said in his "Meenakshi me mudam dehi" kriti in Gamakakriya raga, "Veena gaana dasha gamaka kriye". So it is most appropriate and fitting that Sri Ramana Balachandran not only sings, sometimes, while playing veena, he even coaxes his veena to sing melodiously also. Gamakakriya raga has the power to calm the listeners' mind. Ramana Balachandran's alapana here not only calms the mind, it induces a feeling of Sukham; we can feel waves of sukham spreading down the spine and enveloping us. Deekshitar wrote that he composed this kriti to be sung in chowka kala(slow tempo). Even though Ramana Balachandran played the kriti melodiously, with bhaava, in unhurried manner, in Madhyama kaala, had he played the kriti even a little bit slower, the meditative mood it creates would have blossomed even more. Both the nereval and kalpana swaras were of very high calibre, and excellent. I see that in the comments of a few rasikas, there is some confusion and lack of clarity regarding the two related ragas Poorvikalyani and Gamakakriya. Both ragas are Janya ragas of the Melakartha raga Gamanashrama (53 mela). There are many musicians who consider the two ragas as the same, with different names. That is partly because in the Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradashini, Subbarama Deekshitar himself wrote that "gamakakriya is also known as purvikalyani". (rasikas.org website, www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6149 ) My Sangeetha Acharya Sri T N Bala, who was a shishya of Sangeetha Kalanidri Sri Madurai Mani Iyer, told me that the ragas are two distinct ragas, and so it is worth preserving the difference between the two. They differ only in the arohana. Poorvikalyani: S R1 G3 M2 P D2 P S/S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R1 S. Gamakakriya: S R1 G3 M2 P D2 S/S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R1 S. Poorvikalyani is a vakra raga (PDPS), Gamakakriya is not a vakra raga, it is linear (PDS). In Poorvikalyani, the prayogas MDS, PDS, MPDS, and GMDS are not allowed, but they are allowed in Gamakakriya. While playing Neraval and Kalpanaswaras, Ramana Balachandran has very carefully avoided vakra prayogas, so what he played here is Gamakakriya, as Deekshitar himself named the raga he used in this kriti. There is a consensus that Gamakakriya is an older raga than Poorvikalyani, and in two kritis composed in the pre-Trinity time, the prayoga g m p d n p d p has been used in Poorvikalyani. In Salem Chellam Iyengar's book on kritis by Sri Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, there is a section on raga lakshnas obtained from Poochi Iyengar's manuscripts wherein the arohana of purvikalyani is given as s r g m p d n p d p s. The chittaswaras for Parama pavana Rama clearly reveals this sanchara (3rd avartana) and is sung as such by musicians from various schools. Even Sangeetha Kalanidhi Smt Brindamma has sung it using that prayoga. Sri Patri Satish Kumar has played the bridanga gently, and with sensitivity, taking care not to drown the sunaada of Balachandran's veena. A very nice video, so very pleasant to hear. Yesh Prabhu, Bushkill, PA

[@sixthsense66able]

Your comments are also musical and soothing to the ears, Mr Prabhu. They are also works of art. Please keep going.

[@arjunsubrahmanian7535]

Very beautiful comment! Thank you very much for sharing your opinions and wisdom 😇

[@guppi277]

Scholarly criticism. Great perspective on Mangala Vaadhyam and Goddess Saraswati's choice for Veena. Every bit of your comment is informative to discerning Carnatic music lovers and performers. 👍👍

[@prasadpushkar3191]

Wow always pleasure to read Yash Prabhu Sir's comments...such erudite and sublime comments coming from a highly experienced and musically seasoned person! Great sir :) Nimma comments odakke bahala Kushi agatte🙏🤠

[@yeshprab]

@@prasadpushkar3191 Thank you very much, Mr Prasad Pushkar for your kind words. You cheered me up and lifted my spirits on a cloudy, gloomy day. Yesh Prabhu

[@vsrmoorty5322]

Ramana n satish gave us a treat

[@vishnushanbhogue7882]

Omg …music…music…my heart beat is Indian classical music..Carnatic / Hindustani / nd Drupad…actually. My love was towards Hindustani. Classical music..,but Ramanan ji turned me to Carnatic..

[@vishnushanbhogue7882]

My Dad was an ameture Veena artist…he loved nd liked S.Balachander..Chitti Babu…Pt. Ravishanker…Ustad Vilayath Khan…he is my inspiration..and everything..

[@kanthimathi4414]

I felt as though Dhikshidhar was playing and singing his own composition when I listened to this.. Filled with emotions and everything else.. Had a pleasure of listening to this in the wee hours one day.. hmm.. how do I express myself? I realise now that language has its boundaries..

[@SriramParthasarathyChannel]

Exceptional and in-depth performance.Rare gift from Lord Arunachala for all of us.

[@ssrinath66]

The most celebrated composition of Dikshitar. The artists have given full justice to the krithi. Finely rendered. We are blessed to hear this.

[@vishnushanbhogue7882]

Omg …music…music…my heart beat is Indian classical music..Carnatic / Hindustani / nd Drupad…

[@krishnant1611]

Like other ragas Bhageshri, Janagmohini, Neelambari, Behag, Ranjini etc., Ramana excels in Gamakakriya too. His Veena has such a calming effect. Parti Satish aptly supports in a way that very few can do; he shows his vidvath without overshadowing the Veena. Such renditions are rare!

[@HawkTheAmazingWolf]

Ramana is so beautiful totally immersed into the music like a deep sea diver fishing for pearls, just coming up for breath ones in a while...flashing the light from his eyes

[@krishnant1611]

Another very important element of this song is the excellent chemistry between Ramana and Satish. Satish’s Thani-Avarthanam is also great!

[@rosybuddy28]

The gamakas and the style are reminiscent of the great Veena Balachander.

[@sanjay_shruthibalasubramon1264]

14:24 - 15:05 is purely blissful 👌👌

[@bhadrinathvenkatachar2792]

Very traditional... Raaga Aalapana excellent... Kudos Ramana... Patri Sir... Nice..!!

[@cuttyflanks3649]

Beautiful, I played this at 6:30 pm just after sunset and it really brought out the full effect.

[@mayurnathganti3342]

So very pleasing.

[@krishnaravi2657]

Brilliant performance . Raga purvikalyani touched my atman. You have shown us a glimpse of Brahman . My mother's blessings to you.

[@maggiestone7982]

God God bless India take care of India let them have a lot of food eat take care of yourself. I will see you someday.

[@geethanatarajan5586]

Superb rendition

[@gblsbm]

His gamakas are the best I have listened in Veena. Marvelous.

[@BhupalPanshikar]

wah its height of tunefulness...very beautiful....

[@SonalDiwanjiMusicInstitute]

Nice

[@sharmishthamukherjee9820]

Beautiful rendition!My best wishes for both the artists.

[@mattkamar9994]

Amazing .... Awesome

[@ramsundaram4615]

His veena sings. Multi talented youngster

[@ramsundaram4615]

Just adore and admire you, our child prodigy. Bringing a Veena back to limelight. Bow to you.

[@bhadrinathvenkatachar2792]

No gimmick... Your style is wonderful.. keep it up... you will reach new & great heights..! Don't get your style changed over the period of time..! My sincere advice..!!

[@ambikadevi532]

Bless Ramana Bhagavan

[@MrKanthikumar]

I agree with Sri T Krishnan on his apt comments. Patri along with Vineeth is made for Ramana. Narayanakurup Kanthikumar

[@sankaranlalgudi7283]

Your Veena is obeying your commands. Lalgudi.K.Sankaran.

[@RanjithKumar-vj1sl]

Wowwwww .....😍😍😍

[@vsrmoorty5322]

My blessings to u both shanthidevi musician banglore VEDULA shanthidevi

[@MrKanthikumar]

Patri's drutaviralvinyasom at its best. Pranams. Narayanakurup Kanthikumar/Manteca/California

[@MrKanthikumar]

@@guppi277 Thank you! Elaborate on your response , please.

[@guppi277]

@@MrKanthikumar Sir I choose not to. Somewhere you mentioned you are an Septuagenerian. After knowing about you, i felt bad of my cheeky comment, referring to your mention about California. But not to a respectable elder like you. I have since removed it. Pranaams.

[@vishnushanbhogue7882]

Absolutely wonderful this concert…

[@mtate1364]

Simply wonderful! Looking forward to your next visit to Arizona!

[@raghavanparthasarathyparth1785]

Absolutely creative lnpiring musician of great potential.God bless you

[@dhagetita6924]

Wow

[@fieldsong]

Sabash 🙏

[@tulasimsw1815]

Super anna

[@remanarayanan1337]

🙏🙏🙏

[@christopherwells1024]

Magnificent performance. I wonder if someone who knows can explain to me why Veena players seem generally to use an 'electronic pick-up' device, or whatever the correct term may be? Is it because the Southern Indian Veena is naturally a soft-toned instrument, which needs volume enhancement so that it can be heard in a large space? I have never seen Sitar and Sarod players, for example, use electronic aids. I would love to hear the Veena without electronics, just to get an idea of the natural sound. Obviously electricity wasn't available long ago, and yet the Veena was being played.

[@sylvainleopard4532]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHawZoWbeM6NeaM and more: here D Srinvas plays without plectrum(mizrab): he plucks the cords with the nails

[@maheshshastry2435]

Look for S.Balachander it's Raw Veena kzbin.info?search_query=s+balachander

[@worldmusicatlas4664]

poor sound engineers, lack of interest in the aesthetics of purity of acoustic sonorities....they use amps on the violins, not to mention dreadful electronic tamburas....hindustani musicians haul the tambura with them...its an artfact of culture that i suspect has to do with the love of mathmatics in the south...here is one without, but its a recording....with proper sound engineers in usa, from the 60s...pulse of tanam....kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJCwiWykfbSLnZo

[@worldmusicatlas4664]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJCwiWykfbSLnZo

[@prasadpushkar3191]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZ7cnoOom5asj8k Veena recital without any pick up!

[@ambikadevi532]

humbly reqest you Iast song ArunachaIasiva,,,...

[@jyotisampat3246]

Bala is taming of shoot. Wouldn' t allow me to moov or nudge. Tansen avtar!

[@vishnushanbhogue7882]

Vidwan Satish patri…th talking fingures..

[@luigiluigi1652]

Wonderful 🙏🙏🙏

[@sandhyarao4111]

Sir do you take classes

[@KaushikY1]

These are actually Gandharvas who step down to earth to synchronise their karmic accounts before going back to Heavens... they take rental bodies finish their task and back... but leave an eternal fragrance ...... just listen... self enjoyment is ONLY option words cant do any justice

[@MoniVHS]

I request youFirst Edition , to upload non downloadable version. All the Rasikas should pay and down load . Do not give anything free of cost .

[@yeshprab]

Hi Moni V H S. Why are you using Shree Ramana Maharshi's photo, but talking from the point of view of "always money-minded" people, money, money, money? Ramana Maharshi spread his knowledge free of cost to anyone who came to him. He never charged anyone even a paisa. Even in this Kali Yuga, there are some Carnatic Music teachers who do not charge any money to deserving students.

[@guppi277]

@@yeshprab couldn't agree more ... !