The 2 music programs that we attended were pure carnatic in guitar.
Earlier on Saturday (14th mar 09) for the 1st program , myself , Balaji and Sethu attended it at Kshira Sagara Hall , Villivakkam.
The scheduled time for the program is 6.00 pm whereas I went there as early as 5.15pm and there is literally none (remember the full crowd at 7.00pm is only 20 approx) at that time. Few women only then started to sweep, splinter water and dotted for a small rangoli at the hall entrance. Its indeed a very unusual & rare thing for North Chennai to have orthodox carnatic concert, that too at a place like Villivakkam, which is very near to the industrial area called Ambattur (padi)(though that particular surrounding did looked fairly residential).
Earlier on Saturday (14th mar 09) for the 1st program , myself , Balaji and Sethu attended it at Kshira Sagara Hall , Villivakkam.
The scheduled time for the program is 6.00 pm whereas I went there as early as 5.15pm and there is literally none (remember the full crowd at 7.00pm is only 20 approx) at that time. Few women only then started to sweep, splinter water and dotted for a small rangoli at the hall entrance. Its indeed a very unusual & rare thing for North Chennai to have orthodox carnatic concert, that too at a place like Villivakkam, which is very near to the industrial area called Ambattur (padi)(though that particular surrounding did looked fairly residential).
Balaji and Sethu arrived sharp at time but the Hero is yet to arrive. I was kinda of trying to put a BOND with one of the organizer lady whom was equally enthusiastic, for me coming there so early. It did helped later when she became a key in meeting Prasanna on the back stage.
We shook hands, took few snaps with our premature camera mobiles.It was a thrilling moment for me. I had actually lost my voice out of that thrill and only kept watching Prasanna and his moments.If this would have happened before say 4-5 months , it wouldn’t have been so thrilling. Only before few months I started to hear Prasanna’s “Be the Change “ which really changed my way of understanding and listening music and triggered huge interest on guitar. It’s a fact that he influenced a lot, to the extent of searching for a guitar teacher for over a months time. It all ended well I could be able to find my teacher in my locality. Now just after few months of all these events I was able to meet GP was the real thrill. Was this happening specially for me, or is it just my imagination. Somewhere on 1st or 2nd of March 09, when I casually browsing GP’s webpage, I found that he is going to give these 2 concerts in Chennai. From then onwards, I was only looking for my calendar dates to reach 14th mar 09. And that day came and it’s just astounding.
We shook hands, took few snaps with our premature camera mobiles.It was a thrilling moment for me. I had actually lost my voice out of that thrill and only kept watching Prasanna and his moments.If this would have happened before say 4-5 months , it wouldn’t have been so thrilling. Only before few months I started to hear Prasanna’s “Be the Change “ which really changed my way of understanding and listening music and triggered huge interest on guitar. It’s a fact that he influenced a lot, to the extent of searching for a guitar teacher for over a months time. It all ended well I could be able to find my teacher in my locality. Now just after few months of all these events I was able to meet GP was the real thrill. Was this happening specially for me, or is it just my imagination. Somewhere on 1st or 2nd of March 09, when I casually browsing GP’s webpage, I found that he is going to give these 2 concerts in Chennai. From then onwards, I was only looking for my calendar dates to reach 14th mar 09. And that day came and it’s just astounding.
GP arrived by around 6.30 pm along with Mannarkudi Easwaran (Mridangam) and Anirudh Athreya (Kanjira) and after meeting us it took him few more minutes to tune and to correct sounds and it started by 7.00pm.Sriram promptly came late at 7.00pm but he was on time due to these delays!
As it’s a pure carnatic based concert and I ‘m not that good (infact NIL) in knowing and understanding Ragas and other technical stuffs. But for someone who started to love guitar & its sound , style and begin to learn playing it , that too with his fav performer, no matter whether its carnatic or hindusthani a mere presence there is enough. I jus felt like this.
For me observing the playing aspects (skill) of guitar occupied a lot and it’s a real treat for someone who is just a beginner.
It was like , a small boy , who had jus started to play & watch cricket and developed enormous interest in it and had an opportunity to see Sachin's batting just in front of his house or in the nearest distance.
Watching Cover drive , square-cut , reverse sweep etc of Sanchin's will be like heaven.
May be there are more & more technics and aspects of sachins batting but with the boys littlest knowledge he would cherish it like anything of whatever he understands.
For me watching Prasanna playing live is very similar to this.
As I sat on the right side facing the hall , GP’s knees mostly covered his right hand fingers that was strumming. Hence I was able to watch only his left hand fingers on fret board. One can think that fingering on fret is very important and difficult than strumming. But with the case like observing legends play, strumming plays a key role in improvisations of vibes etc , which on the 2nd concert I was able to enjoy a lot.
The fret board fingers always had a vertical fixed movements even for a single note, which is the very requirement to play carnatic in guitar for to get those gamakams and other qualities.
Still the smallest horizontal movement gave the most enhancing output.
In one of the krithis he played a small note from his album track “Culture of silence – Peaceful” and the way he brought out that sound is really amazing to watch. He strummed on the fret, at this his left hand and right hand came very close , this is a very unusual & amazing sight and moreover the output was so beautiful.
As it’s a pure carnatic based concert and I ‘m not that good (infact NIL) in knowing and understanding Ragas and other technical stuffs. But for someone who started to love guitar & its sound , style and begin to learn playing it , that too with his fav performer, no matter whether its carnatic or hindusthani a mere presence there is enough. I jus felt like this.
For me observing the playing aspects (skill) of guitar occupied a lot and it’s a real treat for someone who is just a beginner.
It was like , a small boy , who had jus started to play & watch cricket and developed enormous interest in it and had an opportunity to see Sachin's batting just in front of his house or in the nearest distance.
Watching Cover drive , square-cut , reverse sweep etc of Sanchin's will be like heaven.
May be there are more & more technics and aspects of sachins batting but with the boys littlest knowledge he would cherish it like anything of whatever he understands.
For me watching Prasanna playing live is very similar to this.
As I sat on the right side facing the hall , GP’s knees mostly covered his right hand fingers that was strumming. Hence I was able to watch only his left hand fingers on fret board. One can think that fingering on fret is very important and difficult than strumming. But with the case like observing legends play, strumming plays a key role in improvisations of vibes etc , which on the 2nd concert I was able to enjoy a lot.
The fret board fingers always had a vertical fixed movements even for a single note, which is the very requirement to play carnatic in guitar for to get those gamakams and other qualities.
Still the smallest horizontal movement gave the most enhancing output.
In one of the krithis he played a small note from his album track “Culture of silence – Peaceful” and the way he brought out that sound is really amazing to watch. He strummed on the fret, at this his left hand and right hand came very close , this is a very unusual & amazing sight and moreover the output was so beautiful.
On 16th March 2009 , Monday the second concert held at PS high sec school Auditorium , Mylapore. I met Balaji enroute to mylapore and we both reached there ontime.
This time i carefully chose a location that help me observe his left strumming fingers.
Today his companions are Prapancham Ravindran on Mrindangam and BS Purushotham on kanjira. (This trio believed to have rendered maximum number of carnatic concerts together)
His Ragam - Thanam - Pallavi (RTP) in Raga Bilahari was the highlight of that day.
As I already said I know nothing about Carnatic ragas, but Raga Bilahari is somewhat familiar to me and the concept called RTP is fairly new to me. But on that day with Prasanna’s performance I cud be able to understand a little of what RTP is exactly.
This RTP lasted for 50 minutes and Guitar alone ruled for over 38 minutes.
The multi-finger strumming during his play on that day was a real treat to watch, which I missed on the last concert on Saturday. Especially during RTP when he climbs up at A and E bass strings with his plectrum and modulates the lower strings with plain finger and reverse the same to get the desired sound was an amazing sight to watch. Infact , I’m not very sure of what I understood from his style, but I was in the process of making my own understandings with my very little knowledge in it.
Prasanna on his first day’s show himself said that “Don’t bother much about how, I struggled in developing this way of playing carnatic in guitar, it’s my worry, as a rasika you only enjoy my performance and give your appreciations or criticism” to one of the questions from the audience. But the question remains unanswered; it’s more than just uninterrupted practice, dedication, hard work etc. It’s a Divine gift. Isn’t it?
This time i carefully chose a location that help me observe his left strumming fingers.
Today his companions are Prapancham Ravindran on Mrindangam and BS Purushotham on kanjira. (This trio believed to have rendered maximum number of carnatic concerts together)
His Ragam - Thanam - Pallavi (RTP) in Raga Bilahari was the highlight of that day.
As I already said I know nothing about Carnatic ragas, but Raga Bilahari is somewhat familiar to me and the concept called RTP is fairly new to me. But on that day with Prasanna’s performance I cud be able to understand a little of what RTP is exactly.
This RTP lasted for 50 minutes and Guitar alone ruled for over 38 minutes.
The multi-finger strumming during his play on that day was a real treat to watch, which I missed on the last concert on Saturday. Especially during RTP when he climbs up at A and E bass strings with his plectrum and modulates the lower strings with plain finger and reverse the same to get the desired sound was an amazing sight to watch. Infact , I’m not very sure of what I understood from his style, but I was in the process of making my own understandings with my very little knowledge in it.
Prasanna on his first day’s show himself said that “Don’t bother much about how, I struggled in developing this way of playing carnatic in guitar, it’s my worry, as a rasika you only enjoy my performance and give your appreciations or criticism” to one of the questions from the audience. But the question remains unanswered; it’s more than just uninterrupted practice, dedication, hard work etc. It’s a Divine gift. Isn’t it?
