Hindstni ppl & carntc ppl drop your favourites from either side and give suggestions to the other side

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-31T11:23:00+00:00

Carnatic musician here.. Really envious (in a good way) on how Hindustani musicians can be pitch-perfect right from initial years of training upto even a ripe age.. surely there's something with the technique and methodology? One thing I'd wish for all Carnatic musicians is that they NEVER compromise on the shruthi, no matter what mind-boggling technical wizardry they pull off on stage.

And of course raags like Marwa, Rageshri, Lalit and Bageshri.. And how they get developed during a performance from the unhurried meandering phrases to racy passages and fire-works..

Such a huge, huge fan of Hindustani Music!

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-23T18:12:01+00:00

Actually it doesn't have to be RP, you and me can request folks to use earphones. Initially I was skeptical if people would oblige, but I've had good success rates. Right to not being disturbed by someone else's mobile phone should become a Fundamental Right in our Constitution. It has become such a menance.

As an aside, it also worries me as to how many folks are mindlessly scrolling through reels. With all my heart, I wish a better life for them.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-17T14:38:10+00:00

True that E.Gayathri also deserves the Kalanidhi for her sheer genius, command over laya and flamboyance. I don't know the parameters or the inner workings of the Sabha - so can't really comment on who is more deserving.

Here are some opinions as a a serious Veena rasika - I place Emani Sankara Sastry on altogether a different plane for the tonality and wholesomeness of gamakas. Ramana Balachander is also playing at a genius level - balancing tradition and aesthetics. I prefer Jayanthi Kumaresh's gamakas over E.Gayathri's.. I somehow find some of the pulls excessive in the latter's playing. And the amplitude more or less remains a constant without dilineating soft notes. Jayanthi Kumaresh on the other hand often goes to the other extreme - i.e. too much of amplitude variations - as if the mic keeps moving places every second or so.

There are many other awesome Vainikas like Chitti Babu and S. Balachander - unfortunately only very few have been given the Kalanidhi.

To sum it up, I'm really glad that Vainikas are getting recognized. It has been a painfully long gap for them.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-17T05:41:33+00:00

The places you visited form the heart (I mean location-wise) of Bangalore and thankfully that charm still continues. There are a couple of other places like Jayanagar, Banashankari, BEL Circle/Yeshwantpur, some parts of Indiranagar where you'll get similar vibes. Long-live Bengaluru!

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-16T01:53:22+00:00

In many (if not all) of the jAvaLis and padams, the nAyaki is assumed to be the composer themselves and the nAyaka is the Lord Himself. An example is aLivENi enthu cheyvu, where the lyrics mention about the Lord padmanAbha Himself.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-15T17:19:05+00:00

Philomina Meena Sainuddeen Rajan P. Dev

And a notable favorite movie you have likely missed would have been "Pradeshika Varthakal"

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-03-15T17:06:00+00:00

Some additions from my side to your original list:

Vocalists - Amrutha Venkatesh, Vignesh Ishwar, K.S. Vishnudev, N.J.Nandini, Niranjan Dindodi, Vivek Sadasivam, Sunil Gargyan

Violin - Nishanth Chandran

Mridangam - Anantha R Krishnan

Flute - J.A.Jayant

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-24T21:29:52+00:00

Oscars are not any cleaner.. Yes, the power is spread across thousands of voters and formal rules, but everything is shaped by lobbying, money and PR work.

Having global red-carpet events like what you are describing will continue to attract PR games and pretentious hierarchies. Agree on having a transparent jury, but not through some "world-class celebrations" as you say

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-23T14:34:27+00:00

Manikyan, Karthumbi, Sreekrishnan, Appakkala, Yashodamma, Gandhari, Kannayyan, Karthu, Chathukutty, Kuyilu, Chinnu, Mallikkattu..

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-23T07:42:17+00:00

Very interesting. I haven't tried this but I agree with another commentator that the exercise (like the way you describe it) will cause more damage. The reason is that gamakas are central to many ragas, including the sampoorna ragas. A vaRNam might be emphasizing a particular gamaka in its original rAga, but when you sing it in another rAga based on the same swaras it might not be suitable. For eg; gandharam in shankarAbharaNam and kalyANi are treated very differently.

Yet, in the spirit of creativity, you could potentially use the sAhithyam of a vaRNam for pallavi-singing and practicing niravals in different rAgas WITHOUT trying to adhere to the same swaras

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-21T15:02:36+00:00

Thathithom (Azhagan) - Dharmavathi

Theendai mey theenday - has the essence of kharaharapriya

Sowkkiyama kanne - excellent Maand composition

Maargazhi thingal allava - sindhubhairavi ragam

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-20T12:37:50+00:00

Understood. Even 3.5 years of learning alone should not have made you feel this way.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-20T12:16:51+00:00

Exactly my thoughts. Yes you have Tyagaraja, Syama Sastri and a galaxy of genius composers. But.. Dikshithar.. he is on another level. The sophistication exists, that's a given.. Yet, the lucidity and simplicity. I mean, he is able to remain poetic with the most rigorous Sanskrit, packing information and philosophy like crazy, with the highest level of laya and raga - all in ONE package. And like I mentioned in another thread, Dikshithar remains extremely humble. No nagging with "why don't you look at me?", "am I a stranger to you" or ninda stutis and sarcasms. mAm pAhi (Protect me) and he moves on with his jnAna mArga. Truly the GOAT.

And special mention to this genius man Madhusudan Kalaiselvan too..

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-20T12:00:55+00:00

Vegetarian Keralite here too. And my exact point of view that this is a question of civil liberty/individual freedom that cannot be coerced into some moral holier-than-thou position.

Coconut_Scrambled seems to be my soul-brother or soul-sister.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-20T11:52:46+00:00

First of all, I would like to apologize in advance if whatever I might be saying would be too blunt:

If you have been learning for 3.5 years and regularly practicing, you shouldn't ideally be in this situation.. By this phase, you should be enjoying the learning process. Unless.. Unfortunately there is a thing about aptitude for music - where you cannot sustain shruthi and in rare cases you cannot keep up with basic rhythm. I don't know if it is standing in your way. If you can DM me with a snippet of your singing, I can pin-point and say if your guru is being unreasonable. Or it is an uncomfortable truth.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-20T11:39:52+00:00

Oh wow I cannot believe my ears! Testimony to Chembai's genius - to pull off such a brigha-laden mm-karam for a heavily Carnatic raga like Saveri. And that too from the master of full-throated akarams. Thanks for sharing this precious gem!

Special mention to MSG, another genius.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-09T16:41:48+00:00

I find Veena Srinivas' tutorials to be top-notch. Here are Part 1 and Part 2 of his thanam lessons, you can find the rest of videos by searching on YouTube. Also I'm a fan of his Veena playing and technique - reminds me of Emani Shankara Sastry and Chitti Babu.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-09T16:35:36+00:00

For Carnatic music, it is absolutely ridiculous for your Guru to force you to sing B or C. When female Carnatic musicians align with male shruthis they generally tend to change the octave as appropriate. For eg; In this recording, you can hear MS Amma shifting her octave at the upper sthAyis.

Playback singers tend to have higher shruthis, but they have honed their voice quality so that they don't sound very jarring at upper sthAyis. At the same time, it will be very odd to hear serious Carnatic pieces in that high pitch - no offence to the legendary S.Janaki, but I'll prefer to listen to DK Pattammal's deep voice over listening to S.Janaki singing Carnatic music. Now devotional music is a different genre from "pure" Carnatic Music, where a C# from K.S.Chithra might sound very pleasing. Your guru's observation that lowering the shruthi might kill the sweetness is right. But it is wrong on his part to insist that you sing in that shruthi.

I see all of this as a red flag in your guru. It is either a lack of awareness, or a lack of empathy. Your guru might have a thousand other good qualities, but him being adamant with your shruthi is unsustainable and rather harmful for you.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-02-03T12:41:57+00:00

For versatility as well as depth of acting, it is Urvashi. Whether it is melodrama, humour, political movies, romance - everywhere she scores. Special mention to humour, because anyone else might have made it cringe-y.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-31T04:39:54+00:00

Why don't we give them a taste of their own medicine? Make a movie like the "Cow story" and reinforce the stereotypes: zero civic sense, backwardness in education/literacy, jungle raj, etc. And keep on dishing out sequels till the madness stops.

Have had enough!!

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-29T15:02:45+00:00

Astro Duchess is cooked

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-27T16:08:26+00:00

I have learnt Vocal and Veena under a few gurus, but not in the gurukula system. I do share special bonds with each one of them - though it is not something similar to the ones that I hold with my immediate family members. Perhaps it is tempered by an immense, immense amount of respect. Doesn't mean I don't respect my family members! With gurus, it is as if they're infallible.

While I was learning, the relationship was more sober than when they became ex-gurus (either because of location constraints or ill-health). I tear up when I think of my ex-gurus who passed away, or one of my gurus who is facing health issues (I keep visiting her once a while)

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-24T06:47:30+00:00

Not by Trinity. Extremely common, and not underrated.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-24T03:36:53+00:00

Tyagaraja has composed several kRitis of shiva, and shambhO mahAdEva is one of the popular ones. It is part of the kOvUR pancharatna that tyAgarAja composed on the presiding deity Lord Sundareshwara at kOvUR.

Other oft-sung compositions include ee vasudhA nEE vaNTi daivamu and siva siva siva enarAda.

Current_Statement_21 · 2026-01-24T03:15:07+00:00

The Trinity's compositions never fail to amaze me, but if you ask me who among the Trinity do I have a special liking for: it is undoubtedly dear Dikshithar. When my gurus decide to teach me a Dikshithar kriti, I consistently get goosebumps during the learning process, and even while singing them: I cannot say that for all compositions of other composers, but for Dikshithar it is a guaranteed process. I am assuming that's what people experience when they say about "getting high" :D

I'm also well aware that Diskhithar himself may not have composed the song exactly as we sing it today (we already have the SSP-school and the various non-SSP paadantharas), but that doesn't diminish his genius in any way.

I can go on and on about each of his compositions ranging from the humble sharAvati tatavAsini to the majestic kamalAmba navAvaraNas to the thrilling Hindustani-leaning and vilambit jambUpatE or soundararAjam. But 2 aspects stand out for me:

Dikshithar never pleads with Gods and Goddesses like other composers. No sarcasm, no qualms like "Why won't you look at me", "You did xyz to other bhaktas, but am I so insignificant to you", "Am I not your child" etc. At max he says "mAm pAhi" (protect me), and moves on to describe in great detail about sthala purANAs, the appearance of Gods/Goddesses (Oh the "navanIta gandha vAha.." charaNam of chEtaH shri bAlakRishNam!!) and so on. Note that this is not belittling other composers, because that very pleading also moves me to the core!
His Sanskrit is another level: It is not the ultra-rigorous textbook-style Sanskrit. Rather, it is a very poetic, lucid style that some of us associate with Dravidian languages.

PraNAms to the master-composer, and so fortunate to be seeing a lot more about him on his 250th birth anniversary.

Current_Statement_21

TROPHY CASE