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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

My first public concert 28.12.2010, after obtaining AIR recognition!



It was indeed a great blessing to have performed my first concert after obtaining grade from "AIR" at Sri Parthasarathy Temple Tank - Theppakulam! This was a concert organised by Vikku Umasankar anna s/o Sri Vikku Vinayagaram sir on teh 28th Dec'10. It was again a blessing to have received the award yesterday at Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple premises!

The ambiance was simply superb with overcast sky and nice chill breeze blowing! however it was also starting to drizzle slowly and we all were praying god and started the concert on the stage specially put up for this festive event period. As i completed two songs the drizzle was getting stronger and in the mean time i tried to cover my keyboard and literally performed without seeing the keys! I sincerely do not know how i managed! The Almighty's grace was showering and so was the rain! We had to change the place of performance to the steps of the Tank and here we all sat in a row to perform! Different experience and i should thank all the artists who performed with me today to have adjusted to the conditions! Kudos to the PA system team for teh excellent audio and the audience to have turned up in spite of the rain! 

I sincerely thanked God as i got the oppurtunity to at least perform the concert even though a short one!  Thanks to Villiwakkam Raghuraman uncle on violin, Kumbakonam Swaminathan anna on Mrudhdhangam, Sainath on Ghatam and Srikrishna on Morsing. Umasankar anna told me that "Pala Padigal uyarndhu nee Periya Vidwanaga Poradhuku indha nighazhchiye oru satchi" - This incident of you playing on the steps is the witness of God's blessings to you to become a a great Artiste in the future! A great experience and i am sure you will love these photos and the video clippings of this concert!



Adding to my joy today after the AIR result was this award i received from Vlayapatti Kashyab Nadhalaya Child Artiste award for the year 2010. This was presented at Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple, Adyar on the 27th December, 2010

Monday, December 27, 2010

Greatest Day in my Life! Got my "B" grade qualification letter from AIR!


A dream of my parents and of course my self has come true! I have got the audition result from AIR today and thanks to Smt Radha Ravi aunty from Bangalore and their children Raghav and Akshaya who turned out to be lucky for me! Yes they came home along with us in our car after performing for Parthasarathy Swami Sabha today morning in hrArtbeat ensemble and on reaching home saw this letter from AIR in our mail box!

What a surprise! I also had Newyork Raja uncle coming home and presenting me with a momento for having been part of his music School's anniversary gradation process! A great day indeed

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

My concert for Kalarasana 20 December, 2010


wellwisher rasikas from Hosur
our team on stage
It was indeed one of the satisfying for the entire team, however with a small audience! With many big concerts happening, being first day of the week and also with exams around - many people could not turn up for reasons like this. The highlight was who ever came appreciated and

liked the presentation and stayed for the entire concert. I am so happy to say that a family from Hosur had been in the venue - Rani Seethai Hall actually from 530pm itself and i was so pleasantly shocked to see that there are people who also come before hand and wait for the concert of mine!!! In fact i dedicate the entire concert to that family apart from who ever turned up may be 40 - 50 in all! Thanks to Sagayam uncle and Sri. Murugan for the excellent PA system managed that day.

Monday, December 20, 2010

My mama's concert at Rani Seethai Hall for Kalarasana on 18.12.2010


It was indeed a great concert team onstage with my uncle Embar S. Kannan sharing stage with Injikudi Sri E. Subramaniam on Nadaswaram, Sri Sembanarkoil S> M. Babu on Thavil, Sri Pahlgonse on Mrudhangam and Sri Arun kumar on the Rhythm Pad. Kudos to Sagayam uncle the person behind PA system - seen in the 1st photo of this link.



Hope you all enjoy the pictures taken by me! Yes it is the first time i took a camera to cover an event and thanks to Sasi uncle - my dad's friend who lent his superb camera!


Here is the review in Telugu appeared in Eenadu newspaper today.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

"Bala Kala Rathna" from Issai Mazhalai Ramjhi uncle's forum
 14. 12. 2010 Blakalasagaram Trust




I remember the early days when i first met Ramjhi uncle with the photograph below when i was probably 7 years old! The picture mentioning Balabrahmam is the one where i performed in the unique Jaya TV programme under Issai Mazhalai in the year 2005. I still remember him killufying my chin (in fact he did day before yesterday also meeting in Hariharashrma anna's - Kanjeera artiste's wedding) and he has every right to do so as well as i am always a kid for him and would love to remain so for ever! 


He used to pull my leg on my pronunciation of certain words and interestingly he said that even now he hears me that way only! Well i would love to be a child always as we escape from troubles in life! I remember the trip we went to Mumbai and Pune and the enjoyment we had in that trip is not matched with any of my trips till date! No jokes as it was full of young children and uncle used to be part of this kid team in all ways and we had great fun eating in teh train whatever came by, Mumbai roadside  eats, Shopping in Pune and what not!

Today i was handed over a a title - award "Bala Kala Ratna" by his organisation and it was a very happy moment indeed! Ramjhi uncle has been one of the main reason for what i am today with his patronage all through my life as a performer and i am so happy and blessed to receive this from Sri T. K. Govinda Rao sir and Sri. Cleveand Sndaram sir in the presence of Ramjhi uncle and Mr. Rajasekar of ITC - Mangaldeep. I sincerely thank you uncle for the faith you have on me by giving this award and i hope i live up to the expectation and raise to a greater stature in the music field. 
Meeting India's Great Photographer - Mr Iqbal Mohamed 


Nov 28th, 2010 is one of the great days for me as i happen to meet Iqbal uncle a pioneer in the still photography in India and also n ace photographer and is the owner of the greatest photography Institution - Life & Light Academy, Ooty. What a simple personalty he is! Humble is the least word i can use for mentioning his simplicity and i was so blessed to work on a project of Audio Visual presentation for his Coffee Table Book - Vibrant At 1000 which was released yesterday - 13th December, 2010 at the Russian Cultural Centre, Chennai. When i met him for the second time and handed over my December 2010 Music concert schedule hand slip he  magnanimously took few of his photos from his office notice board and pinned my hand-out! Thanks to Yessel uncle for giving me the opputunity to have met this wonderful person in life! In the photo below you can see Yessel uncle, Mrs. Anuradha Iqbal aunty and her father who was also so nice,  encouraging & friendly with me on the first meeting itself!

Today when i met him at his office in the evening he was so nice to to handover  the book Vibrant At 1000 as a gift and also to  I am blessed to have been a part to it and he was so nice to hand over a copy of the book and gave me a surprise to inform me that he will take a portrait picture of myself and give me and from now on i need to raise to a level so that i am actually doing justice to his kind gesture!
Sincere Condolence to Venkataraman mama and family.


Venkataraman mama Secretary of Mylapore Fine Arts Club has always been so dear to me and it is indeed a great shock for all of us in our family to see the newspaper report of his demise. He has been a constant supporter for my efforts and has been a pillar of strength to me giving me valuable advice whenever i have met him. I seriously will miss him in the rest of my life and i say it from my bottom of my heart! Above is the photograph he demanded to be taken as early as 2004 after i finished my first appearance in MFAC 12 - 1:30 pm slot and is indeed vivid in our memory! Mama we miss you and will mis for ever!!! May your soul rest in peace!

December Season concerts 2010

December Season concerts started with my home ground concert at Bharat Kalachar on the 2nd December 2010 with a prelude at Vani Mahal mini hall for Om Bhavatharini amma's Sakthi peetam's YogiRamsurathkumar Jayamnthi on the 1st Dec'10. I was thrilled when my school chairman Dr. Smt YGP mam spoke so high of me and got her blessings after the concert. I hope to live up to all the expectations! It was once a gain a great enhancement by the artists who perform with me which has always the most important factor for my growth in this art field and not to leave the PA system which was indeed a boon!