Audition on Harmonium!

Most interesting thins happend at the start of my journey in to my 18th year is the Audition i went through on Harmonium in All India Radio! Yes when i tried playing the few krithis on Harmonium some time last year in a concert appa asked me if i would be ready for applying in AIR! As i had always a liking to the instrument, i immediately said yes to it and had initialised the process. We got the letter from informing that the audition will be on the 3rd Feb'12 in the first week of Jan'12 and we now started scouting for a Harmonium! 

We actually asked almost every one we had known whom we thought would have a Harmonium and understandably only Mr. Ramani sir of my school had one and that instrument was always used for Bhajans sung during Anusham. Also it is indeed such a wonderful Harmonium, many artists using the instrument for Bhajans try and take it from him always. So we did not want to give him the trouble but what are we going to do! Buying one at this stage i thought is little premature and so decided to check with Palladam Venkataramana Rao sir - the magician on the instrument! He has on date only two instruments, one which he had bought almost 50-60 years back and the other for his students to learn! So end result no instrument! However I sincerely thank Palladam Vankataramana Rao ji for his expert suggestion / guidance extended to me to better the handling of the instrument when i went with an instrument later.

God is always kind to us and this statement was made true once again by Prasad Uncle! Father of Shyam Prasad who is interacting with us to develop his vocal chords in our KBS Inculcation, when asked on this help, at once called up Lakshman Sruthi Musicals and made sure we have the instrument in 2 days time! Now all i had to do was to go to  Lakshman Sruthi Musicals and pick one of my choice! The people in  Lakshman Sruthi Musicals were so nice to me, the manager Mr Lakshman in particular, they extended all help and i now had the instrument with me clear 2 weeks ahead of the audition!

I have now appeared for the local audition in All India Radio, Chennai and hope to get a call soon for the next level i.e. actual audition to be sent to New Delhi for grading my performance. Well that is possible only if i clear the local audition and so this is crucial and now awaiting the result! 

After finishing the audition when i wanted to return the instrument,  Lakshman Sruthi Musicals were so nice and have offered me a 4 read Scale shift Harmonium! Along with Prasad uncle they have now imposed the confidence that i will surely get through the local audition and from now on i shall start practicing for the Delhi audition! 

I am so happy that God has been so kind to me and i am sure he is, to all of us and always!

Few more links of my Harmonium attempts:

A Bhajan - Nandhanandhanu / Muralidhara Gopala / Jagajanani

I request you all to pray for my good result and I shall keep you all updated on the same.

Here is the link for the Sarvani Sangeetha Sabha concert and i am sure you all will like it.
   

Birthday Celebrations in United India!

My birthday this year was clebrated in "United India" ! I mean in India and also in the premises of United India Insurance office Head Quarters in Chennai and it was indeed a pleasant experience.! Having the number 1 of the company - CMD Sri G. Srinivasa for the entire concert was in itself a great blessings and bonus was that three more front line officials in GMs also stayed back and enjoyed our presentation along with the offcials and their families from UII.

My team actually have to thank as always to my parents for having made a concept for this presentation and it became a good effort!  Being Republic day we presented more of Patriotic numbers which had helped seed the great feeling of Independence among our people during the British Regime and these are the ones which make us feel proud even today! Having celebrated my day of landing in this Mother Earth, in a grand manner thanks to UII, the actual birthday i.e. 1st February also went well with a surprise party in the evening. 

My parents had bought me a cute little monitor speaker, thanks to my Mamoos for buying it for us from Singapore. I got lots of gift this day fromArjun Ganesh anna, Sankarnarayanan anna, Vikky, Nads Bala bought me T-shirts, gifts from students of KBS Academy, my mamoos, my grand parents and many more. Sridhar anna kalakified with the wonderful Cake and Giri Trading Raman uncle uncle gave me a good back bag for Laptop!

The day went well with lots of happiness around and hope God will be kind to hold it for me ever!

Here is the video clipping of the songs we thought were apt for the republic Day!

Thank you All

எனது மனமார்ந்த நன்றி !

प्रनाम्स

It is indeed a great day and i thank my parents for having brought me in to this wonderful World! It has been my pleasure to receive all your wishes and blessings through sms, phone calls and on Facebook, Twitter and Orkut. 

I cherish this day and look to carry all your wishes and blessings with the sincere hope that i will have more loads of these in the coming years as well!

A great trip to Thiruvaiyaru

It is always a blessing to visit temple and more so to visit St. Thyagaraja'r during the Aradhana days. Even more great is to perform few krithis there on one of these days!

I got this oppurtunity and we left home in time to be at Thirvaiyaru little early and had a good Dharshan. It was so sad that the river alongside was almost empty and had a long stroll in the sands! What to do? no water! The schedule time given to me was 545 pm and it was perfect going and got to the dias in time. I had Ms Rajajeswari on violin, Sri Venkatsubramanian on Mrudhagam and Mstr Sai Balaji on Morsing.

It was divine feeling and to perform there we are not only blessed also feel like cleansed after the performance. What was surprising this time for me was that after 3 krithis i thought of getting up Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao sir, Sri Deccan Murthy sir, Sri OS Arun sir and many office barrers who were actually listening to our performance from near the stage asked me to continue performing another krithi! What a blessing for our team and i thought it is indeed a great good sign for the prosperity of the instrument! I sincerely thank one and all for this gesture and pranams to St. Thyagaraja for his Grace!

Concert at Bhairavi Pondicherry

I had a good trip to Pondicherry with Villiwakkam Raghuraman uncle's car along with appa and Kumbakonam Swaminathan anna. Thirukannapuram J Sowrirajan uncle joined us in Pondicherry.  We actually wanted to start little early and have a good relaxed time at the hotel room before going for the concert. But as Raghu uncle had some work we started little late and also went on a wrong route travelling around 25 kms and had to come back and reached hotel only by 4pm! Of all hotel restaurant Suruguru - a fast one delayed to bring our food and so went to the room only by 5pm! Had some snacks and changed costume & proceeded to the venue.  

It was an excellent ambience but the audience was not the usual good strength in number and they sighted recent rain / Thane wind and others for the comparatively not a strong turn out of audience. We enjoyed the concert presenting some rare raga / krtihis and returned to Chennai after having a good dinner at Adyar Anandha Bhavan!.

You can listen to the performance by our team in the link:

http://www.esnips.com/thumbnails.php?album=4555183&page=1&view=1

New Year Eve celebrations with Vidwans and Vidhushis at Music Academy!

It was another great year which i enjoyed welcoming 2012 with many great Vidwans and Vidhushis, thanks to Carnatica's effort to bring in all of them under one roof - Music Academy! I think it is for the 3rd or 4th year in succession i have enjoyed this New Year Eve programme! This time again i teamed up with my dear Mamoos - Embar S. Kannan ji, and gave a mix of just film / Carnatic music on a concept of tempos / nadais and it came out good!

I was also happy to get greetings and enquiry on the Jugalbandhi concert i had performed with Pandit ji at Brahma Gana Sabha just before coming in to this programme! I shall post the video of the same at thee earliest for all of you to enjoy! However the last couple of minutes is lost due to no space in the camera as my mom had also used the same for the earlier concert. I look forward to welcoming 2013 soon!!!

In the process of this Jugalbandhi Concert i missed out on detailing the 29th Dec'11 concert performed with M. Rajeev on Violin, R. Sankaranarayanan on Mrudhangam and Sunilkumar annas at PH Mahal, Chitrakulam, Mylapore for Sri Panchamuka Anjaneya Music festival committee which was a grand show indeed. With rain god showering his best with the help of his friend Vayu Bhagawan with "Thane" the possibility of the concert was in fact remote! However there was a good audience turn out and the performance was also of good level with our team giving our best with the Grace of Lord Anjaneya! I always love playing in this forum as it is indeed a divine atmosphere and feel as if Lord Anjeneya is omni present to listen to us!

Great Experience of performing with Inventor of Mohan Veena and a Grammy Winner!

It was indeed one of the most memorable day in my life time - December 31, 2011 ! Yes it was like a dream for me to be realising at 715pm on this day that i was performing with Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt ! Humble Personified personality and i was only fortunate to have had this opportunity! I am confident and hoping to get more such occasions  in the future! A dream New Year Eve indeed!

Panditji was so humble to come home the earlier day with his wife and had dinner - simple Dosas - at our house and we had gone  for a short drive on to the beach side and he was feeling so bad for the effect of "Thane" strom and as he got out of our car he said, "All the best Sathya, let's make a great day tmrw evening". It was a great blessings and i was so stunned to see a person of his stature to be so simple and even more simpler was his wife Ma ji and it was one of teh best moments i had in my life time.

The day of the action i.e. December 31, 2011, appa left home early to see through all arrangements for the evening as Giri Trading Agency had decided to make a Video  & Audio albums of the concert. I was very excited on the show and just tried to concentrate and practise few ragas for slow and speedy phrases as i thought of the Hindustani phrases and ones i might have to give a good response!

God was kind to me with the presence of good number of audience and i thought that was indeed the respect Chennai rasikas gave for this Maestro Mohana Veena Inventor! While doing the sound check we understood teh "Reverb" key was faulty and Pandit ji was so humble in saying, "let's play with whatever resource we have". A great learning for me and for any artist as this is the best mind set one should possess instead creating a big issue and make a scene which might bring in more and more of unpleasantness!

Thanks to my dad's idea of checking with Mr. Ranganathan, incharge of Giri Trading  Agency who was captaining the the recording stream, they brought the studio mixture  from Surang, As we were playing the raga aalapana the new mixture was made set and before we went on to Thanam the equipment was fixed in no time - Thanks to teh sound engineer and team! It was kind of non stop music for the next almost 1 hr 30 mts and as we finished our piece on Madhuvanti - Dharmavathi combination we realised it is time to end the concert! Panditji in all humbleness asked me what we could play to end the concert, i suggested "Vaishnava Janatho" which happend to be one of the best renditions in a Jugalbandhi concert as said by Panditji, Ms. Vaijayanthi Mala Bali and others who had attended.

I sincerely thank Eenadu to have carried an article on the Jan 02, 2012 and Dinamalr on Jan 15, 2012 and you can log on to http://reviewsonsathya.blogspot.com/ to read the reviews.

I also thank Brahma Gana Sabha for having thought of this combination of Jugalbandhi Concert and Pandit ji in particular for suggesting to do a Jugalbandhi instead of his Solo which was in first place asked for!

Let's now look forward to Giri Trading Agency to bring out the DVD & Audio CD of this concert and i just cannot wait for a long time to see the same!

Let me also take this opportunity to greet you all for a Very Happy 2012!

One of the Great days ahead - December 31, 2011!

Yes indeed a day I look forward to perform with "Padmashree Awardee, Grammy Winner" Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt - a Jugalbandhi concert i actually have not even dreamt off!

The concert is being enhanced by Shri Ramkumar Misra on Tabla and Shri Arjunkumar on Mrudhangam. I request all my well wishers to try and promote this event and come in large numbers not to just listen to me but to 

a) Respect humble personified Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt's thought to perform with me

b) Show your strong support to Brahma Gana Sabha for having organised this concert, which will in turn give them the confidence to promote young and sprouting talents like me!

c) cheer / support / wish and bless me on the great occasion which will give me strength to perform on this great day!

To book the tickets please log on to

http://events.whyq.in/Events.aspx?Event.172 

I wish you all a "Happy New Year in Advance" and look forward to greeting you all the same on the New Year Eve after the concert!

Unforgettable moments - 2011 the Album Launch!

I sincerely thank my parents, grand parents, my gurus, well wishers, school management, teachers school mates, all enhancing vidwans who have been performing with me, the audio technicians and all who have been my pillars to the bring me up to this position of where i am today! I owe my gratitude and hope to become a good musician and above all a good Human with all your wishes.

Here are the video clipping taken during the album lauch of Giri Trading Agency's album release in association with Brahma Gana Sabha.

My source of strength has been my parents amma recoding every great moment in my life not only in her mind but also in a camera and appa for making it my website! Here are the photos:




I am so honored, blessed that in the first concert on the 9th December 2001, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Violin Vidwan Dr. M. Chandrasekaran sir had come and blessed me and today into my 11th year's first concert as well he was there as Guest of Honor to release one of my 4 albums! What a blessings and thank The Almighty for all teh blessings showered on me!

Album Launch

Wow!!! 10 years gone and into the 11th year of my performing career! Thanks one and all for this support, wishes and blessings. Do make it to my Album launch on 10th Decemebr'11 and bless me for the future.

Another feather in my elder brother's - Vikram Sarathy-  cap!!!

Congrats to you and your team and i like the importantance given for the team work!!!

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04.

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1. my mom with Facebook friend Smt Savithri Vasan
2.. Mom Violin Sri Raguraman & Mrudhangam; Mr Poovanur Viswanathan
3. engathu 2011 Golu's first visitors Deepatha & Dikshitha - Cute Twins
4. Mathura Raghuraman with ehr Golu arrangements at home



I am on way to Raleigh and will be there few days and then on to Charlotte and to Albany! The concerts are going good and i am enjoying the very nice climate in Madison right now!!  Some news from India i thought of reporting and that is :

I know Facebook helps us to connect together and was thrilled to know from my dad that it found a good friend in Mr & Mrs Vasan who on seeing my appa's message in FB came for my mother's concert ydy! Thanks to Mr. Vasan for the photograph of the concert!

I was also happy to know from my parents the visit of Golden Sisters - Deeptha & Dikshitha for our Golu. Yes i really miss the fun of Sundals & kindals!!! Understand my concert performacne for a fusion concept ws again broadcastin Podhigai Channel and when my parents went to Villiwakkam Raghuraman uncle's house were happy to see a good Golu!! Congrats Mathura Mathangi - Raghu uncle's daughter for the nice work!! Happy to know that Sri Sambamoorthy uncle Murali uncle and many others from Villiwakkam Sathy Sangam enquired about me and i am blessed with all their well wishes.

Congrats Sai Sharan for winning VIJAY TV  Super Singer 3Title!!

Pranams to Ramjhi uncle for spotting talents and bringing them up to the lime light with perfect opportunities!!

God answers the question - a nice title Dad!

It has been a dream come true for me when i got the information from my parents that i have been awarded the prestigious YUVA KALA BHARATHI for this year from Bharat Kalachar! 

I sincerely take this oppurtunity to dedicate this award and all the recognition the instrument - Keyboard has received till date & will be receiving in the coming years, to the Grace of The Almighty, blessings of my Gurus, wishes of my well wishers, forums & individuals who have been supporting and promoting with great opportunities and the hard work put in by my team of enhancement artists including the audio system persons, our close friends who have been always with us from my early age of 5 and most importantly my Parents who have taken this as a "Yagna". 

I know if i have to list all individuals the BLOGGER administrator might take me out of this as it is endless from my Thatha Embar Sadagopan, Nadopasana Srinivasan sir for the first oppurtunity, Panneer Selvam uncle for the oppurtunity he tried to extend to me through Ms. Vasantha Naidoo, Indian Academy South Africa, Dinesh Naidoo uncle (South Africa) for giving me the support to bring out my first album at the age of 8! Special thanks to my school - Padma Seshadri K.K. Nagar management, teachers & friends for giving me immense support and encouragement!

Let me once again thank one and all who have been of great support to me directly or indirectly for my progress and dedicate this award to them! This also gives me great responsibility to keep trying my best to live to all the expectation of my well wishers!! Pranams to my Gurus and you all!! he award function is on the November 2,6 2011 at Vani Mahal, T. Nagar and i would be pleased to have amny of our personal presence. 

I also thank many of you who have posted their wishes in FB and other forums for me receiving this prestigious Award!!

Reached Austin!

I am so happy to interact with you all after quiet a long time!!  Good news in plenty to share as i am on the USA & Canada Concert tour with heArtbeat Ensemble!! We have already performed 4 concerts and have just arrived Austin for a concert on 24th Evening local time!

I had a great concert back in Chennai on the 25th August at Sri Sakthi Vinayagar Temple near my mentor,
Guide and first professional Guruji Sri Mandolin Shrinivas sir's house. I was overwhelmed on that day with the presence of large audience and also the presence of Palladam Venkataramana RAo sir who is indeed a Jambavan of Harmonium instrument and an early exponent of keyboard!

Latter in the following week the article in Dinamalar was a great gift for our efforts during this   concert and by the time we had also performed at Pondicherry Manakula Vinayagar Temple which is one of the temples i always wanted to perform both for the sanctity and the love for Lord Vinayaga!!

I got the information about my cousin brother Vikram Sarathy's interview in Indian Express and i am so happy for him!! Congrats on the new film project and my only issue is i am unable to be a keyboard artiste with him and would have loved to just play few bars in his first movie!! Well i had this trip to enjoy and probably lost the oppurtunity to be with him!! But this is life - we gain some and may be get few latter!!

Happy appa for having taken Ammamma for a Holiday trip to Meshana !!





I am so happy to see the photos of your trip to Ahmadabad & Meshana to see Jaya Patti - your mom's (my ammamma!) youngersister and her family! Nice to see all the relatives and their pictures! Rekha akka's son looks so cute and so is Anitha akka's daughter! 

Congrats Bala anna - Adyar D. Balasubramani - Nadaswaram Vidwan!!

I am happy to inform you all that my dear friend and anna nadas bala has been awarded witht eh title "Issai Thendral" by Deiviga Iyal Issai Mandra, Adambakkam on the 5th August'11. The second photo is with his proud father!

I am a proud owner of iMac!!

Thanks to my dad's birthday coming up on the 8th August, which i have taken as a reason to buy a new Apple iMac which i have always been hoping for! Yesterday it became a reality!! Yes it is now in our house thanks to Datalogics who have been so nice and gave us a great shopping experience!! Its so wonderful and i also tried my first attempt on it and here is the link:

Invocation by keyboardsathya

All is going good and look forward to get the US Visa for my concert tour with heArtbeat ensemble during September - October this year! My dad has already spoken to the school and hope i have no problems getting leave for the trip!! Will keep you all informed once i get the travel documents and the ity confirmed!!

I am proud of my borther "Viky The Great" and my friend " Drums Bala"

A great achievement to be selected as Top in India and participate in an International competition! Congrats! here is the link of an article in  today's -  The Hindu Metro Plus Page 1 Looking forward to seeing a live performance of the band "STACCATO" on the 1st July, 2011 at The Spring Hotel, New No:11, , Kodambakkam High Rd. Nungambakkam, Valluvar Kottam High Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai, Chennai Phone:  40509999.

One of the greatest Moment in my Life!!

The above two links says it all!! I was amazed at the gesture of Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt ji when he asked me to perform with him for 5 mts sooner he saw me perform (check to see the video here)

It was just a dream and it took lot of time for me to realize that it was true that i performed with him! Such a Humble  person he is, when i asked him if i can use the video footage - he simply asked me, " Do you want it to be uploaded in You tube?" and when i said yes he with a smile told me "Go ahead and let the world see your performance". Magnanimity at its best! I still remember how got to join as a Sishya with Mandolin Shrinivas sir and Dr. Balamuralikrishna sir, the oppurtunity to perform with Sri Ravikiran sir and  this is another great moment which came through on the World Music Day - June 21 !!! This will be in my memory for ever! Thanks to each and every one who has seen these video and wished and blessed me!