Wishing every one a Very Happy New Year 2014

We feel happy to have had a great 2013 and the years before and look forward to 2014 and years ahead with the well wishes of people like you and with the Blessings of The Almighty!

December 25, 2013 concert for Sri Rama Baktha Jana Samajam, K. K. Nagar at Meenakshi College of Engineering.

It was once again another great presentation by Sathya and Team of  Sri. B. Ananthakrishnan on Violin, London Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Mrudhangam Prof. M. Balachandar on Mrudhangam and Sri. Valangaiman Hariharasubramanian on Ghatam, with Sri. Raja on the PA at the Venue. 

It was so nice of Mr. Balachandar who had accepted our request to perform in the evening yesterday in spite of short notice and the Christmas Day concert was well received by a good number audience who once again were indeed learned rasikas!   

The list of songs performed are as under in this link 2013_KKnagar-Ramasamajam-2512_AK-LB-GHS and request you to evaluate after listening same and forward your opinion.

1. Mooladhara Murthy - Hamsadwani - Adi [S]

2. Nadasudha - Arabhi - Rupakam  - [R]

3. Buntureethikolu - Hamsanadam - Adi [S]

4. Bhudhamasrayami - Nattakurunji - Misrajampa

5. Kalikiyunte - Keeravani - Adi [R S T]

6. Kandanal Mudhalai - Madhuvanthi - Adi

Ps. S - Kalpanaswram, R - Raga aalapana, T - Thani Avarthanam

December 22, 2013 Concert for Perumbur Iyyappa Samajam!

A Memorable Concert being the First with Sathya new 'KORG MICROSTATION'. One more Korg in our family and now we have 5 children from Korg Pro, Korg TR64, Korg X50, Korg Micro X and now the 5th being KORG MICROSTATION!

By the Grace of The Almighty, it was a great coincidence that Sathya had performed his first concert with his KORG PRO, received from  Dr. Ravi Dattatreya, in Mahalingapuram Swamy Iyyappan Temple on the November 30, 2004 and now with this New Korg Microstation Sathya was blessed with the opportunity to perform for Perumbur Iyyapa Baktha Samajam for their Special Pooja Day in the premises of Perumbur Annadhana Samajam,  just behind Swami Iyyappa Temple. What a blessing and it only assures us all that we have come a long circle from November 2004 and we have just started the next Circle on this day December 22, 2013 in another Swami Iyyappa Pooja! Swamiye Saranma Iyyappa! 

This was more of a Listener's choice with more and more popular numbers performed with the team of Sri. SP Ananthapadmanabha on violin, Sri. Thillaisthanam Suriyanarayanan on Mrudhangam and Sri. Sunil Kumar on Kanjeera! The concert also had the usual Kalpanaswaram in Ganapathiye varuvai, Ragam in Subapanthuvarali, thani avarthanam and Desh Thillana as well! It was not just the Iyyappa bakthas who just wanted Iyyappa songs or devotional only and hence every one enjoyed the pleasant concert. The details of the krithis performed are as follows and please do listen to the tracks in this link 2013_PeramburIyyappaBakthaSamajam-AP-TSN-KS evaluate and forward your opinion, if and when your time permits!

01. Ganapathiye Varuvai 02. Poi Indri Neiodu 03. Janani Jananee 04. Sriman Narayana
05. Karpoora Nayakiye 06. Sabarimalaiyil vandha 07. Kaliyugavaradhan 08. Adikondar Andha
09. Ayarpadi Maligaiyil 10. Pallikattu Sabarimalaiku 11. Bo Sambo 12. Alaipayudhey
13. Brahmamokate 14. Thedi unnai CharanAdaindhen 15. Thirupugazh 16. Kuraionrum Illai
17. Dhesh Thillana 18. Medlay.

December 17, 2013 Concert for RR Sabha at Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, PS Higher Secondary School, Mylapore.

This was indeed a great recognition for the instrument KEYBOARD and artists in Sathya to have got an opportunity to perform for the time under the aegis of RR Sabha, a renowned Music Forum in Chennai and also in an evening 7 pm slot! 

This concert was presented with Sri. Adyar D. Balasubramani on Nadaswaram, Sri. Adyar D. Senthilkumar on Thanvil and Sri. Kumbakonam Swaminathan on Mrudhangam. The team were well received by a good number of learned audiecne and they presented a good team effort!

The details of the songs performed are as under and do listen to the tracks in this link 2013_RR-Sabha_NB-TS-KS evaluate and forward your views, if & when you find time.

1. Pranamamyagam - Gaula - Adi - Mysore Vasudevachar [S]
2. Kailasanathana - Kambodhi - Misrachapu - Dikshidar [R]
3. Parathpara - Vachaspathi - Adi - Sivan [S]
4. Durmagachara - Ranjani - Rupakam - Tyagaraja [R]
5. TelisiRamachandra - Poornachandrika - Adi - Tyagaraja
6. Mokshamugaladha - Saramathy - Adi - Tyagaraja [R Th S T]
7. Kannan Thiruvadi - Sallabam - Ekam - Bharathiar
8. Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram - Ramdhun

ps. S - Kalpanaswram, R - Raga alapana, Th - Thanam, T - Thani Avarthanam. 

December 10, 2013 for MFAC - Mylapore Fine Arts Club, Chennai.

It was one of the concert venue which get a very learned rasikas for all concerts irrespective of the slots! This being a morning concert at 930 am on a working Tuesday morning we did not expect much crowd but we did have over 50 - 70 people who appreciated the team of Sathya with Kariakal Venkatasubramanian on violin, Sri. Trivandrum Balaji on Mrudhangam and Sri. Harihara Subramanian on Ghatam. The important being a senior citizen who actually came in little late as Sathya was playing Natakurinji alapana and after Shyama Sastri krithi Mayamma loudly announced that he was listening to an ecellent Instrumental raga elaboration after a long time and also asked the team to excuse him for having been late to the concert! A Humble person and an act indeed hard to see these days!

The details of the presentation is here under and please do listen to the tracks in the link 2013_MFAC-1012-KVS-TVB-GHS evaluate and give your opinion, when you find time!

1. Enna Puniyam Seidheno - Reetigaula - Misrachapu - Oothukadu Venkata kavi [S]

2. Mathurambikayam - Hemavathy - Rupakam - Dikshidar [R]

3. Mayamma - Nattakurunji - Adi - Shyama

4. Bhavayami - Yamankalyani - kandachapu - Annamaya

5. RTP - Sallabam - Kandajathi Triputa - Bharathiar [R Th P T]

    [Kannan Thiruvai Ennuga Maname Thinnam Azhiya Vannantharume]

6. Yeppadi Padinaro - Bheemplas - Adi - Sudhananda Bharathi

7. Thillana - Dwajavanthi - Adi - Lagudi G. Jayaraman

December 03, 2013 Inaugural Concert of Brahma Gana Sabha!

It was indeed a greatest day for Sathya as this concert was attended by a fairly good crowd and most importantly by the Legendary Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna sir, who took his time and stayed back to listen to his sishya's performance for almost half an hour after he inaugurated the Music Festival 2013 of BGS at Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium!

Sathya aptly stared the concert with his Guru's composition 'Pari Pari' in Hamsadwani and we could see the blessings of the Legendary Guruji with his acknowledgement for good phrases and also during the kalpanaswarams. The team of Smt. Padma Shankar on violin, Sri. J. Vaidhyanathan on Mrudhangam and Sri. K. V. Gopalakirshnan on Kanjeera enjoyed every moment of his stay and were really blessed. The audio team also presented a good work and the concert was indeed a great success!

Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna ji, while leaving the hall had praised Sathya and the team's presentation so highly with Sathya's grand father who was overjoyed with the Legendary's presence! The details of the krithis performed are as under and we request you to kindly spare some time to listen to the tracks in the link 2013_BGS-concert-dec0313 and give your feedback, when you find time!

This concert also had been covered by DD Podhigai in their Marghazhi Music festival telecat on the Inauguration of BGS with with clippings!

1. Pari Pari - Hamsadwani - Adi - Dr. BMK [S]

2. Gurulekha - GauriManohari - Kandachappu - Tyagaraja [R]

3. Angarakam - Suruti - Rupakam - Dikshidar

4. Anandha Rakshaka -  Jalavarali - Adi - Koteeswara Iyer [R] 

5. Sarojadhalanethri - Sankarabaranam - Adi - Shyama [R S T] 

6. Varuvai Varuvai - Baghyashree - Misrachapu - Bhaathiar (music tuned by Sathya)

7. Thillana - Kaapi - Adi - Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

Ps. S - Kalpanaswaram, R - Raga Alapana, T - Thani Avardhanam

London Maiden Concert - 03.11.2013

It was indeed a great opportunity thanks mainly to Late Sri. Ram Subramaniam family and "Oru Paanai" for this!

 

It was indeed a nice presentation by the team of Sri. Balu Arumugam - violin, Sri. M. Balachandar - Mrudhangam, Mr Prabha on PA and Mr. Andrews on Light along with Sathya and the audience enjoyed the concert thoroughly and appreciated the every moment! The songs were actually a Listener's Choice throughout with Dr. Ambikapathi, a Seasonal (December Music) visitor to Chennai almost listing for the first half and the second part was requests from the audience! 

Asper request from the organisers Sathya started the concert with Lalgudi sir's varnam and also ended with his Thillna in Madhuvanthi. Also in th main Chandrajothi Sathya went on to play ragamalika swarams in Sindhubhairavi & Vakulabaranam.

As per the request from the audience, Janani Janani a song from Thai Mookambikai and Nilakaigiradhu from Indra composed by Meastro Ilayaraja and Oscar Winner AR Rahman were played as a birthday gift for Ms. Janani!

The details of other performed are as follows:

01. Varnam - Charukesi - Adi - Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

02. Mahaganapathim - Naatai - Ekam - Dikshidar (s)

03. Deva Deva kalayamithe - Mayamalavagaula - Rupakam - Swathi Thirunal (R)

04. Sadhimchane - Arabi - Adi - Tyagaraja

05. Chinanchirukiliye - Ragamalika - Tisranadai - Bharathiyar

06. Bagayanaiya - Chandrajothi -Adi - Tyagaraja -(R,RS,T)

07. Raghuvamsasudha - Kadhanakudhugalam - Adi - Patnam Subramanya Iyer

08. Janani Janani - from Thai Mookambike - Maestro Ilayaraja composition

09. Alaipayudhey - Kaanada - Adi - Oothukadu Venkata KAvi

10. Nila Kaigiradhu from Indra - AR Rahman compsoition

11. Enakavi Padinalum - Neelamani - Adi - Anayampati Adisesha Iyer

12. Kurai onrum Illai - Raagamalika - Adi - Rajaji

13. Thillana - Madhuvanthi - Adi - Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

14. Mangalam - Vazhiya Senthamizh 

Note: R - raga aalapana, S- kalpanaswaram, RS - Ragamalika kalapanaswaram, T - Thani Avarthanam

Sathya's 1000th Concert @ Music Academy for Arun Excello and also in Vijay TV!

October 06, 2013 - a Day to be remembered for great happenings! Yes the 100th Concert of Sathya @ The Music Academy being recorded for Vijay TV! Own composition made for our KBS Inculcation getting staged at The Music Acadmey!

It was also a great coincidence that Mr. Dinesh Naidoo, Serendipity Tours, Durban, South Africa was in Chennai and also made himself available to attend this concert on way to the airport to take his flight back home! A concert at The Music Academy under their banner is indeed a dream for every artiste and on this 100th occasion, we had the satisfaction of having performed at The Music Academy, thanks to Arun Excello and Vijay TV and it was indeed memorable!

The concert was well attended & received and was enhanced by Sri. B. Ananthakrishnan on Violin, Sri. Kumbakonam Swaminathan on the Mrudhangam and Sri. Krishna on the Ghatam. The audio was at its best and added  Ambience of The MA gave the artists on stage as well a great satisfaction!

One of the moving incident happened was when Smt. Gayathiri Venkatraghavan who was there to perform the next concert, came over to the Podium after Sathya's team finished the concert and expressed her joy in being their for the 1000th concert, blessed him for greater success and handed over a gift as appreciation & token of affection. What a great blessings on a day which will be remembered not only by us but also the large audiecne who attended and the well wishers of Sathya as well!

We as family wish to extend our sincere thanks to each and every individuals, forum, groups, media and many more who have been route cause this stature of this western instrument in Carnatic Music for which we have been a small tool and we look forward to great support, cooperation, encouragement, continued wishes and blessings for us to go further on. 

The list of songs performed were as follows:

01. Sri Saraswathi - Arabhi - Rupakam

02. Bhuvaneswariye - MohanaKalyani - Adi (raga aalapana)

03. Hiranmayim - Lalitha - Rupakam 

04. Arul Purivai - Begada - Rupakam (a compsition of Team KBSI)

05. Akilandeswari - Dwajavanthi - Adi (Aalapana & Kalpanaswaram) 

06. Karunai Deivame - SindhuBhairavai - Adi

07. Baghyadhalakshmi - Madhyamavathi - Adi

It has been a wonderful journey all through these concerts and let us all make a fresh journey and make it as many concert as possible!

Watch Sathya and Team perform today 1900 hrs, October 04, 2013 

Adyar D. Balasubramani on Nadaswaram, Adyar D. Senthilkumar on Thavil and Sumesh Narayanan on Mrudhangam

Sathya into the 1000 Club!

What was started as a experimental effort on the 9th December 2001, under the aegis of NADOPASANA at Srinivas Sastri Hall, Mylapore is now entering into the 1000th effort! Yes Sathya is just knocking the doors of 1000 Club as he is to present 998th concert today at Malleeswaran Temple, Mylapore, tomorrow the 999th at Forum Mall, Vadapalani for RMKV and his 1000th at Music Academy for Arun Excello on the 6th October, 2013!

Life is indeed a complete cycle and its proved here with the 1st and the 1000th being performed in Mylapore! We have no words to express our thanks for all the support, cooperation, wishes and blessings people around us has showered on us and we are confident we will march ahead with their continued efforts as well! This is just the begining and we have a long way to go is what is our feeling at this moment! We pray The Almighty to give us the strength to march ahead in the journey of Muisc with all your wishes and blessings!

Sathya is continuing his journey not only as a lead performer on Keyboard, also as a Harmonium artist, playing Melodica and now Accordion as well!

Here is the link for his recent Harmonium concert performed, Thanks to Issai Mazhalai Ramjhi sir and Jaya TV

Our dedication to "Sangeetha Bhushanam" Sri. Emabr S. Sadagopan

Our humble dedication to our Guru mentor and dear appa "Sangeetha Bhushanam" Sri Embar Sadagopan

I recall the day i met him along with my mother - in - law in my house in December 1993, when he had visited our house in Santhome to see me and my parents to talk about getting our families in to a LIFE relationship! After they left our house and when my parents asked me if we could meet their daughter Lalitha, i said, "I sincerely like mama and mami and i do not have to see Lalitha to decide! We shall meet if they like me in principal and also if Lalitha wants to meet and then decide”. Later Lalitha also told me that she had said the same to her parents! I am really blessed to have Smt. Padmasini and Sri. Emabr S. Sadagopan as my parent-in-law and they have been and will be always be like my parents!

Lalitha's Guru - Being her father and a Music teacher himself, he initiated her into Music and put her under great Musicians to learn. Understanding her strengths in terms of learning music and his passion for music studie he put her in TamilNadu Music College to study "Sangeetha Vidwan" a Diploma course. While she was studying he made a career for her in Film Music introducing her to The Maestro Illayaraja! He continued to teach / guide her through out his life and all her rendering in All India Radio had his musical tunes for all the Alwar padhigams, Thevaram and other verses she performed till date!

He was understanding the pulse of the film industry and when the recordings in general were coming down suggested her to take up Teaching as he always thought that will ensure her links to come back to the Carnatic side, which he always wanted her to come in some day! This was also reason for us to start Kbs Inculcation ! When KBSI had an oppurtunity to stage a small performance we lined up all our members to perform and he sat through the entire programme and appreciated our efforts, the teacher's, parent's and that of the children! We shall hope to continue his tradition of teaching Music and with his blessings make as many rasikas / performers in the coming years!

Sathya’s Guru – He has been one of the Roll Model Thatha’s and a great Guru for Sathya! While every Thatha use to tell stories to their grand children, this Thatha identified his interest when Sathya was three years old, to see Trains passing by and ensured to take Sathya on a bicycle making him sit in the rear career and stroll the cycle (pushing and not riding) him to the nearby (around 1 and half Km) Railway Gate in West Mambalam (now new Rangarajapuram fly over has come in) to show him at least 10 trains pass by! He also thought of Sowing the Musical thoughts in Sathya and to keep this going, he did this on a daily basis he decided to sing aalapana, few lines of krithis and swaras of a raga while going to the station and checked if they had gone in to his mind by asking it on the return! He found this unique way working with Sathya and did it for almost 6 to eight months!

Other innovative idea, I believe, he did to get rid of Stage fear in Sathya was to make his feel as if he is presenting concerts amidst people or create an classroom atmosphere and give him credits for his performance! He used the shawls and gifts his uncle Emba S. Kannan use to get during concerts and also all items at home and present it as a memento / as a gift to Sathya appreciating his efforts on a daily basis! This is indeed a unique way he used to encourage Sathya and inspire / motivate him to get his mind set towards Music!

After teaching his few small songs, he took him to All India Radio to make him perform in Children’s program for which Sathya got his First Reward / Payment too for the Performance! This is also a unique ways of this great Thatha & Guru!

When we found him play an unused keyboard in our house, bought for his uncle, he immediately suggested and invited Late Sri. Vidhyadar, a violin artiste from Maestro Illayaraja’s Orchestra and based on his suggestions guided us to make him learn Western Music! In the mean time he also handed his son’s small violin to Sathya and asked him to try playing it and he was so happy to see that Sathya was getting it to play naturally! He then took him to Sri. Vittal Ramamurthy and requested him to initiate Sathya on violin with a request to hold on to his natural fingering techniques!

When we saw Sathya attempt playing Carnatic music on Keyboard he was actually not very forthcoming being a traditional person himself! The thought of somebody getting misguided was more in his mind than any thing against any form of music! However when I asked him to check for one opportunity after which we will decide the course, he spoke to Sri. Nadopasana Srinivasan and got Sathya his First Opportunity of a public live performance when he was was 6 and half years old! He then guided us to take Sathya to be under the tutelage of Kalaimamani Kanyakumari Madam knowing with his vast experience of her being his son’s Guru and the noble and open minded personality she is! Sathya was aptly guided on to perform the nuances of his musical thought by Kanyakumari mam which he continues to date! He was so happy that now Sathya is slowly growing his creativity and sticking to his musical interest in particular to Carnatic, even though it was not his (thatha’s) preferred instrument.

Sathya’s western guru Mr. Alphonse’s class room was located in a lodge in Rangarajapuram and both Sathya and his Thatha had hilarious time going and coming for the class as they had to climb the West Mambalam Railway Station foot bridge to go to the other side and their recollection of going to the railway gate (well this is when Sathya was 5and half years old)! More than attending the classes, Sathya was inclined to go probably to see the trains as they used to go through the railway station.

Well here I need to mention the way he use to be like a school kid to go and receive him from the school PSBB KK Nagar and he used to travel with Sathya in the same van after talking to the driver! We had moved in to the house 2^nd building to his residence as Sathya joined PSBB. He made a good smart deal to be in the Van that took Sathya to school and back and travelled with Sathya to School. He used to wait outside the school premises he had a great joy and always shared that thought with us!

My Guru - Yes i have always seen him as my guru firmly after seeing Sathya's budding talent in playing Carnatic music around the year 2001! I have never known the way he had brought up his children until then or may be i did not have value for them till then! When i left my job to go with Sathya to South Africa, he was shocked to know the reason and told me that it was not a easy world to live with particularly leaving the kind of a job i was in! 

He then with concern, narrated me the way he used to bring his children up, with both himself (as a music teacher in a Govt. School and my mother-in-law (in TNEB) as working parents with their office in totally different ends of the city! He was insistent that he was confident of Sathya's ability but cautioned me for not letting my concentration lapse in bringing him / encouraging him . It was indeed great experience to sit with him and know the way he brought his children and the amount of dedication he has had to have his dreams come true!

He always was very clear in saying that you should dream of things you are capable of and should surely work hard towards the same! I know what he meant and i am sure he lived his entire life that way; most contended human with great values in what ever he thought was right.

It is very much important that every one of us need to have dreams, which can be achieved and should keep attempting to accomplish it with dedication, sincerity and hard work. It might need some sacrifices from your side or from your kith and kiln as well and need to keep going with just your goal in mind! Yes this is what I am trying to learn from Appa’s life!

Its 19 years plus I know him from December 1993 and almost until last November he has never called me by name! How ever almost from Oct / Nov last year he started calling me as KB and that was so sweet of him to refer me like that! I think that should be the way I should be referred by and known by and so from now on I am going to refer my self as “KB”. This is equivalent to me as “SIR” Padmabhushan, PadmaShri or any awards which one can get in his / her life time!

I am blessed to have him in my life! I will sincerely be happy if I can achieve at least a percentage or two of what he has achieved in terms of bringing up his children and Embar Kannan as an artiste in particular, with respect to Sathya!

While he was not forthcoming in the initial days when Sathya took up the instrument Keyboard as medium of his musical expressions, his compliments to me for having come this far with Sathya as recently when Sathya’s DVD album with Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on the 31^st December 2012, does give me hope and I am sure we will keep growing to greater heights and I seek his blessings as always to accomplish same.

Anbudan Kb