Sakethram - Saketharaman
Sakethram
It’s not easy to grow up in the shadow of a talented, famous and successful sibling where it’s inevitable that constant comparisons are made. I am not talking about Sakethram who has a super successful sister Vishaka but about myself and my gorgeously beautiful elder sister who was also a well behaved child while I was this ugly duckling of the family or rather ugly monkey who was far too mischievous. It’s all about me and my sister not about Sakethram & Vishaka. Do I sound like Sowcar Janaki in K.B’s film ‘Iru Kodugal’ where that famous wordplay of life & file is used ?
Having made my point, I am sharing my experience at Sakethram’s kutcheri for Kartik Fine Arts at Narada Gana Sabha on 5th December.
He started the concert not with a customary varnam but instead a composition of Ambujam Krishna in Ragam Hamsanandi set in Aadi thalam, ‘Punnagai Ondre Podhume.’
It was an earnest attempt on his part to impact the audience and it did take a while for him to settle down, which was only during his next song . This was Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s ‘Ranganayakam Bhavaye’ in a Ragam Nayaki (trust Dikshitar to make that choice) set to Aadi thalam. Dikshitar was a university by himself, and in this song he shows how this ragam needs to be handled. If one masters this song, they can never get confused between the two ragams Nayaki & Darbaar. This song is one of the ‘Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis’, so If we just say Pancharatna krithi it is one of Saint Thyagaraja’s compositions. Both these composers lived in the same period, here Dikshitar was born after Thyagaraja and died before him. They even lived within the same orbit and yet there is no recorded rivalry and animosity. Guess if it’s Bhakti and their mission is seeking the Almighty and not to promote themselves, then there is no insecurity and jealousy. If one wrote Pancharatna Krithis then the other wrote Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis . No fighting for logos or trademarks yet a small difference is enough to distinguish their work. I would like to believe that they respected each other or were not bothered each other. The proof being that neither of their works have been destroyed unlike nowadays where there is vandalism for often ridiculous reasons. These legends must have followed their own paths. In a lighter vein, similar to our Kamalahasan & Rajinikanth who decided to mind their own careers and not work together.
Another well known krithi of these Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis is ‘Shrirangapura Vihara’ in Ragam Brindavana Saaranga, which was patented by M.S. Subbulakshmi and nobody has come close to challenging that. Anyway, coming back to Ragam Nayaki, it’s a very gentle Ragam where just the Pallavi of this song if sung properly can melt anyone’s heart. Here Sakethram has a long way to go but he is surely working towards it.
As if he heard my mind voice, Sakethram rose to magnificently sing a Saint Thyagaraja’s krithi ‘Emani Pogadudura’ in Ragam Varunapriya which incidentally in Dikshitar’s school of music is called Ragam ViraVasantha. I know, I just extolled how each of them never stepped on each other’s toes so one may wonder why different names for the same ragam. My own explanation for this would be that just like we call the same God by different names, like Krishna is also Gopala and Vinayaka can be Ganesha so also different names for the same ragam. Just like I call my children by whatever I wish to depending my mood, and it’s rarely by the name their passports reveal. It’s another matter that my kids don’t respond to any name I may choose to call. Sakethram suddenly became more confident and aggressive, from then on there was no stopping him.
His next song was a Tamil composition by Papanasam Sivan in Ragam Kamboji ‘Aadum Deivam Nee Arulvai Idadu Padam Tukki’ set to Aadi thalam and this was his main piece. He was wonderful and sang as if something had transformed him in the last one hour.
He chose a song by Madurai T. Srinivasan ‘Mantrabalam Adaithan Mantralayam’ in Ragam Hamsanadam where he had the audience completely with him.
After a thillana in a ragam I could not be sure to state, he concluded the concert with a soulful rendering of Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Karpagame Kann Parai’ in Ragam Madhyamavati. He ended the concert on a high note with the audience giving a (deserving?) standing ovation !
Anyway, he is certainly coming out of the shadows.....
Having made my point, I am sharing my experience at Sakethram’s kutcheri for Kartik Fine Arts at Narada Gana Sabha on 5th December.
He started the concert not with a customary varnam but instead a composition of Ambujam Krishna in Ragam Hamsanandi set in Aadi thalam, ‘Punnagai Ondre Podhume.’
It was an earnest attempt on his part to impact the audience and it did take a while for him to settle down, which was only during his next song . This was Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s ‘Ranganayakam Bhavaye’ in a Ragam Nayaki (trust Dikshitar to make that choice) set to Aadi thalam. Dikshitar was a university by himself, and in this song he shows how this ragam needs to be handled. If one masters this song, they can never get confused between the two ragams Nayaki & Darbaar. This song is one of the ‘Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis’, so If we just say Pancharatna krithi it is one of Saint Thyagaraja’s compositions. Both these composers lived in the same period, here Dikshitar was born after Thyagaraja and died before him. They even lived within the same orbit and yet there is no recorded rivalry and animosity. Guess if it’s Bhakti and their mission is seeking the Almighty and not to promote themselves, then there is no insecurity and jealousy. If one wrote Pancharatna Krithis then the other wrote Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis . No fighting for logos or trademarks yet a small difference is enough to distinguish their work. I would like to believe that they respected each other or were not bothered each other. The proof being that neither of their works have been destroyed unlike nowadays where there is vandalism for often ridiculous reasons. These legends must have followed their own paths. In a lighter vein, similar to our Kamalahasan & Rajinikanth who decided to mind their own careers and not work together.
Another well known krithi of these Shriranga Pancharatna Krithis is ‘Shrirangapura Vihara’ in Ragam Brindavana Saaranga, which was patented by M.S. Subbulakshmi and nobody has come close to challenging that. Anyway, coming back to Ragam Nayaki, it’s a very gentle Ragam where just the Pallavi of this song if sung properly can melt anyone’s heart. Here Sakethram has a long way to go but he is surely working towards it.
As if he heard my mind voice, Sakethram rose to magnificently sing a Saint Thyagaraja’s krithi ‘Emani Pogadudura’ in Ragam Varunapriya which incidentally in Dikshitar’s school of music is called Ragam ViraVasantha. I know, I just extolled how each of them never stepped on each other’s toes so one may wonder why different names for the same ragam. My own explanation for this would be that just like we call the same God by different names, like Krishna is also Gopala and Vinayaka can be Ganesha so also different names for the same ragam. Just like I call my children by whatever I wish to depending my mood, and it’s rarely by the name their passports reveal. It’s another matter that my kids don’t respond to any name I may choose to call. Sakethram suddenly became more confident and aggressive, from then on there was no stopping him.
His next song was a Tamil composition by Papanasam Sivan in Ragam Kamboji ‘Aadum Deivam Nee Arulvai Idadu Padam Tukki’ set to Aadi thalam and this was his main piece. He was wonderful and sang as if something had transformed him in the last one hour.
He chose a song by Madurai T. Srinivasan ‘Mantrabalam Adaithan Mantralayam’ in Ragam Hamsanadam where he had the audience completely with him.
After a thillana in a ragam I could not be sure to state, he concluded the concert with a soulful rendering of Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Karpagame Kann Parai’ in Ragam Madhyamavati. He ended the concert on a high note with the audience giving a (deserving?) standing ovation !
Anyway, he is certainly coming out of the shadows.....
About the Author:
Sandhya Shankar belongs to a well respected business family in Chennai. She is a Life Skills & Corporate Trainer by profession. She is an avid reader and a natural writer, who has written several poems and articles. She even presented her poems as a reading at the British council. She has keen interest in all art forms and has explored many different forms of painting like stained glass and Tanjore being among them.
Music being her first passion, she had her formal training under Terakotti Chandrasekharaiah at Bangalore and later briefly under Mrs Champa Kumar. She is a regular visitor of concerts, theatre and other live performances. Her witty reviews have gained a loyal and interactive readership for their sound technical commentary and relevance for every kind of melophile, from the casual-goer to the ragam expert, frequenting Chennai’s rich music scene.
(*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Music of Madras.)
Music being her first passion, she had her formal training under Terakotti Chandrasekharaiah at Bangalore and later briefly under Mrs Champa Kumar. She is a regular visitor of concerts, theatre and other live performances. Her witty reviews have gained a loyal and interactive readership for their sound technical commentary and relevance for every kind of melophile, from the casual-goer to the ragam expert, frequenting Chennai’s rich music scene.
(*The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Music of Madras.)
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