What expectations would you develop if your first day of the music season starts off with a casual dinner and chat with your favourite artist? :)

That is what happened to me: I had attended Prasanna's concert at 4 PM at Rani seethai hall after which I met him and appreciated his innovation. Prasanna played a special Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Abheri _and_ mohanam. The first part of the pallavi was the mysore vasudevacharya kriti "Bhajare Manasa", however the second part of the same pallavi (the part that goes "Shri Raghuveera") was rendered in mohanam. Prasanna beautifully exhibited the parallels of Mohanam's ghamakkams and its similarities with Abheri's ghamakkams. It was like a lecture demonstration where nobody had to speak :) The funny thing was, like his 'non-carnatic concerts', he even tuned his guitar to western-tuning half way through to play some jazz riffs and chords. While some people disliked 'straying away' from tradition, I was full of teeth in my mouth, swaying, clapping and cheering Prasanna for the wonderful time that he was giving me. He even played the track "Bowling for Peace" from his album "Electric Ganesha Land" at the end as a 'replacement' for the tukkadas that happen otherwise in 'conventional' concerts.

At the shrinivas concert, I made sure I had enough time to go meet the artist on stage before the concert starts and request a Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Kaapi. I believe Kaapi and such 'hindustani' origin ragas have a myriad 'hues' than conventional Carnatic melakarta ragas and derivative pentatonics. However, shrinivas could not play the RTP and he played Tyagaraja's wonderful Charukesi composition "Adamodi Galadha". He had brought a new amp which gave a more tingy sound to the mandolin. I thought his earlier amp sounded more 'full' and 'warm'. I somehow couldn't enjoy the new bright, trebly tone.

Anyway, towards the end when Shrinivas started playing tukkadas, I decided to go have dinner at the Vani Mahal canteen. While I was doing so, I heard a "Hi Suraj" and that was Prasanna. We had a pretty interesting chat. As I see him, it seems to me that the Jazz culture and Jazz ways of life have changed Prasanna forever. I asked him why he does not use a Violinist in his concerts. He expressed that 'space' is important and that when there is a 'boss' in a concert, the overall creativity is diminished. I couldn't agree more and I've always felt this is one key element that lacks in Shrinivas' concerts. Every musician has his role to play, everybody can be creative. Everybody can add to the 'moment'... and that is 'Jazz' in a nut-shell. Bringing a violinist on stage and making them simply repeat because you are playing something that they might not know about is unfair. I had asked him how he felt when he saw a couple of people leaving the moment he started bringing in western elements into the music. Prasanna shrugged it off and said "I was having fun. If you noticed, all these doyens of carnatic music did was to only have fun on stage. Semmangudi and Ariyakudi has done more funky 'unconventional' things, so to speak, than what I've done. There is no point in playing exactly what was taught to me, I might as well be playing Mozart than playing the same thing over and over again on stage here". I couldn't agree more and I've often felt this is one key 'meme' that has started spreading amongst artists. Its all one big competition. The 'pattern' of concerts by Successful artists are copied over onto other wannabe-successful artists -- a varnam to begin with, three dikshitar / tyagaraja compositions and then a big kriti and then 5 tukkadas. Finally I asked him if he can play an RTP in Kaapi for which prasanna said he would 'try' and that he generally doesn't like to plan his concerts too much. I wished him the best in his musical endeavours and I sincerely hope that the wonderful elements of western music be adapted into Carnatic just the way Dikshitar started off the first western-infusion revolution with his Nottu Swarams or the way Tyagaraja brought Hindustani elements into Carnatic music and made it the art-form that it is today.

The next day, I went to my favourite Parthasarathy Swami Sabha where Ganesh and Kumaresh played a duet on the violin. Given my thirst for listening to Kaapi for a full hour was still not satisfied, I requested the artists to play it for me this time... and they did! But before that, I must mention the concert was full of innovation. The opening mohana varnam started off with an introductory note by Ganesh about 'fifths'. He mentioned they would attempt at presenting the varnam in a western style where when Ganesh plays a 'sa ga ri ga pa', Kumaresh would play 'pa sa da sa ri'. I was so thrilled and happy to see 'mutations' happening in Carnatic music and I can't wait to see it evolve right in front of my own eyes. Bye bye stale ideas and 'conventions'. Let the system break free. That's where innovation always lies. The RTP was amazing with a soulful alapanai and beautiful 'Graha Bedhams' in Saveri, Behag, Rasikapriya and Desh (I didn't understand why Desh had to be traversed when they are 'similar' ragas in their scale's arohanam).

But those two days were the best. I've been busy with other stuff that I've not attended such higher quality concerts since then. Today evening is a Ravikiran concert that I'm not going to miss, come what may :)