G. Ravikiran muses on his Ramanavami music experiences . . .

As the Ramanavami Season slips into a Bangalore that seems to be a tad hot as it always is before the monsoon, Carnatic vocalist G Ravikiran muses on this Season.

Featured below are his thoughts -

A typical “Bangalore” overcast sky, high possibility of rain, overcrowded BMTC buses…nothing stopped me from attending that concert of KVN’s in 1995 and I am still happy I didn’t miss it.

As the concert progressed to the main raga Khamas it started pouring and we all scrambled up to the dias. Sitting less than three feet away the master was weaving swara patterns for “Seethapathe Naa pai..” (Brochevarevarura) with gay abandon – it was just KVN and Khamas – time stood still!!

This is the earliest memory I have about the Seshadripuram College grounds which hosts the Rama Navami concerts year after year.

The open air, the light breeze, the rain which sometimes plays spoil sport, the ‘chat vendor’ near the park opposite to the venue…it all makes for one heck of a place to enjoy the concerts.

It was here that, as young students of music, we could hear the doyens of Carnatic music with the added advantage that there were no tickets and one could sit anywhere in the open air venue and savor the choicest that the maestros would serve!!!

It was here that I first heard Sri Tiruvengadu Jayaraman sing as a replacement to another musician and realised what a phenomenal artist he was!!!

On another occasion, Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy sang a most elaborate Dhanyasi and threw open the choice of kriti to the audience and there were requests galore – it took almost 5 to 10 minutes before he picked Shyama Sundaranga!!! 

My debut performance at the Seshadripuram College was in 2001 and it was indeed a special moment for me to sing on the very stage that was a part of my growning up listening to great music. 

This year, I perform there on the 19^th of April and I can already feel the excitement growing in me.

<< If you have had some great experiences of this Season please mail them to - kutcheribuzz@gmail.com. Good stories will be posted on this Blog.