Mediocrity

I have seen some people hell bent on fighting mediocrity. Some of them even take it to the extreme of hating people they term mediocre. Fanatic opposition to mediocrity does not make sense.

It is all relative and based on the frame of reference one is using. What is mediocre for one might be excellent for someone else. What is excellent as per one, might be mediocre for someone else. Even a so called expert who appears to give excellent performance now, might have had his/her mediocre days early in their career, as per the expert himself/herself. And, even now, another doyen in the same field might feel this expert is just mediocre.

When we say someone or someone's performance/work is mediocre or great, we are just making a statement based on our own knowledge, comfort, and confidence in that area, as of that point in time. Let us say we call a work a great piece of work. And, we might enjoy that work well. For another person, apparently more capable and knowledgeable than us in that area, can that work be not mediocre, if that person finds there is nothing so great in it? So, who is making the right statement here?

We, who call a person or their work mediocre, might ourselves be called mediocre in our area by another person who takes a higher pedestal than us in the area/domain. Are we going to call it unfair and protest that?

Even if, now we think we are experts and can judge others, what about that time in our lives when we were not experts (just figuring out our way around) and we were still churning out works and some pitiable souls consuming it then? If some of the experts of those times, who would have definitely termed us mediocre then, had hated us for mediocrity, would we have survived and grown? What would have been our state of mind then? With out the acceptance and accommodation from some good forgiving souls, we would not have grown into a state where we consider ourselves as experts and are able to critique.

Excellence is a never ending pursuit. I would say excellence is even a myth. It is entirely up to each person to define internally what is excellent for him/her and strive towards that - no need to get this validated with (or approved by) anyone or no need to justify this to anyone. There is always someone or something better than you as per you (whether you are aware of that person or not), at any stage in any area.

If these anti-mediocrity activists understand this, they would do a big favor to the other sides of their brain.

Breeze of devotion....

Yesterday 7-May-2016, we enjoyed the concert of Aruna Sairam at the Ramanavami music festival at Sree ramaseva mandali Chamarajpet. She has been a regular here and is a favorite of the crowd. You could see a number of requests (through "chits") from the audience for specific songs and to most of them she obliged. She also explained the background of some of these compositions and why devotion is a very important part of carnatic music. She said well, audience make the artists feel humble and the humility of the artists go in a big way towards reaching music to the audience. Her performance was full of high energy and tempo. The accompanying artists struggled a bit to keep up. She sang a few "abhangs" and the audience followed her in those with the "thalam" and claps.

Here are some of the renditions from her:

• Srivighnaraajam bhaje - naatai
• Vandanamu raghunandana - Sahaana
• Rama lakshmana poorvajam - kalyaana raama (pallavi) - hamsa naadam
• Bandanodi govinda Krishna Banda nodi -Thodi
• Sree satya narayanam - Shubabanduvaraali
• Swetha padmaasana Sangeeta saamrajya sanjaarini - mohanam
• yenagu aane ranga ninagu aane - mukaari
• pandari nivasa sakya paanduranga - maandu - Abangh
• Vishamakaara Kannan - behaag

She brought the rain...

Sowmya's concert on 5-May-2016 at Sree Ramaseva Mandali Chamarajpet pleased the rain gods and it poured that evening. She was ably accompanied by Sudhindra, Charulatha Ramanujam, and Giridhar Udupa on the violin, mridangam, and ghatam respectively. She sang unaffected by the rain. Her songs and the rain cooled the air. At one point, the rain was so heavy that water started dripping onto the stage and the artists had to shift their seating a bit to avoid water falling on them. She explained her understanding of the second composition "Alagalalladagali ..." to the audience, showing how full of emotion that song was.

She sang the following:

1. Vanajaakshi - kalyaani
2. Alagalalladagali - madhyamavati
3. Maayoora naagam Anisham - dhanyasi
4. Manavyaala Kim chara - nalinakaanthi
5. Ambaneelalochani aashrita - sreeragam
6. Vandesadapadmanabham - navarasa kannada
7. Sreerama raghuvara - shanmughapriya (RTP and Thaniyaavarthanam)

Violin duo...

Yesterday (30-Apr-2016), we were at Sree Ramaseva Mandali, Chamarajpet, enjoying the violin concert of Mysore Manjunath and Mysore Nagaraj who were accompanied by Umayaalpuram Sivaraman on mridangam. They played to the crowd. What a coordination between the Mysore brothers all through the concert! They themselves were thoroughly enjoying the performance along with the audience. On the mridangam, it was an explosive performance by Umayaalpuram Sivaraman who energized everyone. He said it well, "This is a competition (healthy) between youth and experience". It was my privilege to be there to enjoy the show. The entire audience gave a standing ovation to the artists after the rendition with the thaniyaavarthanam got over.

Here are the ragams covered...

• Reethigowla
• Kannada
• Saraswathi manohari
• Kalyani
• Aandholika
• Aabheri
• Janaranjini (thaniyaavarthanam)

Sunday show

It was T.M.Krishna who mesmerized us this Sunday 17-Apr-2016 at Sree Ramaseva Mandali Chamarajpet.

There he was, with his trademark innovations. Each rendition had his total emotional involvement. He was immersed in each of them like only he could and the tempo was slow for most of the songs (as he thinks it should ideally be). His Ragam-Taanam-Pallavi was unique and was delivered in parts. Thaniyaavarthanam came very early in the sequence unlike the usual practice with other artists.

The mike/loud speakers were not helpful at times, with their blaring high-pitched shrill noise, irritating him. The organizers need to handle the acoustics better. In this age, we have better technologies and there is no reason for such noise to get generated.

Here are some of the renditions:

1. Sukki evvaro - Kaanada  (RTP - part)
2. Sarasuda - Kaanada (RTP - part)
3. Sri Maathrubutham - Kannada
4. Enta veduko o raghava - Saraswathi Manohari
5. Kanchi Kamakshi - Bairavi

Sanjay's concert

Yesterday (9-Apr-2016) evening, it was Sanjay Subrahmanyan's magic on display at Sree Ramaseva Mandali Chamarajpet.

He enthralled all of us with his impeccable style. According to me, the Ragam Thanam Pallavi that he rendered towards the end was the highlight. He is one artist who literally throws music notes at you through his mouth, gestures, and actions, and still they land as gems. I like the way he enjoys his performance and his take-it-easy style.

Here are some of the renditions yesterday:

1. Jalajaksha ninne - hamsadwani
2. Pallandu pallandu pallaayirathaandu - Naattai
3. Bhajana seiyave -  kalyani
4. Kaaru - mugaari
5. Ma jaanaki jata - kamboji
6. Yendukudaya - Thodi
7. Ninu paraamugam yeno - Begada
8. Kanakasabesa jagadeesha - Ragam Thanam Pallavi - Mohanam , sahana, saaveri , nalinakanti, sindhubhairavi

Music season of 2016 in Bangalore now on

This year's music season in Bangalore got off to a great start yesterday at Sree Ramaseva Mandali Chamarajpet. I was there enjoying Bombay Jayashri's captivating concert. Her voice is very distinct and catches attention. Here are some of the songs she rendered.

1. Sree saraswati namosthuthe - Aarabhi
2. Ramaninnu bamboo naan - Mohanam
3.sakalagragabhalaneene - Ataana
4.Ninne nambithenayya srirama - Simhendra madhyamam
5. Smarane onde saalade -Malaya marutham
6. Oh rangashaayi - Kamboji

Looking forward to the other concerts as well this season ....