NEWS & NOTES ‘Devagitam’ launched in memory of Yoganarasimham veritable who’s who of Mayamalavagaula, by one of his Bangalore’s musical circuit grandnieces Pooja Sukumar based in had assembled at the the US, came as a pleasant surprise. AGayana Samaja on the morning of This swarjati Bhaja re manasa 11 September 2011. The occasion Vrajabalam, is as power-packed as was to pay a musical tribute Syama Sastry’s swarajati-s, though to the last of the great vaggeya- refreshingly different, and has several kara-s of erstwhile Mysore, charanam-s starting with each swara H. Yoganarasimham, through of the raga. On the agenda was also the launch of a twin CD set of the inauguration of a website <www. his compositions and a website devagitam.in> which catalogues dedicated to him. Both the event not only biographical details and and the CD were appropriately photographs of the maestro but christened Devagitam as the also documents all his compositions maestro used ‘Deva’ as his nom de with notations and meanings. The plume. audience was enthralled to hear a recording of Yoganarasimham After a melodious invocation like Nadavara in Nadavarangini, rendering in perfect sruti towards of Kannada poet Bendre’s verse, Santirupaasyatam in Latantapriya, the fag end of his life one of veteran artist Sangita Kalanidhi Ninnu minchina in Kolahala, Saphalam Sankaracharya’s Avinaya Mapanaya R.K. Srikantan launched the CDs jeevitam’in Kuntalakusumavali and Vishno from the Vishnu Satpadi. to a thunderous applause from the Jaya jaya Bharata, a tribute to the enthusiastic crowd. Speaking about National Flag set as a delightful Speaking on the occasion, G. Raj the towering personality of the late ragamalika, among several others. Narayan of Radel Electronics made a composer, Srikantan wondered how valid observation: “In a day and age it could be possible for an individual Violinist Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan when the internet has emerged as to excel himself in so many fields. spoke on the musical and lyrical such an important medium that even “Yoganarasimham,” he recalled “was beauty of the compositions of before their very first concert artists a singer, composer, Sanskrit scholar, Yoganarasimham. In an eloquent and ensure that they have a web presence, a theatre enthusiast, a nationalist, impressive speech he outlined several the very fact that Devagitam has made a writer, philosopher and thinker facets of the kriti-s and illustrated a modest presence after four decades, for whom music was a means of how both divinity and nature play speaks volumes of the self effacing cleansing the self rather than gaining important roles in sparking creative composer.” He also reminisced how the appreciation of others.” The inspirations for composers like Yoganarasimham had met Gurudev nonagenarian poignantly asked if it Yoganarasimham and his own father Rabindranath Tagore and impressed was possible to find such a trait of Lalgudi Jayaraman. He highlighted him with his musical brilliance. selflessness towards music among the usage of rare raga-s, varieties of A fitting finale to the launch was aspirants today. Srikantan also paid genres, a mix of tala-s, ample usage a delightful rendering of some tributes to Mysore Vasudevacharya, of swarakshara-s and the amenability of the kriti-s of the composer by the mentor of Yoganarasimham, of the compositions to niraval his granddaughter and musician with whom he was closely associated and swaraprastara – all of which M.A. Jyothi accompanied by for over four decades. He recalled demonstrate the marks of a great Charulatha Ramanujam (violin), his own association with Yoga- composer. His compositions brought H.S. Sudhindra (mridanga) and narasimham at the All India Radio. to life several raga-s that existed as Phanindra Bhaskar (ghata). Starting Raghavendra Rao of Ananya received mere scales in ancient texts, he noted. with the Dwijavanti varnam Vanamali, the first copy of the CDs. A clip from a dance performance Jyothi presented a melodious The CDs have 18 compositions of based on one of Yoganarasimham’s mélange of compositions: Sujana Yoganarasimham including rare ones masterpiece swarajati-s in raga charitam (Mukhari), Kaapaadade l SRUTI October 2011 NEWS & NOTES nepa hooduvi (Gaganamohini), the sedate padam Sringara Sekhara (Neelambari), a tillana in Sunadavinodini, before winding up with a mangalam dedicated to his favourite deity Lord Narasimha in Madhyamavati. The event also witnessed the coming together of the maestro’s children H.Y. Mohanram, Narayandutt, H.Y. Rajagopal, H.Y. Mukunda, Lakshmi Rajanna, Kasturi Subrahmanyam and Neeraja Achuta Rao and their families. VIKRAM SAMPATH (L to R) M.A. Jyothi, G. Raj Narayan, G.J.R. Krishnan, R.K. Srikantan and (Vikram Sampath is a well known writer) R.V. 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