M.S. Subbulakshmi - At Carnegie Hall - 1977

M.S. Subbulakshmi - At Carnegie Hall 1977

Oriental Records - BGRP 1009-11 - P.1978

M.S.S Subbulakshmi & Party in Concert 

Disc 1

Side A

A1 Sri Maha Ganapati - Muthuswamy Dikshitar - Gowla - Misra Chapu

A2 Vandeham - Tirupai Annamacharya - Hamsadhvani - Kanda Chapu

A3 Sobillu - Tyagaraja - Jagan Mohini - Roopakam

Side B

B1 Rama Rama Gunaseema - Swathi Tirunal  Simhendra Madhyam - Adi

Disc 2

Side A

A1 Muruga Muruga - Perisami Thooran - Saveri - Misra Chapu

A2 Narayana - Purandaradasa - Suddha Dhanyasi - Kanda Chapu

A3 Raga Alapana - Kambodhi

Side B

B1 O Rangasayee - Tyagarja - Kambodhi - Adi

B2 Tani avartanam (Percussion solo)

Disc 3

Side A

A1 Devi Brova - Syama Sastri - Chintamani - Adi

A2 Ikanaina - Tirupati Narayanaswamy Pillai - Pushpalatika - Adi

A3 Bhajan

Side B

B1 Bhajans

1

2

3

4 Kandu Kandu

5

B2 Benediction

Radha Viswanathan, vocal support

Kandadevi Alagiriswami, violin

Guruvayur Dorai, mridangam

Flushing

[I am sorry that there is no split tracks the LP-sides have been converted as one file per side. Unfortunately I do not have the time at the moment to do so but maybe some fortunate extra time in the future will let me finish these chores and then I will replace these files. I am confident you can enjoy these ones in the meantime …]

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M.S. Subbulakshmi - The Concert Album - 3 LP-Box - P.1970

M.S. Subbulakshmi - The Concert Album
EMI Odeon - S/MOAE 2012-14 - P.1970





Disc 1 [S 5012]



Side A 

A1 Viriboni - Varnam - (Bhairavi — Ata) P. Adippaya 7'18
A2 Vidulaku (Mayamalavagula — Adi) Tyagaraja 7'38
A3 Sogasuga (Sriranjani — Roopakam) Tyagaraja 6'57

total time: 21'40

Side B 

B1 Menakshi Memudam (Purvikalyani—Adi) Muthusvami Dikshita 17'11
B2 Venugana (Kedaragaula—Roopakam) Tyagaraja 4'50

total time: 21'45





Disc 2 [S 5013]




Side A 

A1 Tera Tiyaga Rada (Gaulipantu—Adi) Tyagaraja 3'17
A2 Bhogindra Sayinam (Kuntalavarali—Khanda Chapu) Svati Tirunal 3'32
(A3a-Tanam & vln solo intro 2'43)
A3 Paratpara Paramesvara (Vashaspati—Adi) Papanasam Sivam 7'05
A4 Hariharaputram (Vasanta—Khanda Ekani) Muthuswami Dikshita 6'24

total time: 22'35

Side B 

B1 Akhilandesvari (Dvijavanti-Adi) Muthuswami Dikshita 5'22
(B2a-Tanam & vln solo intro 3'22)
B2 Palintsu Kamakshi (Madhyamavati—Adi) Syama Sastri 9'08
B3 Vara Narada (Vijayasri—Adi) Tyagaraja 3'06

total time: 20'35




Disc 3 [S 5014]



Side A 

A1 Enati Nomu Phalamo (Bhairavi—Adi) Tyagaraja
a) vcl, vln intro 7'43, b) song composition 10'45, c) tani avartanam 5'25)

total time: 23'45

Side B 

B1 Tsallare  (Ahiri—Misra Chapu) Tyagaraja 4'04
B2 Naneke Badavanu (Behag—Jhampa) Purandaradasa 3'29
B3 Tillana - Svati Tirunal 3'29
B4 Annapoornashtakam (Ragamalika) Sankarachariya 3'45
B5 Jagadisa (Nadanamakriya—Adi) Svati Tirunal 2'51
B6 Nada Vindu Kaladi Namo Namah (Senchurutti—Adi) Arunagirinathar 3'21

total time: 20'40




Radha Viswanathan, vocal support
V.V. Subramaniyam, violin
T.K. Moorthy, mridangam
V. Nagarajan, kanjeera
T.H. Vinayakram, ghatam

This wonderful 3 LP Box in  concert format with one of my absolute favourite singers should more than make up for the last couple of days “missing” posts. I had forgotten to set the dates right of a few pre-edited posts and as I was rather busy I am sorry to say I forgot to check. I am still busy so please excuse my inattentiveness that may go on for another couple of weeks. I will still try to post regularly but if there is a couple of days missing now and then I hope you understand.
So excuse my sparse comments, but I am sure I will be forgiven as soon as you start listening to these records! I Hope you enjoy!



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M.S. Subbulakshmi - Surdas Bhajans - Hindi Devotional

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Surdas Bhajans - Hindi Devotional

EMI Parlophone PSLP 1391 - P.1986

Side A

A1 Prabhuji tum bin kaun sahai 5'59

A2 Nis din barsat nain hamare 3'41

A3 Raakho laaj hari tum meri 4'49

A4 Kunjani Kunjani Bajati Murli 4'25

total time 19'08

Side B

B1 Akhiyan Hari Darsan ki pyasi 5'06

B2 Madhuban tum kyon rahat hare 4'23

B3 Hey deen dayal gopal hari 4'36

B4 Suneri main ne nirbal ke balram 4'43

total time 18'45

Vocal Support by Radha Viswanathan

Tunes set by P.S. Srinivasa Rao

Sūrdās (1483—1563)

Sūrdās, (fl. 16th century, probably in Braj, India; traditionally b. 1483—d. 1563), North Indian devotional poet known for lyrics addressed especially to Krishna that are usually considered to be the finest expressions of Brajbhasa, one of Hindi’s two principal literary dialects. Owing to a biographical tradition preserved in the Vallabha sampradāya, Sūrdās (or Sūr, for short) is usually regarded as having taken his inspiration from the teachings of Vallabha, whom he is supposed to have met in 1510. Sūr is said to have become foremost among the poets the Sampradāya designates as its Aṣṭachāp (“eight seals”), following the convention that each poet affixes his oral signature (chāp, or “seal”) at the conclusion of each composition.

Yet a number of factors render this connection historically doubtful: the awkward logic of the story of the meeting of the poet and philosopher, and the absence from early Sūrdās poems of any mention of Vallabha and of any clear debt to major themes in his theology. More likely, Sūrdās was an independent poet, as is suggested by his continuing appeal to members of all sectarian communities and well beyond. He probably became blind in the course of later life (the Vallabhite story makes him blind from birth), and to this day blind singers in North India refer to themselves as Sūrdās.

Poems attributed to Sūrdās have been composed and collected gradually, swelling a corpus of about 400 poems that must have been in circulation in the 16th century to editions of some 5,000 in the 20th century. A 19th-century manuscript boasts twice that number. The size of this cumulative tradition, in which later poets evidently composed in Sūr’s name, justifies a title that had already been assigned to the corpus by 1640: Sūrsāgar (“Sūr’s Ocean”). The Sūrsāgar’s modern reputation focuses on descriptions of Krishna as a lovable child, usually drawn from the perspective of one of the cowherding women (gopīs) of Braj. In its 16th-century form, however, the Sūrsāgar gravitates much more to descriptions of Krishna and Rādhā as beautiful, youthful lovers; the pining (viraha) of Rādhā and the gopīs for Krishna when he is absent—and sometimes vice versa; and a set of poems in which the gopīs lambast Krishna’s messenger Ūdho (Sanskrit: Uddhava) for trying to satisfy them with his spiritual presence once he has finally left their midst. They will have nothing less than the real, physical thing. In addition, poems of Sūr’s own personal bhakti are prominent, whether as celebration or longing, and episodes from the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata also appear. Encyclopedia Britannica

The concept of devotion towards Godhead, though very ancient, had its birth in the South, says an old adage. But its expansion, depth and value acquired a significant place in literature in the beginning of the 16th Century through the compositions of a galaxy of scholars in the North. Among them, even today, Bhakta Surdas occupies the first place. Bhakta Surdas is rated as an outstanding composer of devotional songs in Hindi. For his compositions he chose many areas; among them the area of an unfathomable affection of a mother towards the child is most popular. He also added a new dimension to his compositions by introducing the yearnings of a devotee towards God and also the inexhaustible quantum of wordly wisdom. These songs are said to be available in scores of thousands and they are being treasured from generation to generation. There is a general belief that Bhakta Surdas was deprived of his physical vision. Yet he envisioned through his compositions, the entire scenario of Lord incarnate, Sri Krishna's life, particularly his childhood. These compositions are equally valued by scholars, poets, musicians and dancers covering the whole gamut of aesthetics. The name of Bhakta Surdas is treasured by every singer with reverence in this country. His poems have been acclaimed both as classical and popular and treated as the touchstone for excellence of singing for their style, music and richness of thought.

Srimathi M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916—2004)

Srimathi M.S. Subbulakshmi, by her reputation, crossed all barriers of language. She developed a language of her own through her songs making her singing intelligible to everybody among her audience composed of all sections, irrespective of speech. age and special strata. She has chosen to present a few Bhajans of Bhakta Surdas through gramophone records; the pieces chosen and the ragas selected are just superb. Like her wealth of music, Srimathi Subbulakshmi's munificence also is matchless It is very appropriate that she has renounced the royalties on this valuable record of Bhajans of the blind saint, Bhakta Surdas in favour of Sankara Nethralaya, a unique hospital in Madras dedicated to serve people suffering from eye ailments. By her reputation, which she has been maintaining for over four decades, she made an invaluable addition by these songs to enable her listeners to get into ecstasy and attuned to divinity and devotion. (From the sleeve notes by Dr. Moturi Satyanarayana)

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M.S. Subbulakshmi - Devotional Songs in 10 Languages

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Bhavan's LP - Devotional Songs in 10 Languages

EMI India - ECSD 3259 - P.1975

Side A

A01 Bhajare Yadu Natham - Sanskrit 4'03

A02 Hari maitho - Hindi 5'37

A03 Narayananu Nama Narayananu Nama - Gujarati 3'09

A04 Pathithoddharini Gange - Bengali 4'29

A05 Kendu Kandu - Malayalam 5'24

Side B

B01 Ishrate Katra - Urdu 7'10

B02 Hari Bola hari Bola - Marathi 3'10

B03 Yadu Vamsa Yadu Vamsa - Kannada 5'09

B04 Vasudeva Vasudeva - Telugu 3'22

B05 Nenjukku Neethi Nenjukku Neethi - Tamil 2'58

Radha Viswanathan, vocal support

V.V. Subramaniam, violin

Karaikudi R. Mani, mridangam

I cannot resists continuing to post M.S. Subbulaksmi's Devotional repertoire and this one is one of the first records I bought by M.S. Subbulakshmi. And like the good Arvind said before when discussing some of the songs presented here:

"It's very rare to come across a bhajan in Urdu, the language which evolved in the courts of the erstwhile princely state of Awadh, what is now Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh. It's the language in which Ghazals are written, and often Qawwalis too, but listening to an Urdu bhajan is a real treat!

On this record there is also a very young Karaikudi R. Mani playing the mridangam, but after this and maybe, maybe just one more and then there will be Carnatic classical concerts and soon I will go back to mixing music from all over, there will be some more South East Asia, Oceania and some more following Deben Bhattachariya around. OK...

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M.S. Subbulakshmi - Sri Kamakshi Suprabhatam

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Sri Kamakshi Suprabhatam

- and other songs in praise of Sri Kamakshi

EMI India - ECSD 3254 - P. 1974

Side A

A1 Sri Kamakshi Suprabhatam 12'29

A2 Kanja Dalayatakshi - Kamala Manohari 7'57

Side B

B1 Sri Kamakoti - Saveri 9'35

B2 Kanakasila - Punnagavarali 4'32

B3 Vinayakuni - Madhyamavati 7'10

Vocal support by Radha Viswanathan

(N.B. As there is no interruption between the songs the LP-sides has been kept uncut as they are on the record the times are given but above for the individul song but there is no trackdivision!)

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M.S. Subbulakshmi - Bhaja Govindam - Vishnu Sahasranamam

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Bhaja Govindam - Vishnu Sahasranamam

EMI Odeon - SMOAE 5011 - P.1970

Side A

A1 Talk on Bhaja Govindan by Sri Rajagopalachari 'Rajaji' 2'05

A2 Bhaja Govindam - 11'04 - (lyrics in sanskrit, with interpretation into hindi and english)

A3 Vishnu Sahasranamam - Dhyanam - 6'54

Side B

B1 Vishnu Sahasranamam - Stotram 22'43

Sri Rajagopalachari 'Rajaji' (1878 — 1972)

Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (Tamil: சக்ரவர்த்தி ராஜகோபாலாச்சாரி) (December 10, 1878 - December 25, 1972), known as or Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, writer, statesman and a devout Hindu . He was the second Governor-General of independent India. Later he became the Chief Minister of Madras State, and was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (in 1954).

CR made several literary contributions. His works in his native Tamil are recognized as modern classics (published and re-printed several times). After his break with politics, he started on the massive task of translating the Hindu Scriptures Ramayana , Mahabharata from Sanskrit to Tamil; and later into English.

He received rave reviews from scholars and religious seers alike. He translated Upanishads and Bhaja Govindam into English. His book Hinduism - Doctrine and Way of Life is a concise essence of the doctrine and way of life propagated by Hinduism.

His novels and short stories, themselves would have won him public adulation. He also translated 'The Tirukkural' from Tamil to English. 'Tirukkural' is an ancient piece of the Tamil literature and is often referred to as 'the flower of Tamilnad'. His ability as a writer, is in a sense, unparalleled, not just in India alone.

Some of his poetry was set to music and sung by Carnatic music's dominant personality M.S. Subbulakshmi at several occasions of importance, and once at the United Nations, Kurai Onrum Illai - (meaning - No regrets have I My lord, None) is a very famous song in the semi-Carnatic music genre written by Rajaji and the most popular version, (widely acknowledged as soul-stirring) has been rendered by M.S. Subbulakshmi. Rajaji also composed a hymn which was sung in 1966 at the United Nations, again by M.S. Subbulakshmi.

I will post the UN concert in the following days...

Read much more...

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M.S. Subbulakshmi - Kashi-Rameswaram Suprabhatam

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Kashi-Rameswaram Suprabhatam

EMI India - ECSD 3282 - P. 1977

Side A

A1 Kashi-Rameswaram Suprabhatam - Varanasi Sanskrit Scholars

A2 Siva-Panchakshara Stotra - Sri Adi Sankaracharya

A3 Annapurnashtaka - Sri Adi Sankaracharya

Side B

B1 Rameswaram Ramanatha Suprabhatam - 'Kavikokila' Dr. V. Raghavan

B2 Ramantham Bhaje'ham - Muthuswamy Dikshitar

Radha Viswanathan, vocal support

Lord Viswanatah of Kashi-Ganga and Lord Ramanatha of Rameswaram-Setu have been integrateing the whole of Bharat from time immemorial, through the constant flow of pilgrims. Everyday Sri Ramanatha at the southern end of the land is bathed in an unending stream of Ganga waters brought by the devout from the North while their counterpart are making a similar offering of sands from the southern seas to the Ganga in the North.

Here Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi who has integrated the hearts of humanity through the magic of her divine music, "awakens" Lord Viswanatha and Lord Ramanatha through two soulful Suprabhatams praying to the Almighty to open His eyes for the welfare and happiness of the world.

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916 — 2004)

Recording for HMV

The little girl in pavadai chattai, oiled curls pressed into a tight braid, was too timid for noisy games with other children. But she devised a secret game for herself. Rolling waste paper into a cone, she sang into it for hours – pretending to record a ‘plate' for ‘His Master's Voice', then the biggest gramophone company in India.

Little did the child know that one day she would render the company's bestseller in ‘Venkatesa Suprabhatam,' still enjoying the longest shelf life among Indian audio recording. from Recording a Legend by Gowri Ramanyan,

Continue reading the article published

in The Hindu here

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Srimati M.S. Subbulakshmi - Sanskrit Morning Recital

M.S. Subbulakshmi - Sri Venkatesan

EMI India - ECSD 2293 - P.1963

Side A

A1 Sri Venkatesan Suprabatham - Sanskrit recitation - Devotional 20'39

Side B

B1 Bhavayami - Ragamalika - rupaka - Swati Tirunal 13'35

B2 Sri Rangapura Vihara - Brindavana Saranga - rupaka - Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar 6'16

R.S. Gopalakrishnan, violin

T.K. Murthy, mridangam

At last I have come to one of my absolute favourite singers, M.S. Subbulakshmi! I will write some more about her when I start posting her concerts. But you will find loads of information about her on the web. Here is one about the recording of Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatam among many other things. Published in The Hindu where you can read some more about her relation to HMV and recording technicians.

The little girl in pavadai chattai, oiled curls pressed into a tight braid, was too timid for noisy games with other children. But she devised a secret game for herself. Rolling waste paper into a cone, she sang into it for hours – pretending to record a ‘plate' for ‘His Master's Voice', then the biggest gramophone company in India.

Little did the child know that one day she would render the company's bestseller in ‘Venkatesa Suprabhatam,' still enjoying the longest shelf life among Indian audio recording. from Recording a Legend by Gowri Ramanyan - read on

What about a little biography? Need someplace to start? Well, for instance wikipedia...

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916 — 2004)

Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (Tamil: மதுரை சண்முகவடிவு சுப்புலட்சுமி, Mathurai Caṇmukavaṭivu Cuppulaṭcumi ? 16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004), also known as M.S., was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, Asia's highest civilian award, in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the Karnataka tradition of South India." and continue here...

I first heard her more than forty years ago and the first records was bhajans and the Concert she held in USA at UN. Over the years I have continued to listen to her very regularly and her voice is like a certain antidote to all evil and misfortune. I will post more of her Classical Concerts later but lets first start with something very typical for a morning in the homes in Madras. I am sure that as I am posting this it has already played in many many homes all over Tamil Nadu this morning, and if you start listening late you may as well begin with the B-side!

Suprabhatam, literally an auspicious dawn, is a name given to Sanskrit hymns recited in the morning to awaken the Lord.

The most famous is the Venkatesa Suprabhatam recited at Tirupati to awaken Lord Balaji. The rendition by M.S. Subbulakshmi can be heard in many Tamil houses each morning.

The Venkateswara SuprabhAtam (Morning Prayer/Song of Awakening) is attributed to have been composed at the Tirupati temple by one of Sri Ramanujacharya's disciples.

It was written around A.D. 1500 by Sri Prativadi Bhayankara Annangaracharya of Kanchipuram, who also composed Sri Ranganatha Suprabhatam. Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatam consists of four parts: Suprabhatam, Sri Venkatesa Stothram, Prapatti, and Mangalasasanam.

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