Listen Music at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4jXEyBrD-s&authuser=1
Brief Report
The SPIC MACAY circuit of Carnatic Vocal music in Hong Kong that took place on 24 25 26 of January 2017 featuring Vidushi Bombay Jayashri Ramnath was a great success . The best part of the circuit was not just the music of a great artiste like her but also the coordination success of incredible volunteers of HK Chapter . The team worked so hard and carried out their assigned responsibilities with clock work precision and exuberance. The visit of Jayashri JI coincided with Chinese New Year period and India's Republic Day. It signifies an opportunity to celebrate relationship . Cultural ties ,individual ties, festivity , patriotic fervour and team work in concert was evident in everything they did . The artists were mesmerised by the affection lavished on them by the HK Team of SM volunteers jointly and severally. Some lovely children of volunteers like Archana , Shobana, Chitra also played perfect roles and engaged the artists with incisive conversation on many topics .
Bombay Jayashri was accompanied on vocal support by her son Amrit Ramnath , on the violin by Vidwan Mysore Srikanth , on the mridangam by Vidwan Manoj Siva , on the Kanjira by Vidwan Purushotham . It was total team work on stage and off stage . The first prog was for young adults - Chinese students of Hong Kong University on 24/1/17. BJ explained beautifully the topic of Indian Classical music it's nuances , the evolution and structure , two main streams Carnatic and Hindustani. The preamble was as spell binding as what followed - demonstration. She chose Rag Charukesi and taught the students the Raga and made them sing the notes . She asked the fellow musicians to show and explain their respective instruments . There was an hour long inter active session when students asked several questions . She answered with poise , grace , joy and her communication skill was brilliant . Before the concert , after sound testing there was half an hour slot for relaxation . She and her team were taken to the cafeteria of the University where the volunteer's children had exclusive time with her.
Prog no 2 took place on 25/1/17 at King George V School . The audience consisted of Middle and Senior School students and teachers . BJ brought herself to the level of the middle school children and talked to them about Indian Heritage and Indian Music . She asked children about India and taught them Ham ko man ki Shakti Dena song. It was like a community prayer when all the children were made to sing the lines as chorus . After an alaap and Kriti the percussionists demonstrated their skills by a brief Thani Avartanam . She again invited the audience to sing with her Jago Ma Janani in Yaman , explained the meaning ,told them the meaning of Ma , role of mother in our life . The auditorium reverberated with choir of Jago Ma . It was meditative tranquility that was experienced
Prog no 2 was the prestigious Asia Society concert at 7 Pm on 25/1/17. The Indian Coun. General Mr Agarwal was the Chief Guest . The prog was preceded by a Chai pe Charcha at terrace garden which was a tryst with Bombay Jayashri for the volunteers , their family , children and other invitees. It was a very informal tete a tete for the star-in-the eyes Indian diaspora to actually see hear and take selfies and pic with The one and Only BJ. The concert was just brilliant . BJ started the Kutcheri with a melodic Neelambari that set the tone and tenor of the concert . The song was Madhava Mamava Deva Krishna by Narayana Theertha which swayed the audience. What followed was a beautiful Ragam Tanam Pallavi in the Rag Mohana Kalyani. The song was Bhuvaneswari composed by Harikeshanallur Muthayya Bhagavatar ( 1877-1945). It was music for soul and gandharva singing in HK. She then took up the great piece of Sant Thyagaraja composition Mokshamu Galaa Bhuvio Jeevan . The meaning is " is emancipation available to those who have not liberated themselves from worldly needs " . BJ started with the Anupallavi line to open the song " Sakashat Karani sat Bhakti" and took off ethereal level and came to Pallavi line Mokshamu. The audience which included many Chinese were spell bound .
To commemorate our Republic Day , she chose the beautiful Bharatiyar song Chinnan charu kiliye in Raga Malika . Then Rag Sahana ' visited ' Asiatic Society with a Papanasam Sivan composition Chittam Irangatha. She then chose to ' drug ' the audience with Life of Pi lullaby ( as per the request of Asia Soc) . She sang Krishna Nee Begane in Yaman Kalyani saying Oh Udipi Krishna come fast . Then a beautiful Desh Raag Thillana of Lalgudi JI - her guru. The rag was appropriate for Republic Day . She
Thunder God was astonished at the claps and standing ovation she received
- By CS PANCHAMKESAN (Senior Volunteer, SPIC MACAY)