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A fine evening with the versatile singer, Yesudas!
After four years, Padmashree
Dr.K.J.Yesudas visited Raleigh, North Carolina. Being local to Raleigh,
I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the concert on August 13th
in BTI Center, Raleigh. Yesudas has the charm of attracting a variety of
audiences in multiple languages and it was very evident when I entered
the center. There were folks talking Hindi, Gujarathi, Kannada, Telugu,
Tamil, Malayalam including many Americans. It was a decent crowd for a
city like Raleigh - though it looked smaller for a big auditorium.
 The concert started bit late
(trust Yesudas also got lost in the downtown searching for the
auditorium :-) but got into the momentum pretty fast. I have been
hearing his music for 20+ years and its a great wonder that how his
voice remains unchanged over years, as his humility. After brief
introduction by the organizers, Yesudas came on stage with the entire
crowd standing, welcoming him cheerfully.
It was very unusual for a
carnatic musician to try to explain what is carnatic music to audience
and requesting them to try to enjoy and appreciate the music. It felt
like a genuine attempt to spread and share the joy to everyone - no
wonder Yesudas has more amateur fans than purists. He started with a
brief introduction on the mammoth of carnatic music and that one cannot
master it in a lifetime - very true! It did not end with a mere
introduction rather he tried to introduce each song in a unique way.
Yesudas started the
concert with a Varnam in Naattai - Sarajinaba
introducing it as a nice way to warm-up the audience as well as the
artists. It was like all set to take a long ride. The next one was
Vaathapi Ganapathim in Hamsadhvani. He told about the popularity of
the song and the raaga not only in carnatic but also in Hindustani. With
a brief Aalapana and neraval, the song was perfectly rendered.
Paavana Guru Pavana Pura in Hamsanandhi
was a tribute to his guru Chembai
Vaidyanadha Bhagawadar that composed the song written by Lalitha Daasar.
Perhaps Yesudas is the only singer I have seen singing this wonderful
song thanks to Chembai. What a beautiful raaga is Hamsanandhi! I have
heard even the two singing this song together and felt very divine!
Next came the famous
Thyagaraja Kriti, Nagumomu in Abheri
raaga. He introduced the song that this
appeared in many movies but the original is the purest of all.
With the request of
few, Yesudas blessed the audience with Ksheera Saagara in Deva
Gandhari raaga. I was amazed at his
rendition when I heard it 15 years ago. This one felt like a replica of
the original one. He took everyone along with him to go to the peak at
the words Thaaraka Raama that too few times to make sure no one
misses it and stay for a while to enjoy it.
The two line chant on Jesus
was nicely elaborated in Maandu raaga (Endha Neshamum) and
presented to all. The introduction to the song was like a message to
all: Different people believe in different God but there is only one
Almighty. If everyone believes this in the world, would it not be nice?
 No carnatic concert is
complete without a detailed analysis of a raaga. Yesudas took his
all-time favorite Thodi and did a complete job of dissecting it. It was
interesting to know that Thodi was very popular even in ancient times
and artists used to sing to Kings for 2 days even. The whole audience
was laughing when he said, "in a fast-food time, we need to give an
abridged version without missing the important ones as no one has
patience to sit and listen for 2 days". Thaaye Yasoda of
Oorthukkadu Venkata Subbayyar is a very popular and pleasing krithi and
was given the right treatment. The long neravals and thani aavathanam
made it complete. Between Ghatam and Miruthangam, Ghatam stood out.
Excellent work by BalaGanesh.
The second half of the
concert after the break went pretty fast with bhajans and quick numbers
- the bhajans in Hindi should have kept his audiences happy for sure. If
his multi-linguistic rendition keeps his audience amusing, its his
perfect unaccented singing in Hindi that keeps everyone remember Yesudas
for his famous song Gori Thera. Unfortunately, these are never Hindi for
his North-Indian audiences, as everyone associates Yesudas for his song
in Chitchor.
Yesudas paid his tribute to
his friend and great Malayalam film music director Raveendran by singing
some of his best like Hari Muralee Ravam (Movie: Aaraam
Thamburan) and Pramadha Vanam (Movie: His Highness Abdullah)
from Malayalam movies. The former in Sindhu Bhairavi raaga is a treat to
his fans with very long and breathless charanams and the latter an
all-time favorite.
The singer made my day
when he started slowly with the chanting of Om Namo Narayanaya
Namaha, I was sure the song En Nenjil Pazzhi Kondavan in Kalyani
is going to come next. The composition of
Salem Vishnu is a master-piece from Yesudas and has many fans - very
emotional and you feel like the kid Krishna comes before you when he
sings the lines Uduppiyil Nee Thavazhkindra Krishna. Wow! Great
work Dasettan!
Kondalalo
Nelakonna in Telugu came as the next surprise. We should not forget
that this wonderful song set in Hindolam raaga in a Telugu movie fetched
him a National Award. He also made sure that his huge number of fans
from Karnataka do not get upset and gave the song Krishna Nee Begane
in Yaman Kalyani next and
concluded the concert with his ever-favorite traditional Hari
Varasanam in Madhyamavathi. It does not need any special mention as
its everyone's favorite; should be his favorite too?
It was very innovative to
make the concert, carnatic based but with a blend of authentic krithis
and movies songs - like a combo meal - and made it complete satisfying
the various appetites. With one concert, he satisfied his gamut of
audiences.
Yesudas' modesty and respect
to his gurus reflected all throughout the concert. He mentioned that
thanks to his gurus Chembai Vaidyanadha Bhagawadar, Semmangudi Srinivasa
Iyer, his dad and numerous others, and their blessings, he has been able
to sing for 44 years. It was very different to see such a serious singer
to be humorous also (guess he was in great mood). Whenever he talked, he
made it funny and the whole auditorium was laughing.
When his songs are a treat
to his fans, his speach is an additional bonus to his fans these days.
His reference on his guru, Chembai's, request that one should sing for
audience and what they prefer and not the singer likes. As a singer, if
you like some song, sing in your room - at stage, sing for fans. And
that he lost his best friend Raveendran as he was an addicted smoker and
requested all his fans not to smoke.
It was a very different and
satisfying evening - for many!
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