Rashid Khan
Jyoti Goho (Harmonium)
Shubhankar Banerjee (Tabla)
Yaman in Vilambit and Drut Teental
Short Khyal in Kauns derivative of Kokilapriya/Gowrimanohari - Teental
Thumri in Mishra Pahadi
Aaj Radha Brak ko Chali - Bhairavi
Blue Corner
Sanjay Subrahmanyan
Nagai Muralidharan (Violin)
Srimushnam Raja Rao (Mrudangam)
Neyveli Venkatesh (Kanjira)
Bharatiyar Composition in Kedaram (S)
Rama Neeve – Narayani – Rupakam - Thyagaraja (R)
Nijadasavarada – Kalyani – Adi – Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer – RNST
Rara Raghu Veera – Attana – Adi – Thyagaraja
RTP – Vellai Thamarai – Abheri - Misra Chapu
The similarities began with the shock of hennaed hair glistening in the arc lights. Their timbres were chips from the same block, etched by analogous rings of strain and overuse. Oh, and for those who are unfamiliar with the professional fortunes of one or the other, Ustad Rashid Khan and Vidwan Sanjay Subrahmanyan are also Chakravarthies of their respective domains, north and south of the Vindyas. With both raising Yaman/Kalyani as their battle standard, it was hard not be drawn into a comparison. It did not hurt that they were both beset by physical limiting factors, forcing them deeper into the wellsprings of creativity in their search for Nadabrahmam.
The Grand Moghul started with some distinct advantages. For one, his army of chords was a whole octave wider in range. His steed, the Boltaan, was a trailblazing Ferrari whereas the Chola Raja’s Brigha was, at best, a Hyundai Santro (dark grey in color!). In terms of artillery arrangements, the northerner’s phalanx of andolans and meends was far more sophisticated than the overused kampita gamaka of his opponent. nRGM-NDM-GMPDP-GDP growled King Khan, cutting loose with a lightning sargam….Thalaivar could only respond with a meek varja phrase. Rashid Bhai really should have won hands down…
But Sanjay was equipped with a quality that helped Alexander cut through the formidable Persian army and the Russians weather the Blitzkrieg – the Brahmastra of passion edged with steely will. For Rashid Khan, it was new territory and the invigorating smell of exotic blood. The Academy was ready and waiting for reaper’s scythe. Alas, Yaman pottered about awkwardly, on the back of His wayward Buffalo whose bellows had lost the deadly edge of its salad days. After huffing and puffing for an hour and a half, with his noose entangled in all sorts of knots, the God of Death and his errant vahana were chivvied to an inglorious exit while rasikas hoping for a ride to Vaikuntham, hopped aboard 17C instead.
Kalyani too had her share of problems with her carrier but the lion was made of sterner stuff than its ungainly counterpart. While its roar failed to shock the audience into submission, it devised some crafty maneuvers around its prey to get maw on neck. When its teeth were found wanting in strength, it employed its hands, feet, claws…anything to hold on to its quarry - a kanakku here, an extra punch in the sangathi there…The effort was somewhat labored but the objective was reasonably achieved – most rasikas would have missed the last 17C that day.
Sanjay’s defence of his fortress was ably assisted by Air Marshal Nagai Murali’s soaring alaapanas, which ran rings around Jyoti Goho’s unmaneouverable reed-box, while the majestic gait of Srimushnam’s cavalry trampled over the wild horses let loose by Subhankar Bannerjee’s tabla.
The assault from the north was thus repulsed but there is an internal unrest that will demand Sanjay’s attention in the days to come. TM Krishna for one staked his claim to the throne with a very vocal Kambhoji…Ah, but that is a titanic tussle that will take many years to unfold….many interesting years…
The Grand Moghul started with some distinct advantages. For one, his army of chords was a whole octave wider in range. His steed, the Boltaan, was a trailblazing Ferrari whereas the Chola Raja’s Brigha was, at best, a Hyundai Santro (dark grey in color!). In terms of artillery arrangements, the northerner’s phalanx of andolans and meends was far more sophisticated than the overused kampita gamaka of his opponent. nRGM-NDM-GMPDP-GDP growled King Khan, cutting loose with a lightning sargam….Thalaivar could only respond with a meek varja phrase. Rashid Bhai really should have won hands down…
But Sanjay was equipped with a quality that helped Alexander cut through the formidable Persian army and the Russians weather the Blitzkrieg – the Brahmastra of passion edged with steely will. For Rashid Khan, it was new territory and the invigorating smell of exotic blood. The Academy was ready and waiting for reaper’s scythe. Alas, Yaman pottered about awkwardly, on the back of His wayward Buffalo whose bellows had lost the deadly edge of its salad days. After huffing and puffing for an hour and a half, with his noose entangled in all sorts of knots, the God of Death and his errant vahana were chivvied to an inglorious exit while rasikas hoping for a ride to Vaikuntham, hopped aboard 17C instead.
Kalyani too had her share of problems with her carrier but the lion was made of sterner stuff than its ungainly counterpart. While its roar failed to shock the audience into submission, it devised some crafty maneuvers around its prey to get maw on neck. When its teeth were found wanting in strength, it employed its hands, feet, claws…anything to hold on to its quarry - a kanakku here, an extra punch in the sangathi there…The effort was somewhat labored but the objective was reasonably achieved – most rasikas would have missed the last 17C that day.
Sanjay’s defence of his fortress was ably assisted by Air Marshal Nagai Murali’s soaring alaapanas, which ran rings around Jyoti Goho’s unmaneouverable reed-box, while the majestic gait of Srimushnam’s cavalry trampled over the wild horses let loose by Subhankar Bannerjee’s tabla.
The assault from the north was thus repulsed but there is an internal unrest that will demand Sanjay’s attention in the days to come. TM Krishna for one staked his claim to the throne with a very vocal Kambhoji…Ah, but that is a titanic tussle that will take many years to unfold….many interesting years…
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