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The Charge of the Youth Brigade

Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyan -1993 Ramanavami Concert, Parvathi

They say nature abhors a vacuum. Theres prooffor this statement in Carnatic music. Just as the great

doyens of the 1930s-1950s were winding up their act on Planet Earth, God decided to bring forth a new

brigade of Carnatic stars. Between 1965-1975 (arbitrary dates), a number of future Carnatic stars were

born, in different parts of India, all to converge towards great teachers of Carnatic music, hone their

skills with great perspicacity, and climb on to the concert stage early and attraction attention.

This youth brigade have gone on to prime time slots in all major Vizhas and festivals. They have forayed

into film music to garner Oscar nominations. They have inspired alternative film makers. They have gone

and performed in war-ravaged Sri Lanka. They criss-cross the globe, publishing their Fall and Spring

tours on websites and microblogs. They explore multi-lingual repertoire. They enthusiastically feature in

CM-HM_Jazz jugalbandis. They sing four-plus hour RTP concerts. In other words, they drive home the

point that alls well in Carnatic music.

A leader of this whos who youth brigade is Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyan. Mr. K. Srikantiah recognized

his talent early and is highly impressed by Sanjay's style of singing, with his depth of classism and brisk

flow of creativity. Sanjay has sung 3-4 times during Parvathi Ramanavami celebrations. Mr. Srikantiah

still remembers the 'Sahana' which he has sung in the 1993 concert we feature here.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

In a recent profile, the Sruti magazine states that Sanjay was first sent to learn the violin from Vid. V.

Lakshminarayana, at the age of seven. A bicycle accident and a broken wrist later, he took up vocal

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music. Thereafter, his grandaunt, Rukmini Rajagopalan (student of Parur Sundaram Iyer and Papanasam

Sivan) shepherded and nurtured him. He later came under the dynamic guidance of the renowned

musician-teacher Calcutta K.S. Krishnamurthi, who stoked Sanjays creative urges and groomed him to

become the kind of free spirited performer he is today.

Sruti also states that interestingly, Sanjay never had the experience of a traditional gurukulam (and theresulting pathantharam or style imbibed during such an experience) for any prolonged period of time.

By his own admission, he was drawn to the music of some of the most legendary musicians of earlier

generations. One can sense the influences in his music G.N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer,

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M.D. Ramanathan, Ramnad Krishnan, S. Kalyanaraman, and at times, even

T.N. Seshagopalan. Nevertheless, there is not a hint of imitation in his music, only an original

amalgamation and recreation of the styles which inspired him. Sanjay has of late been learning from a

nagaswara exponent Semponnarkoil S.R.D. Vaidyanathan.

It is no exaggeration to say that Sanjay commands a huge and devoted fan following of three

generations of Carnatic rasikas around the world.

Concert Details

held on 7 - 4 - 1993 during Ramanavami festival in Parvathi (we regret we cant find a photo from the concert)

Sanjay Subrahmanyan ------------- Vocal

T.T.Srinivasan ------------------ Violin

P.G.Lakshminarayan -------- Mridangam

Song List

01. Sarasuda (Varna)- Saveri- Kotthavasal Venkatarama Iyer *** 02. Samayamide -Kedara-Patnam Subramanya

Iyer *** 03. Brochevarevarura-Khamach

Mysore Vasudevachar *** 04. Needu chranamule- Simhendramadhyama-Thyagaraja *** 05. Vandanamu- Sahana Thyagaraja *** 06. Kaddanuvariki-Todi Thyagaraja *** 07. Sapashya

Kausalya -Jonpuri- Swathi Thirunal *** 08. Jinjhuti Tillana- Veene Sheshanna *** 09. Thrippugazh - Harikambhoji-

Arunagirinathar *** 10. Pavamana - Saurashtra- Thyagaraja ***

Special Note : We record our heart-felt condolence on the sad passing away of the great musician and teacher Prof.

T.R. Subramanyam. His concert held in Parvathi in 1973 that we have shared here earlier is an all-time favourite.

We intend to post shortly another great concert of this wonderful scholar-musician. May his soul rest in peace.

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