R K Suryanarayana – Veena

Another illustrious musician from the Rudrapatnam village in Karnataka. My exposure to R K Suryanarayana was strictly on the radio and my recollection is his unorthodox and flamboyant way of playing (sort of similar to Chittibabu, but different).

A good friend of mine shared a set of recordings from his tour of North America in 1984 and here they are. He is accompanied by R K Prasanna Kumar on the mridangam.

Augusta, GA – House Concert

  • AlApana – Hamsadwani
  • tAnam in Hamsadwani, chArukEsi, bEgaDA, mOhanam & madyamAvati
  • dharma samvardani – madyamAvati

Augusta, GA – Aug 6, 1984

  • varNam – nAyaki – Rudrapatnam Venkataramayya
  • vAtApi gaNapatim – hamsadwani
  • endarO mahAnubhAvulu – sri
  • sAmaja vara gamana – hindOLam
  • sri rAja rAjEswari – mAyAmALavagowLa
  • jagadOdArana – kApi
  • thillAnA – kuntalavarALi
  • mangalam

Boston

  • varNam – bhairavi (aTa)
  • sri mahA gaNapati – gowLa
  • sri varalakshmi – sri
  • mOkshamu galadA – sAramati
  • kAmAkshi – simhEndramadyamam
  • RTP – bhairavi
  • raguvamsa – kadanakuthoohalam
  • thillAnA – behAg
  • mangalam

Boston – House Concert – July 16, 1984

  • varNam – kalyANi
  • brOva bAramA – bahudAri
  • nannu pAlimpa – mOhanam
  • rAma nee samanamevaru – karaharapriyA
  • swara rAga – sankarAbaraNam
  • jagadOdArana – kApi
  • prAna sakhi – AbOgi (Veena and Vocal)
  • thillAnA – senjuriTTi

Cleveland

  • saraseeruhA sana priyE – nATa
  • paripAlayamAm – reetigowLa
  • nannu pAlimpa – mOhanam
  • smaraNE ondE – malayamArutam
  • ??? – kAmbhOji
  • vEga neevu – suruTi
  • raguvamsa – kadanakuthoohalam

Montreal – June 11, 1984

  • varNam – bhairavi (aTa)
  • pancha mAtanga – malahari
  • nagumOmu – AbhEri
  • sAmaja vara gamana – hindOLam
  • rAma rAma rAma – vasantA
  • marivErE – shanmukapriyA
  • sarasamuladE – kApi
  • thillAnA – senjuriTTi
  • mangalam

Washington D C

  • bhajarE siddhi vinAyakam – bAlachandrikA
  • nidhi chAla sukhama – kalyANi
  • RTP – karaharapriyA
  • thillAnA – sindhubhairavi
  • mangalam