Clever title eh? I have been a little busy this week and the forum has already moved to E. Lots of catching up to do!
I see C
When it comes to C, Dikshithar’s cEtah SrI bAlakrishnam is definitely the chart-topper. For the sheer beauty of dwijAvanti, the soothing melody and the wizardry of the Nadajyothi. The Semmangudi version seems to be everyone’s personal favorite. I like TMK’s version and Sanjay’s too. Chauka kalam, soothing tones and the song is the perfect accompaniment at any time.
On the forum chakkani rAja, the kharaharapriyA monument of tygarAjA seems to be another hot favorite. I have to quite shamefully accept that I have heard this song only a few times and that too in concerts. My go to song for the raga has always been tyAgarAjA’s other composition rAmA nI samAnamevarurA which I simply love. This gross negligence has to be rectified 
I don’t know too many other songs starting with C, but there are certainly other favorites :
cittam irangAdEnayyA – Papanasam Sivan’s pleading sahAnA
chinnanjiru peN pOle -A heart melting sindhu bhairavi and lovely tamil lyrics. More than carnatic musicians’ versions, I have heard and enjoyed listening to several family members sing this.
Dhaivatam
Here there is a clear three-way tie among the trinity.
SyAmA shAstri’s fantastic durusugA in sAveri which is truly a splendid rAga, Dikshithar’s navagraha krithi in a fantastic yadhukula kAmboji, divAkara thanujam, and TyAgarAjA’s dArini telusukonti in shuddha sAveri especially when it is GNB singing it (a slight bias in favor in the order listed!).
With that I’m done here and will see you in E!
Edited to add :
Thanks Buddy and Arun for the reminder. Ragas in C and D!
In both cases I’m pretty torn. C is for chArukesI and also for chakravAkam. I love chArukesI especially for the Lalgudi varnam, and equally so for this With chakravAkam, I love gajAnanayutham, the brilliant Dikshithar kriti. I am more partial to Ahir bhairav which is considered the hindustani equivalent of this ragam. I think the balance is tilted towards chakravAkam.
In D again, it is either dwijAvanti or dharmavati…I think dwijAvanti wins despite this!
5 Comments
July 20, 2009 at 2:45 am
varry nice header
and is this series going to stop with z? what happened to raagas with C&D?
July 20, 2009 at 1:42 pm
The forum has moved to ‘G’
I have lots of favourite songs in C&D!
cittam inrangAda, cEtah SrI, candraSekharA IshA & cakkani rAja
dayalEni (nAyaki) & Bombay Jayashri’s dIna SaraNyane (karnaranjani is so beautiful!)
July 20, 2009 at 3:59 pm
yes. What happened to ragas in c and d?
Also, among the 3 dhaivatams – which one would you choose
?
Arun
July 20, 2009 at 11:39 pm
@Buddy- Thanks for reminding me..I am trying to blog about other things as well. Waiting for more inspiration!
@Aparna – I haven’t heard the Nayaki song..I am getting to hear a lot of new songs thanks to this exercise!
@Arunk – Very tough question! But I think the choice is very time dependent. Saveri seems to be flavor of the month here! I have added my raga choices to the post!
July 21, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Same pinch
Charukesi & Dwijavanti are my favs too & so is Udhaya Udhaya 