Shri Sreyas Narayanun

Sreyas Narayanun, who was earlier known by the name C.B.Ramanarayanan is a Carnatic vocalist of outstanding merit and has been giving many concerts in prestigious sabhas in India and abroad. He is an “A” grade artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan,Chennai.He is  blessed with a deep, resonant voice which can traverse all the three octaves with complete ease and also clearly communicate the musical ideas conceptualized. His musical ideas have earned a special place in the hearts of innumerable rasikas.Having been groomed in a strong traditional background, Sreyas's music has a majestic aura, captivating the listeners and making them get immersed in the beauty of the melody.

Sreyas had his initial training in music from Sri A.Anantharama Iyer [Muthuswamy Dikshitar lineage] of Guru Guha Gaana Vidyalaya, Kolkata. Later, when he moved to Chennai, he came under the tutelage of Professor M.A. Venugopal for fifteen years. For the past 10 years, Sreyas is the able guidance of the veteran musician Padmabhushan Sri.P.S.Narayanaswamy.

Sreyas Narayanun has been performing in all leading sabhas of Chennai including Narada Gana Sabha, The Music Academy, Mylapore Fine Arts, Karthik Fine Arts, Mudhra, Bharat Kalachar, Shri Krishna Gana Sabha and also major sabhas outside chennai like Shri Shanmugananda Sabha-New Delhi, Rasika Ranjana Sabha, Kolkata, Kalasagaram ,Secunderabad, Malleswaram Sangeetha Sabha,  Bangalore, Bhakata Rasika Ranjana Sabha, Anushakthi Nagar, Mumbai.

He has also been on concert tours abroad to Australia, Gulf countries and Kenya(Nairobi).

CD

Sreyas has sung in several CDs and albums. Recently, he released a CD titled “Eswaro Rakshatu."

Awards and Titles

Prize in the competition conducted by All India Radio (1987), Best Main Artiste award from YACM(1988), Vishwapriya from Narada Gana Sabha(1994), Best musician award from Music Academy (1996, 1998 and 2001), Yuva Kala Bharathi title from Bharath Kalachar (1999), Gayaka Sikamani Puraskar from Sri Bharathi Gana Sabha, Amalapuram (2006), Asthana Vidhwan of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam from the Sri Kanchi Mutt (2006), Ganagandharva Sreshta by Sri Kothandarama Seva Samithi, Kolar (2007).

Reviews

The success of a Carnatic concert depends upon the ability of the performer to gauge the pulse of the audience. Sreyas Narayanun succeeded in doing that.

- A.Sangameswaran, The Hindu, 28.1.2005

The composition that Sreyas Narayanun sang for the concert was one of the resplendent gems adorning the repertoire of carnatic music in todi raga set to Aadi talam. Todi admits a detailed alapana both extensive and intensive. To do justice to it, one should possess a voice which negotiates Keezhkala and Madhyamakala with absolute clearness. Adhering to the Sampradaya and following Semmangudi's style, he rendered Thodi raga. Its bhava was prominent both in the Neraval Swara and the rendition of alapana.

- Uma Maheswari, The New Indian Express, 11.9.2004

Rama Narayanan has a stentorial voice and  hardly needs a mike. He does not croon but sings full throatedly. He had been fortunate enough to come under the tutelage of the great Semmangudi who is an excellent Tunesmith. Rama Narayanan's handling of the raga Simmendramadhya-mam was par excellence. It was no holds

barred elaboration covering the essential points of the raga. On a couple of occasion, he touched the tara panchamam also.

-Subbudu,Statesman, New Delhi,

Shreyas Narayanan's full-throated style of singing made the Carnatic vocal recital of the sixth day a lively affair. The main kriti of the evening was 'Janaki mamava' in Bhairavi.

- G Jayakumar, The Hindu, 28.4.2006

On the seventh day of the festival, C.B.Ramanarayanan of Chennai, not a familiar voice to music lovers of this city, gave delightful concert. Ramanar is an engineer by training, who has been compelled by his love of the Carnatic tradition to take up music as his vocation. He had his early lessons from Calcutta A. Anantharama Iyer, and later, he received advanced training from Prof. M.A.Venugopal and P.S. Narayanaswami, both disciples of the late Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer. Ramanarayanan, may be said to belong to the Semmangudi bani, and his concert bore this out without leaving any room for doubt. After the preliminaries,Ramanarayanan gave an excellent rendering of the intricate Syama Sastri composition in raga Chintamani: Devi Brova Samayamide. This composition is not too often encountered in music concerts and when a musician does justice to it,as in this instance, it is indeed a rare pleasure. Kritis  in raga Vachaspati and another in raga Sri followed in quick succession. The main kriti of the evening was the Swathi Thirunal composition Deva Deva Jagadeeswara in raga Poorvikalyani. Before winding up for the evening, this young musician also treated the audience to the ever popular Irakkam Varamal in Behag, a moving composition of Gopalakrishna Bharati.bharathi"

-Vinayakumar, The Hindu, 23.4.04

C B Ramnarayan's concert had classical weight and his full throated singing helped in translating his ideas effectively. In “Ninne E.M.Subramaniam bhajana” (Nata), the Kalpana swaras in Sarvalaghu lent good tempo.

Thodi was dealt with elaborately and "Emijesithe” of Thyagaraja with Neraval swaram on 'Kama moha' was methodical. Ramnarayan was in his best in “Rama Rama Guna” (Simhendra Madhyamam). In the alapana in Tarasthayi, he was able to give fine glimpses of the raga and even in the fast phrases there was considerable clarity.

-  "Indian Express"10.8.97.

He has a soft and melodious voice, and a sweet musical sensibility. He does not go in for the aggressive but approaches raga, kriti and swara with tenderness.

His singing has a good sawkhya bhava (resposefulness), lacking in many singers in these tension-ridden days.

- KNK AND KSK, The Indian Express, 28.12.96.

Sreyas Narayanun sang with great understanding of the niceties of Carnatic music. He also revealed sound training. -SVK, The Hindu, 3.1.97 His main raga Sankarabharanam alapana was notable for his open mouthed singing in the tara sthayi. The popular Tyagaraja kriti "Enduku Pedala" was a good rendering along with neraval and swaras for its charanam line “Vedasastra”.

- SVK, The Hindu.