South Indian Cultural Association (SICA) organised a flute recital by Jayaprada Ramamurthy at Ravindra Bharati. She was accompanied by B.S. Narayan on violin, M.L.N.Raju on mridangam and M.Haribabu on ghatam.
Jayaprada opened with varnam in raga Kambodhi, Khanda Jathi Ata talam of Maharaja Swati Tirunal with a complicated style of presentation in three speeds alternating with Tisra Gathi (Madhyamam) and Chatusra Gathi (drutham) when playing charanam. Maha Ganapatim in Nata of Muthuswami Dikshitar was opened with a brief raga essay.
The kriti presentation was carried with devotional appeal. The swarakalpana done in Madhyama Kalapramana, culminated in a fine Teermanam. Chetulara Sringaramu in Bhairavi that she played later was a rarely presented composition of Thyagaraja.
The raga presentation was neat and the kriti was well presented with a touch of expression rendered in slow pace. Venkata Ramana in raga Latangi, Roopaka talam was a Tamil composition of Papansam Sivan, extolling the grandeur of Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. She presented the raga in detail using three flutes — one top flute and two base flutes. Kriti had a neraval at the line ‘Alarmel Mangai Manaala Ambuja Nabha Dayala’ followed by detailed swarakalpana which she did with two letter gap applying reduction process. This was set in Khanda gathi that culminated with a teermanam with Chatusra and Tisra combination. It received good applause. Sri Rama Padama in Amritavahini of Tyagaraja was then presented with the serenity it deserved as it carried emotional element.
Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Valaji was another major showpiece displaying her command on her wind instrument. The raga was played in detail while the tanam part was a treat playing using top and blasé flutes alternately, in three speeds. The pallavi line was her own that ran as ‘Kumara Gurupara Sadasivatmaja Saravanabhava Guhane’ in Adi Tala Samam. The Pallavi was presented in six speeds, displaying good command over laya. Percussion artistes presented in Trikala separately.
The swarakalpana was a detailed picture in Chatusra and Tisra Gathi with Taggimpulu, culminating in a fine teermanam, well appreciated by audience. Tani Avartanam at this stage by Raju and Haribabu matched the standard of the concert. The end numbers were marked by Ekkadi Manusha Janmamu in Bowli of Annamacharya with vocalist touch, Krishnanee Begane Baro in Yaman Kalyan using base flute, this being a Hindusthani raga; Chandi Chandasura Dhamani a rare bhajan in Sindhu Bhairavi of Ganapati Sachidananda and a Tillana in Dhanashri. Narayan’s violin support matched the flautist. It was an outstanding concert that ran for three hours, a rarity these days.
