There are a few artistes who do not believe in compromises,Amrutha Venkatesh is one such. Her Harikhambodi alapana was testimony to her adherence to tradition. She wove several patterns to convey its essence. On the violin, M. Rajiv with his charm and aesthetic sense was a welcome accompanist. His inputs embellished the concert. Amrutha chose Tyagaraja’s masterpiece, ‘Entarani tanakenta’ with a wide-ranging niraval and sparkling swaraprasthara.
The Saint tells Lord Rama, ‘Come what may, I would not leave you. Lord Siva is serving you as Anjaneya, being close to you. Similarly, Sesha is serving you as Lakshmana. Aren’t they?’ Aptly, the vocalist chose ‘Seshudu Sivuniki Bhushudu Lakshmana’ for extensive niraval and swaraprasthara. S.J. Arjun Ganesh (mridngam) and N. Guruprasad (ghatam) teamed up to provide an animated thani.
Soul-stirring rendition
Another raga that Amrutha selected for detailed treatment was Dharmavati. It had a soothing touch. Rajiv’s response was competent. Mysore Vasudevachar’s ‘Bhajanaseya Radha’ (Rupakam) touched the soul. She concluded it with kalpanaswaras at the Pallavi. Simplicity of style is her hallmark.
Amrutha commenced her late evening concert with ‘Aazhimazhai Kanna’ – Andal’s Tiruppavai in Varali. And instantly, she established a rapport with her discerning audience. She then rendered Swati Tirunal’s Arabhi piece, ‘Pahi Parvatha Nandini.’ The niraval and swaras were at ‘Nata Vanchi Nrupalaka.’ The swaraprasthara was noticeable for its numerous symmetrical phrases, voice modulation and command over laya.
Papanasam Sivan’s rarely heard Saveri composition, ‘Pada Malarinai’ on Lord Kapali of Mylapore was placed between Dharmavati and Harikhambodi.
Amrutha wound up her recital with Subramania Bharati’s ‘Chinnanjiru Kiliye’ (Ragamalika), Swati Tirunal’s ‘Sankara Srigiri’ (Hamsanandi) and M. Balamuralikrishna’s Dwijavanti tillana.
