Musical idealism and its practical application in alapanas and rendition of kritis are the important factors in an audience-friendly presentation. This came through in Sowmya’s recital, that took place as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of Rajalakshmi Fine Arts, at the Kikani Higher Secondary School, in Coimbatore.
Sowya’s ‘Samidayachuda,’ a Varnam in Kedaragowlai, rendered in two speeds, showed that she laid emphasis on her performing style as well as refinement. After an evocative version of ‘Janaki Ramana’ (Suddhaseemantini) with swaras, her raga vinyasams of Surutti for ‘Angarakamashrayamyaham’ and Neethimati for ‘Aravindalochana’ made evident her mature approach to ragas. Her gamaka orientation and azhutham went well with the listeners. Her creativity was unleashed in the Bhairavi RTP while demonstrating her manodharma in the pallavi ‘Gopi Gopala Bala’ (Adi 2 kalai) and the raga sancharas in Shanmukhapriya, Valaji, Bhairavi, Nattakurinji and Hamsanandi. The swaras were rendered in her mentor’s style. ‘Koluvaiyunnade’ (Devagandhari), ‘Manasuloni marmamulu’ (Varamu) and Smarasundara (Paras) were the other items on her agenda.
Embar Kannan matched up the vocalist during raga versions and swara repartees. Subramanian (mridangam) and Anirudh Atreya (ganjira) provided able support on the percussive side. Their lilting thani was vibrant and enjoyable.
Clear diction
Strict adherence to manodharma, perfect alignment to sruti, clarity of diction and a piercing voice negotiating the sangathis and the octaves with ease, marked the kutcheri of Prince Rama Varma. His prefatory details of the items chosen helped the rasikas enjoy the deliveries more. He began his session with a Gambiranattai pada varnam of his guru, the late Balamuralikrishna, in an unhurried pace. The swaras for ‘Gajavadana maampahi’ (Hamsadhwani) was scrupulously answered by Vinu on the violin. ‘Kaa vaa vaa’ (Varali) was evocative. His Pantuvarali for the kriti, ‘Saroruhasanajaye’ with abundant sancharas and manodharma was graceful. The rare composition of Tyagaraja ‘Raminsuvarevara’ in Suposhini raga brought out the radiance of the composition. The bard’s nottuswaram on the major scale was unfolded stressing its specific beauty. The concluding thillana in Kadanakuthuhalam rounded off his erudite recital. Vinu’s raga versions and swara sallies were enjoyable. Harikumar (mridangam) and Krishnakumar (ghatam) provided perfect rhythm at right decibels.
Unhurried rendition
An uninterrupted flow of sukham music emanated from the flute of Jayanth. Accompanied by Ashwani Sankar on the shehnai and Ramdas Palsule on the tabla Jayanth’s unhurried renditions were heart-warming. The brief raga vinyasam of Hamsadhwani with swaras by the duo in turns for the kriti, ‘Vatapi Ganapathim’ and the succeeding ‘Saraswathi namosthuthe’ with a meandering flow of swaras showed their mastery over their instruments. The lucidity and modulation in ‘Sarasasamadhaana’ (Kapinarayani) and ‘Siva Siva enarada’ (Pantuvarali) were impressive. His renditions for ‘Raghuvamsasudha,’ ‘Raghupathi Raghava’ and ‘Vaishnava janato’ were appealing without sacrificing the bhava. The percussionists Venkatesh (mridangam) and Ramdas Palsule (tabla) in their thani scaled peaks of laya sukham. The idea of combining shehnai with flute was novel.
Had emotional appeal
Vijay Siva’s vocal recital on the following day displayed his skill and vivacity in every number that he presented. His opening ‘Jagadananadakaraka’ in Nattai was a promising start. The following ‘Ninnuvina marigalada’ with niraval and swaras brought out the emotional appeal of the kriti. The alapanas of Purvikalyani for the kriti, ‘Inta paramukham’ and Mukhari for ‘Pahimam Ratnachala’ with medium-paced phrases, soft jarus and swaras were distinct. The mapping of Sankarabharanam gave him scope for impeccable application of gana naya in tapering the raga phrases for sahithya articulation. The kriti, ‘Manasusvadheenamai’ was full of bhava. The RTP in Dhanyasi ‘Then Pazhani Vadivelane’ in tisra tripuda pulsed with an indefinable tenor carried his stamp of creativity. Charumathi Raguraman’s (violin) raga versions and swara exchanges with alacrity proved equal to Siva in all respects. Bharadwaj (mridangam) and Sai Subramaniam (morsing) provided wholesome support in the laya wing.
Voice, his asset
A pliable voice with a good range is Ramakrishnan Murthy’s asset and his display of vidwat was at a high level of maturity. Warming up with the Viribhoni Varnam in two speeds, his Bilahari expansion for the kriti, ‘Naa Jeevadhara’ with a comprehensive middle octave his voice had an added sheen.
His raga vinyasam of Kalyanavasantham for ‘Ganaloludai’ and Khambodi for ‘Kaana kann kodi vendum’ couched in impeccable musical vocabulary went hand in hand with azhutham.
His RTP in Mukhari for the pallavi ‘Kaadalippom naam anaivarum’ in kanda triputa buzzed with a medium-paced sancharas in Arabhi, Mohanam and Ataana. ‘Edayya gathi’ in Chalanattai was a wholesome version. Charumathi Raghuraman (violin) grasped all the phrases adding substance with her own contribution in raga versions and swara sallies equal to that of the vocalist. Arun Kumar (mridangam) and Guruprasad (ghatam) enhanced the quality of the session.
Melodious throughout
In Ranjani-Gayathri’s version of ‘Gananayakam bhajeham’ (Rudrapriya), Ranjani’s intrinsic perceptions and Gayathri’s felicitous breeziness made the kutcheri melodious throughout. Their technique was vocal balance with good gana naya in the alapanas of Chakravaham for the kriti, ‘Sugunamule’ and Mohanam for ‘Jagadeeswari.’
The shared RTP in tisranadai, the pallavi being ‘Natesan Jagadeesanmalar padame’ with raga sancharas in Saramathi, Kannada, Margahindolam and Sindhubhairavi, added freshness to the session. Vittal (violin) responded admirably in the melodic segments and picked up the challenge with alacrity in the swara forays and raga vinyasams. The percussion support by Sai Giridhar (mridangam) and Anirudh Atreya(ganjira) was of a high order.
In the junior slot, Vijayashri Vittal with Pappu Gnanadev (violin), Adarsh (mridangam) and Sivaramakrishnan (ghatam); and Aditi Prahlad with Arjun Kumar (violin), Nagaraj (mridangam) and Krishna Prasad(ghatam) impressed the rasikas with their tonal eloquence and skill.
