The high level of music set the evening apart with a prominent degreeof genuineness. C.S. Sajeev was – true to his name - full of vitality. Those who couldn’t make it to his concert have missed a gem of an Abheri, which you don’t get to listen to every day. His alapana was expansive and extensive. On the violin, H.N. Bhaskar responded with equal brilliance.
‘Bhajare Re Manasa’ (Adi tala) of Mysore Vasudevachar was the chosen kriti. Mellifluence is the characteristic feature of the compositions of Vasudevachar, a direct disciple of Patnam Subramanya Iyer. Swaraprasthara was at the pallavi itself. If Poongulam Subramaniam’s apt nadais on the mridangam further enriched the quality of the kriti, his short and sweet thani was a veritable feast.
Vachaspathi's elucidation was soul-stirring. Sajeev succeeded in bringing out its melodic entity to the optimum. After a dazzling response by Bhaskar, Sajeev rendered a rarely heard composition – ‘Sripathe Jaya’ of Thulasivanam on Sri Venkatesa of Tirupathi. The neraval and swaras were at the charanam, ‘Padmanabha Murare.’ The swara kuraippu was a thing of melodic beauty.
Periasami Thooran’s ‘Thaye Tripurasundari’ on the deity at Tiruvanmiyur was preceded by a lovely elucidation of Suddha Saveri. Sajeev took up two kritis of Tyagaraja, ‘Manavinalagincha’ in Nalinakanthi and ‘Vinarada Na’ in Devagandhari, and rendered both in desadi tala.
Earlier, his pleasant rendering of the ‘Nattakkurinchi’ varnam offered the appropriate opening to a serene concert, followed by a unique composition of Ganapathy Sachidananda Swami in Hamsadhwani, ‘Jaya Jaya Ganapathim.’ He concluded with Narayana Thirtha’s ‘Madhava Mamava’ (Nilambari) and Purandara Dasa’s ‘Narayana Ninna’ in Suddha Dhanyasi.
Young Sajeev is gifted with a golden voice and he can charm listeners with his melodies. But it would be better if he sang with full-throated ease. In a couple of instances, his voice was drowned by the accompanists. Incidentally, the acoustics in the hall are woefully inadequate.
