The last four events sponsored by Tamil Nadu Iyal, Isai Nadaga Mandram were held at Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam, Pollachi, under the auspices of Pollachi Tamizhisai Sangam. Popular songs in pleasant ragas made Vallivalam V.K.P. Dhandapanai’s nagaswaram recital quite enjoyable. Accompanied by Kappur K.S. Balaji on the nagaswaram and L.N. Parthibhan on the thavil, he impressed with the ‘sunadham’ that flowed through his majestic instrument.
Well-planned concert
Sudha and Srividya (Iyer Sisters), daughters of Geetha Ramasubramaniam, one of the Mayavaram Sisters, made a good impact on the listeners with their pure, traditional and enchanting vocal recital. Equally proficient in violin, the sisters were initially trained in vocal music by Kolkata Krishnamurthy and later their mother. Right now, they are under the tutelage of Lalitha Raghavan.
Their opening varnam, ‘Innam En Manam’ in Charukesi by Lalgudi Jayaraman was the beginning of a shower of melodious songs in Tamil. It was a well-planned concert with kritis in pleasing ragas. They sang ‘Thaamadhamaen Swami’ as the main piece with alapana, niraval and
swarakalpanas. ‘Ksheera Sagara’ in Purvikalyani by Papanasam Sivan was presented with brisk swaras. ‘Varuvaaro’ in Sama and ‘Enadhu Manam’ in Harikhambodi were moving. The ragamalika ‘Avare Kadavulai’, the thevaram, ‘Veyuru Tholi Pangan’ and the thillana in Thilang by Lalgudi Jayaraman gave a perfect finish to a gratifying concert. Chennai Sivakami Narayanan on the
violin and Prasanna Karthikeyan on the mridangam gave admirable support to the duo.
Classy choreography
There were two Bharatanatyam recitals the following day. Pavithra Madhuram’s pleasing stage presence, tasteful costume, and appealing make-up made an excellent first impression which was strengthened further by her perfect adavus and soulful abhinaya.
Her varnam, ‘Neeyintha Maayam Seythaal’ in Dhanyasi by Papanasam Sivan was a fine sample of classy choreography. The sancharis were limited not only in numbers but also in duration, lending a crisp edge to her varnam presentation. Guru Mutharasi’s (also Pavithra’s mother) clear voice poured out the majestic jathis in rapid succession and Pavithra added radiance to them with her graceful footwork. The padam ‘Chinnanjiru Kiliye’ by Bharatiar successfully brought out the quintessential love of a mother.
Venugopal’s vocal support was very impressive. Venkatasubramaniam on the mridangam and Sikkil Balasubramaniam on the violin exhibited exceptional skill in their performance.
Sprightly performance
Sprightliness was the hallmark of Apsara Ramkumar’s dance and she retained her liveliness throughout. Whether it was the demanding varnam or the emotional padam, she gave her heart and soul to it and never showed any signs of fatigue. Her varnam, ‘Ma Moham Thane Meeruthe’ by K.N.
Dhandayuthapani Pillai (Her guru’s father and guru) brought out the pangs of the love-lorn maiden and gave her excellent scope for depicting sringara rasa. ‘Arupadi Veedamarndha Aarumuga’ and ‘Vallikkanavan Perai’ were delightful to watch.
Effective vocal support by Sudev and crisp nattuvangam by guru Uma Anand (her voice was a lovely blend of melody and majesty) made Apsara’s dance recital really enjoyable. The violin and mridangam artists who played for Pavithra continued for Apsara too.