S. Aishwarya, great grand-daughter of M.S., recently performed at a meet organised by Carnatic Music In North America at Raga Sudha Hall. Carrying forward such a rich legacy comes with its own strains; that too when the person one has to follow is M.S. Subbulakshmi.
Obviously, the expectations will run high and impressing the audience is not that simple.
So, it was a tough proposition for Aishwarya who had to live up to expectations of a fairly large audience comprising popular artists and connoisseurs.
One of the most favourable assets of Aishwarya are her confident open throated articulation and her voice; it has a unique timbre. Setting off with the ‘Viriboni’ Bhairavi ata tala varnam in three tempos, she cruised through ‘Diwakaradanujam’ in Yadukulakhambodi to Dharmavati raga treatise. The raga development was systematic but the significant components of M.S. amma’s extended karvais were minimal.
‘Bhajana Seyarada’ and the niraval swaras exposed the youngster’s professional approach. Serene ‘Va Muruga’ in Begada, lively ‘Sobillu Sapthaswara’ in Jaganmohini and ‘Devi Brova’ in Chintamani vouched for the singer’s proclivity in projecting her emphasis on pronunciation which is another asset of M.S.
Dr. Narmadha on the violin and veteran D.K. Murthy on the mridangam encouraged the young vocalist with soothing support. Independent of her lineage, Aishwarya is another promising vocalist in the Carnatic scene and with greater attention to her musical legacy and diligence in executing the same with sincerity can take her career to greater heights.
