The Coimbatore Music Academy started by the music buffs of the cotton city with a view to identifying young talents conducted Arohana with preliminary and final rounds for different age groups. The advanced learners coming under ragam, niraval and swara categories proved promising. Prizes were distributed on the final day to the winners. The efforts taken by Vasudevan and his team of volunteers were commended by the audience. A large number of aficionados present on the occasion were an indication that the Academy was making waves in the metropolis within a few days of its inception. The event was followed by a vocal recital of Sreeram Gangadharan.
In his own style
Aided by an evocative voice, Sreeram Gangadharan’s vocal recital, to the accompaniment of Dilip on the violin, A.S. Ranganathan on the mridangam and Sethunathan on the ganjira, revealed his sense of sahithya bhava and his gamaka-laden style of presentation of the kritis carefully chosen for the concert. The opening piece, ‘Raja Rajeswarim’ in Mayamalavagowla created the right ambience for the show. His alapanas of Pantuvarali for the kriti, ‘Nandagopalakrishnam’ and Thodi for the kriti, ‘Thamadamen Swami’ brought out his excellent voice control in the madhyama, panchama and in the fast brigha-oriented passages. He wove magic casements in the swarabhedam in the delineation of Thodi and the swaras for the kriti, created a magic spell.
‘Saravanabhavaguhane’ in Madhyamavati was a delectable choice. ‘Radha Sametha Krishna’ and ‘Varugalamo’ were the other emotive interpretations of the Tamil compositions. However, the high decibel delivery failed to evoke sunaadham in the discerning listeners. Dilip’s deft bowing and dulcet notes on the violin in the alapanas and swara sallies were soothing to the ear.
Ranganathan’s mridangam and Sethunathan’s ganjira lent dignity to the kutcheri in the percussive wing. The picture of laya they portrayed was enjoyable.
