Times are changing; so are preferences of rasikas. The creativity of musicians is challenged and stimulated to try out new formats. NDTV-Hindu hosted a unique jugalbandi of vocal and mandolin of two popular, contemporary artists from the Classical Carnatic arena. Christened 'Strains of Heaven', the programme at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Hall, featured Aruna Sairam and U. Shrinivas.
These two artists share a common factor -- both made Carnatic music popular even among those who areindifferent to classical concerts. Their rise has been meteoric and they draw huge crowds. This concert was no exception -- the packed hall of rasikas enjoyed every item served.
In the initial stages, the joie de vivre and power of Aruna’s presentation eclipsed the soft and subtle strains of Shrinivas’s mandolin. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Sri Mahaganapathi’ in Gowla, and the swara exchanges created some stir, but not much. Tyagaraja’s Pancharatnam, ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu’ in Sri, saw Shrinivas peddling the swaras softly, while the flamboyant push of sahitya by Sairam scaled some strident upper regions. Prefacing a few lines from Adi Sankara’s ‘Kanakadhara Stotram’ in Lalitha, Aruna offered Dikshitar’s ‘Hiranmayeem Lakshmim,’ for which Shrinivas added several curlicues and arabesques.
Both artists were in full form when Aruna touched on Pallavi Venkatrama Iyer’s Tamil composition, ‘Kathana Kuthuhala Raga Priyae,’ a Tamil imitation on the lines of Patnam Subramania Iyer’s popular ‘Raghu Vamsa Sudha’ in Kathankuthoohalam. The extravaganza had Shrinivas embellishing the piece with a multitude of tricky sangatis in the anupallavi and chittaswarams which were seconded by Aruna.
Karaharapriya was chosen to play the main role in the jugalbandi. The raga alapana was shared by the two, with Aruna in her inimitable style dramatising the raga image with raw energy, wild gesticulations and reach of voice. Shrinivas’ mandolin did not remain maudlin and he projected very finely etched phrases in developing the raga. Tyagaraja’s ‘Chakkani Raja’ once again had Aruna overpowering Shrinivas, but after a point Shrinivas proved that his tiny instrument too could create high decibel sangatis in niraval and convert the clipped, gamaka-oriented notes into power packed fireworks.
Both Aruna and Shrinivas, with their stormy trajectories of rhythm-centred approaches, are a percussionist’s delight . In addition to having a ball during the musical conversations, J. Vaidyanathan on the mridangam and S.V. Ramani on the ghatam created an aura of soft and sound touches in a perfectly planned but precise tani avartanam.
The abhang, ‘Sanware Sundara Roopa,’ (Hindolam) an all-time Aruna favourite, came in the post-tani session. Aruna sang it with gay abandon and her frenzied ‘Vittala Vittala’ refrain drew cheerful applause from the audience.
