Although a sense of devotion is purely a personal emotion, expressed through music, it acquires a collective dimension and touches a responsive chord.
So did the devotional concert of Addepalli Lakshmi Chetti at the Annamayya Mandapam on the beach road, Visakhapatnam. A disciple of Parupalli Satyanarayana, she sang the chosen padams of Annamayya with a sense of total involvement. That she enjoys singing is unmistakable in every turn.
Though it was a concert of straight rendition sans any frills, it remained intense in its devotional fervour throughout the session. It, in a way, helped her lend a clear dimension of Bhakthi bhava to her pleasant rendition.
No ambiguity and manipulation in the name of technicalities, clear diction and flair for uncomplicated and lilting expression ensured pleasant experience to audience and her ability to carry the audience along her way was evident all through.
The singer commenced the session with Eethade Raghuramudu in raga Nata.
Be it a mood of supplication entreating the lord to shower His grace for liberation from the cycle of life and death, singing paeans to His glory in its entire iridescence, the emotional depths of the compositions stood well-plumbed.
Ragas such as Kanada, Tillang, Malayamarutham, Khamaz, Sankarabharanam, Amrikalyani, Valaji, Bhageswari and Madhyamavathi remained well-explored in its multiple shades of brilliance.
Whatever the raga that she chose was harnessed as means to bring forth the sublime devotional content imbedded in the compositions. The fare included Ihaparasadhana, Harineve sarvathmakudavu, Emichitram, Chalada eejanmam, Idesirasu manikyam, Indira vaddincha impuganu and Veenavayinchene .
M.V. Satyanarayana on violin and S. Subrahmanyam on mridangam lent admirable support.
