A harmonious blend of sampradaya and creativity marked the vocal concert of Sikkil Gurucharan featured by Nadabrahma Gana Sabha at Vanaprastha in Vadavalli, Coimbatore.
The artist’s reposeful presentation of kritis eschewing speed and gimmicks of any sort provided sheer pleasure to see ‘vishranti’ taking hold of him. The melodious start of ‘Nadha Thanumanisam’ with swaras was followed by a poignant rendition of ‘Manavyala’ (Nalinakanti). The raga vinyasams of Hamsanandi for the kriti, ‘Paavanaguru Pavana’ and Madhyamavati for the kriti, ‘Saravanabhava’ underscored by radiant and pristine sancharas and prayogas in the higher octaves carved a space for pleasing fluency.
Enjoyable combo
The beauty of the ragas created a sanctum of peace yielding supreme sowkhyam. The combo of raga, kirtana and niraval flavoured with soothing swaras made a lasting impression in the minds of the rasikas.
The greatness of the kutcheri lay on the choice of kritis — ‘Thiruvadi Charanam’ (Khambodi), ‘Chalamelara’ (Margahindolam) and ‘Karunai Deivame’ (Sindhubhairavi). A lilting tillana closed his musical agenda. Sanjeev’s violin presentation with aesthetic grace and elegance was impressive. The contours of the ragas that he mapped out stood out representing his musical perception at its best. Ananthakrishnan’s tempered mridangam accompaniment and relevant technique to suit the vocalist’s artistry was enjoyable with a vibrant thani.
