Kumari Iswarya Sankaran, a disciple of Indira Ranganathan, professor T. Chandra Mowli and Suguna Varadari attained a considerable standard in vocal music and received many accolades from prestigious sabhas like Madras Music Academy, Indian Fine Arts, Narada Gana Sabha and ‘Hamsadhvani'. She is also an accomplished Bharathanatyam artiste.
Her concert for Swarajhari Sabha held at Gokaraju Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika came as a treat for the connoisseurs. Iswarya began her concert with Muthiah Bhagavatar's varnam Mata Malayadhvaja in Khamas and followed it with Muddumomu in Suryakantam and Syamasastri's Karuna Joodavamma in Varali.
The brief alapana of Varali was quite impressive. After this there was a keertana Kanakambari in ragam Vandana composed by vidwan Annavarapu Ramaswami. The raga has only four notes (sa, ga, ma, ni and Iswarya showed good control over the raga.
O Rangasayi , the majestic keertana in Kambhoji was taken up for a detailed rendering.
The beauty and majesty of the raga was brought to focus with free flowing expression. Bhava, rich neraval and competent swaras also marked the item. The highlight of the concert, however, was the intricate Pancha Nada Pallavi which amply proved the competency of Iswarya in pallavi rendering.
The sahityam Neerajakshi Kamakshi – Janani Niranjani was sung as exquisite raga malika rendered as pancha nada pallavi in Trisra Rupaka Talam set in pancha nadas — Trisra, Sankeerna, Misra, Khanda and Chaturasra. The kalpana swaras were also rendered as ragamalika with ragas named in the pallavi. It was a difficult exercise in which Iswarya came out in flying colours.
Adequate support came from B.V. Durgabhavani on violin and R. Srinivasan on mridangam. The concert came to a close with a Meera Bhajan in raga varam and a thillana in vasanti.
