Musical homage ‘Geetanjali’ to poet Pu.Ti. Narasimhachar on his birth anniversary March 17 doubled up as a tribute to the vocalist R.K. Srikantan, who passed away recently. “It is only apt that the doyen’s son R.S. Ramakanth has stepped in to present the programme,”said president of the PuTiNa Trust, poet H.S. Venkateshamurthy. “Ramakanth and H.K. Narayana had broadcast a variety of the poet’s works on Akashavani way back in 1982 itself. Putina had appreciated it immensely.”
Earlier, vainika D. Balakrishna recollected his father Veena Doreswamy Iyengar’s cherished moments with PuTiNa. “When Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer had watched a musical ballet of the poet at Akashavani, Madras, he was astonished that both the lyrics and music were by PuTiNa. Doreswamy Iyengar had explained to him that “PuTiNa was an exceptionally rare poet in India who scored music for his own works. His lakshya jnana was an amazing addition to his poetic and musical persona.” After Shimoga Subbanna’s invocation, Ramakanth began his recital explaining how PuTiNa did not believe in musical embellishments like kalpana swara or neraval. “He said that the lyrics and tune by themselves were ornate enough,” explained vocalist Ramakanth, requesting the audience to pay attention to the distinct way in which PuTiNa used the ragas. Ramakanth began with an evocative Kamach raga that reminded the audience of his father and guru. In “Aare Mohana, Evanaare Mohana”, the opening line beautifully oscillates between the upper and lower octaves. In the Chakravaka piece “Bili Modave”, the poet describes clouds sailing in the sky and rendition of the lines with the beats of the mridanga and khanjira, made a good interpretation for the moving clouds and its rumbling, ahead of an imminent shower. “Sharadee Shobha” from PuTiNa’s Sharad Vilasa was a Rutu Geethe describing autumn.
PuTiNa’s sense of poetry was so perfectly woven with his sense of music that the innate rhythm of the word was articulated even in his music. The Todi piece with the line ‘vimala salila, kamala, kalita’ was very pleasing on the ear. And the poet’s use of Keeravani for the verses “Shararuharagam Sharada bhogam” is uncharacteristic of the raga as it includes the rishbha only in the descending prayogas. “This is why we see shades of Kalyana Vasantha emerging in some fragments of the song,” explained Ramakanth. The short, yet gratifying Sindhubhairavi from Ramakanth followed by the equally enjoyable folk styled “Paduma Naabhane”, weaved in a rhythmic segment in its melodic structure, and made it enjoyable. Yashasvi on the violin, V. Krishna on mridanga and B.K. Chandramouli on the khanjira provided able accompaniment.
