One of the greatest Carnatic musicians and scholars of our time, the late Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana’s 92nd Jayanthi was celebrated last week at Secunderabad under the aegis of ‘Viswakala Parishat’ that he founded in the year 1983. His Jayanthi function was largely attended by his students and musicians of his ilk.
On this occasion one of the younger generation veena artistes D. Srinivas gave a delightful recital recalling some of Nookala’s favourite compositions. He was accompanied by M. Suryadeepthi on violin, Karra Srinivas on mridingam and B. Janardhan on ghatam. Srinivas is specially known for his clarity of play even in high speeds and his breezy spells and perfect sahitya expression with the vocalist touch in veena.
Srinivas opened his concert with Vallabha Nayakasya in Begada of Dikshitar and played with clarity of sahitya. It’s style was reminiscent of Nookala’s expressionist style of presentation, especially essaying of the raga and swarakalpana too, both enriching the number. He then played Bagayanayya of Thyagaraja in Chandrajyothi. The swarakalpana part too was neatly executed and the muktayis in the finishing part were exhilarating.
Srinivas then came into his own spirits and went for Ragam and Tanam in Nasikabhushani, that sounded perfect on veena, he played kirtana Maravairi with crisp swarakalpana finishing the number. The final number Srinivas played was Ramakathasudha in Madhuvanthi, a kirtana that Nookala popularised in his concerts. Karra Srinivas and Janardan provided percussion support perfectly.
