Laya Nada Kala Sravanthi (LANKAS) founded three years ago by the family members and sishya-prasishyas of late Lanka Venkateswarlu, a simple and unassuming musician who taught music to scores of students including his own children and grandchildren, conducted its monthly sangeeta sabha at Sri Sringeri Peetha Paripalita Sivaramakrishna Kshetram, Vijayawada.
Lanka Venkateswarlu worked for a long time in Government College of Music. Many of his disciples have established themselves well in the music field as accomplished violinists, vocalists and veena artistes.
Two enjoyable vocal concerts were featured, the first being that of a melodious vocal duet by N.C. Sridevi and Srimahathi, disciples of Vishnubhatla Saraswathi. The concert started with a crisp varnam in Saveri followed by Marugelara in Jayantasri, Sarojadalanetri in Sankarabharanam and Gowri Sukumari in Vasanta a fine composition of scholar musician late N.Ch. Krishnamacharyulu. Almost all the songs sung by the duo were preceded by brief alapanas and were finished with kalpanaswaras. The voices of Sridevi and Srimahathi merged very well and they showed good mutual understanding. The main item Amma ravamma in Kalyani was well rendered with good raga delineation and swarakalpana shared by both.
After the main item Sridevi and Srimahathi sang Marivere gati (Ananda Bhairavi) and Nenarunchara in Malavi. The singers were neatly accompanied by Hemadri Chandrakant (violin) and Kartikeya Adinarayana Sarma (mridangam).
The second concert was presented by T. Sai Kamakshi Mounika who began with Lambodara mavalambe a seldom heard kirtana in Reetigowla. Mounika who learned her art from Sripada Pinakapani and Nedunuri Krishnamurthy has an excellent voice and sang in a pure traditional style. She also showed good command over the manodharmam aspects. The main item in the concert Nammivachina in Kalyani was presented by Mounika with melodious raga, bhava-laden neraval and efficient kalpanaswaras. Another impressive item was the ragam, tanam, pallavi rendered with great confidence in Bharavi and Tisra triputa (khanda gati). The pallavi was followed by a fine tani avartanam by K. Aravind on the mridangam and S. Phanibhushan on the ghatam. Adequate violin support came from Hemadri Chandrakant. The concert came to close with Talachinavanniyu (Ranjani) and Pharaz tillana.
