On the fourth day of Ragapriya's 48th anniversary concerts on Tuesday, Nityashree Mahadevan began her concert with the auspicious strains of Kedaragowla for the varnam “Samikku sari evare,” by Papanasam Sivan. She then filled the hall with the plaintive strains of Suddha Seemantini, set in Adi talam, for Tyagaraja's “Janaki Ramana,” in which the composer requests Lord Rama to grant everyone their wishes, as he is the Kalpaka tree of devotees.
She then presented a rarely sung composition of H. Yoganarasimham in Ranjani, “Sadh Saranga Nayane.” The neraval, “Premajita janan Anta” referring to Parvati marrying Siva, who she earlier married as Dakshayani, was well received by the audience. “Tyagaraja Namaste Namaste” in Begada on the presiding deity of Tiruvarur, Lord Tyagaraja, was her next song set in Rupaka talam. She then rendered “Shanmugane Shiva Shanmugane” in Kapi, set to Rupaka talam, by composer Nilakanta Sivan.
“Nannu Vidachi” in Reethigoulai by Tyagaraja, praying to Lord Rama not to leave him and accept him, as he belongs to him, was well sung.
After a long alapana in Mohanam for the song “Kapali” by Papanasam Sivan, violinist M. A. Krishnaswamy played complex phrases apart from playing along with the singer right from the well delineated alapana to the chittai swaras at the end.
“Krishna ena barade” in ragam Saurastra by Purandaradasar, Bharathiar’s “Theeratha Vilayattupillai” in Ragamalika, “Satha Santhosham” in Bagesri by Udumalai Shanmugam and “Mamayuramedil” in Bilahari by Mazhavai Chidambara Bharathi were the final pieces which made the listeners spellbound.
I. Sivakumar, a septuagenarian, on the mrudangam provided able support, to which Tiruchi H. Sivaramakrishnan gave lively repartee on the ghatam.
S. Padmanabhan
