“Shall I sing a rare Raga? Will you recognise it? Let us see…” R.K. Padmanabha launched into a gripping swara prasthara through which he introduced the various facets of the Raga.
He oscillated with ease between the octaves. As he concluded the first part, he sensed that nobody had got it.
Twice he said, “You did not get it, right?” before finally revealing the name of the Raga. “It is Salaga!”
After a brief explanation, he delved deep into the composition, “Bharavagiruvadu Manasu”. Though the lyrics sought to explain how the mind was heavy, it was, it appeared, heaving the contradictory effect on the listeners — it was driving away their unease and calming their minds. A great session of kalpana swaras led to a fine crescendo and sudden and effective conclusion of the Raga.
He was presenting the first major concert of the Mangaluru Sangeethotsava organised jointly by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sangeetha Parishath and Mangalore University, which got off to a start on Thursday.
The loquacious singer also presented a varna in Hindola composed by himself, a composition in Begada Raga by Muttuswamy Dikshitar, Thyagaraja’s Marugelara O Raghava, and the composition, Taalmeginta tapavu innilla.
