Friday Review
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For Carnatic music lovers
GUDIPOOODI SRIHARI
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A concert by Malaysia based Vighna Raja was impressive.
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Musical medley Vighna Raja and his musicians.
Vighna Raja of Malaysia proved to be a rare and much accomplished vocalist, who happened to be an accidental choice for the program held by the Vigjnana Samithi of Khairatabad.He literally took the auditorium by storm in a kind of ‘blow hot, bl
ow cold,’ concert tempering the subtlest tastes of the knowledgeable who gathered at the Anandanagar community hall. The sSamithi as such, is known for bringing in real talent and Vighnaraja appeared to have been netted well. He was accompanied by New Zealand based Ashok Malur on violin and P. Jayabhasker on mridangam. Vighnaraja appeared a bit restless initially, ut once he closed the first number, a very exercising Atatala Varnam-Viriboni in Bhairavi and receiving great applause for it, he appeared to have won the confidence of the audience which helped him to gain his own confidence. The varnam was done in two speeds. Then he chose a rarely heard invocation of V. Suryanarayana -Ganapathini in Kalyani. This too had the same momentum, especially in the swara part. One essential feature was that every note he spelled was so clear that it did not matter with what speed he was proceeding.
When it came to the third number Akhilandeswari in Dwijavanthi, he slowed down so much that one felt it moved with a snail paced vilambam, even in swaraprasthara. After Varanarada in Viajayasri of Thyagaraja, his concert highlight, Malayamarutham(Manasa Etulorthune) was performed. The raaga essay was simply brilliant and one wondered at the balancing act he displayed in presenting it in the three octaves with equal impact. The kriti rendition too was quite expressive, never sacrificing the raaga bhava. The nereval and swara prasthara maintained the same tempo. One good thing in Vighnaraja’s rendition was that his ability to throw his voice and modulate it perfectly when needed. His vocal compass was good and the timber too quite rich. His vocal culture won him his first battle the moment he opened his mouth to tune with the instruments. However he reserved another number - Dikshitar’s Srikanthimatim in Hemavathi, for Tani avartanam, perhaps hoping not to load the main number with more musical science. Endaro Mahanubhavulu he rendered later pointed out at his great concentration on sahitya bhava. The sangaties were quite absorbing, projecting the inner meaning of the kriti well. It was a display of right kind of control of emotion. An Annamacharya kirtana Nanati Batuku Natakamu in Revathi and a Purandaradasa’s devotional were the end numbers.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
