S.P. Ramh is gifted with a robust voice which adds the necessary impetus to his concerts when he uses it judiciously. His training under vidwan Lalgudi G. Jayaraman has given him the skill to manage his performances efficiently and keep the audience engaged .
Singing for Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha’s Gokulashtami festival recently, he presented a Dhanyasi that bore the rich stamp of classicism. He rendered phrases both in the lower and middle octaves with care. The result was a perfect blend of the raga. On the violin was Pakala Ramdas, another disciple of Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, who handled the twists and turns of Dhanyasi adeptly. Ramh completed ‘Balakrishnan Pada Malar’ with a brief niraval and swara segment. Clear diction is S.P. Ramh’s forte.
Tyagaraja’s ‘Ganamurthe,’ rendered before the main raga was impressive. Bhairavi raga was showcased beautifully in the first phrase. Having drawn the outline, Ramh went in for some classy slow-paced phrases that helped him paint a colourful picture of the raga. Ramdas’s tonal excellence made the raga more delightful. S.P. Ramh’s choice of ‘Balagopala’ was befitting the festival. The kritis were embellished with brilliant kalpanaswaras. K.R. Ganesh (mridangam) with his imaginative approach excelled in the thani in the company of Venkatramanan (ganjira). His korvai for the climax, a combination of both two speeds (mel and keezh kalam chathusram), was a novel attempt. Ramh wound up his concert with a bouquet of Dasar’s padams and Lalgudi’s thillana in Brindavani.
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