Melody is defined as a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In case of vocal music, the melody is accentuated with a gifted voice which few people are born with. Bombay Jayashri is one of the rare vocalists embodying erudition, pedigree, honey voice and intense manodharma. Over the years, she has emerged as nightingale of Carnatic music.
India Habitat Centre and SPIC MACAY featured Bombay Jayashri on a Sunday morning concert of Carnatic Music this past week. While Hindustani classical music has several ragas which are traditionally associated with different times of the day or seasons, Carnatic music does not have such a straitjacket structure.
Thus, it was a challenge for Jayashri to string the pearls of her repertoire to suit the theme. She simply and delightfully chose a traditional concert or kutchery format and presented divine music to a packed audience of music lovers of both Carnatic and Hindustani.
Inspired by this integration, Jayashri took them through an internalised musical journey for two hours
She began her concert with a scintillating alapana of raga Mohanakalyani followed by Bhuvan Eshwariya, a composition of Harikeshanallur Mutayya of late 19th Century, who is credited with more than 400 compositions. The pentatonic scale of Mohanam and the Melakarta effect of Kalyani gave a soulful start that set the tone and tenor for the morning.
Then followed a deep meditative Khamas alaap that heralded Muthuswamy Deekshidar school of music which recognises this as a sampurna raga. Aptly Jayashri invoked Deekshidar kriti Santhana Gopalakrishnam in Sanskrit. This song is believed to bestow progeny and prosperity as Deekshidar himself says in the Anupallavi.
Jayashri very piously brought out all the hues and shades of sentiments of this song and endowed it with a garland of pristine pure swara prastharas. The piece de resistance of the morning was the beautiful raga Mayamalavagowla, a very auspicious raga that evokes peace and divinity. Jayashri elaborated the ragas and brought out the inner majesty to the fore in a languid manner which spread an aura of tranquillity. The entranced audience were served with one of the most sacred compositions of Saint Thyagaraja- “Meru Samana Dheera” on Lord Rama.
The lyrics say let us feast our eyes on Your emerald hue and majestic gait and Jayashri portrayed all that Saint Thyagaraja visualised. The song was preceded by a brilliant portrayal of the raga by the ebullient young lady violinist Charumati Raghuraman and followed by a crisp Tani on mridangam by Anantha R Krishnan. Both provided embellished support in a very unobtrusive manner of total harmony
Bombay Jayashri concluded by taking a few lines from sage Arunagirinathar song “Nada Bindu Kaladi Namo Nama” and suffixed with her Guru Lalgudi’s Tillana. It was music from the soul for the souls
