Young J.B. Keerthana is as aware of today’s trends as she is rooted in tradition. If the expansive Mohanam alapana was meditative, Papanasam Sivan’s masterpiece was presented in all its divinity. The setting was appropriate, with the abode of Lord Kapaleeswara next door. Keerthana lingered leisurely at each sangathi and extracted its essence. In this, the stamp of DKJ was palpable. Her Guru Dr. S. Sunder is a disciple of the latter.
She made it a point to render the cadenced chittaswaras both at the anupallavi and charanam. The kalpanaswaras were spirited and distinctive. On the violin, another committed youngster, Shreya Devnath, disciple of the legendary Lalgudi Jayaraman, was brilliant in the exposition of the raga as well as in the swaraprasthara. She received the much-deserved admiration from the audience.
Being Karthika Somavara, Keerthana appositely chose the Appar Thevaram, ‘Vananai Mathi Soodiya Mainthanai’ on the deity who dwells in the Tiruvannamalai kshetram. The Kiravani alapana of the centrepiece of the concert was elaborate. Shreya Devnath provided an articulate response. In the extensive swaraprasthara, both of them vied with each other in highlighting the raga’s richness.
On the mridangam was Kumbakonam Swaminathan, who brilliantly brought out a highly charged technique in his accompaniment as well as in his thani in Misra Chapu.
Keerthana opened the late afternoon concert with ‘Chandram Bhaja Manasa’ (Asaveri- Chathusrajathi Matya Tala), a Navagraha Kriti of Dikshitar, sung in praise of the Moon. Aptly so, as it was a Monday.
Keerthana concluded her lively eighty-minute concert with ‘Santhi Alitthidum Kanthimathi Deviye’ (Chenjurutti) of Thanjavur Sankara Iyer and Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s ‘Kanaka Sabhai Thiru Natanam’ (Surutti). No doubt, she is among the most promising youngsters.
