When a vidwan of Malladi Suri Babu’s stature is in town for a concert, you snap to attention. When he prefaces each composition with absorbing anecdotes about his guru, the late Voleti Venkateswarulu, it adds to the fascination. To mark the occasion of Voleti’s birth anniversary, Naada Inbam hosted a vocal recital by the veteran at Ragasudha hall. Vocal support was by K. Ramesh and S.R.Vinay.
A rarely aired Sanskrit kriti ‘Gowri Sukumari’, composed specifically at Voleti’s request by fellow vidwan and AIR staff artiste N.C.H. Krishnamacharyulu, had the fragrance of Vasantha that intensified with the kalpanaswara suffixes. A succinct sketch of Devagandhari (a Voleti favourite) preceded a solidly structured ‘Na Morala Kimpavemi’ (Tyagaraja), while the stand-alone kriti ‘Nee Chittamu’ (Tyagaraja) glowed with the effulgence of Dhanyasi in every sangathi. Short, pithy prayogas outlined a Begada enriched with time-honoured pidis that emphasised the contrasting and complementing elements of the gandhara, madhyama and panchama in the concluding stretch.
S. Varadarajan’s (violin) sensitively etched delineation highlighted his penchant for vallinam-mellinam. Catchy janta motifs was a boost to the sarvalaghu swaras that followed ‘Sankari Neeve’( Subbaraya Sastri). Just when you thought that a conservative choice of ragas had defined the concert’s tenor, there came a richly detailed Jhankaradhwani.
Sincere tribute
The alapana pulsed with an indefinable aura that carried Suri Babu’s stamp of creativity while reflecting the spirit of Voleti – a tribute in the truest sense. The essay gained an added sheen when the vidwan recounted Voleti’s interpretation of the vivadi raga at a chamber concert.
Tyagaraja’s evocative ‘Panipathisayi’ that soared to the tara sthayi madhyama in the anupallavi and charanam, supported swaras that packed a punch.
Kalyani made a mellow entry as the main raga. Lyrical manodharma manifested in vistara-laden alapana and neraval passages as well as in the shadja and panchama-varja moorchanas at the nishadha. Varadarajan’s free-wheeling prayogas carried appeal. A Sanskrit kriti ‘Mathim Dehi’ (Vanamamalai Jeer) and vibrant swarakalpana completed the treat.
Senior percussionists K.V. Prasad (mridangam) and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam) showed their expertise and the well-rounded thani created a spectrum of firmly defined permutations.
Suri Babu’s musicality was an experience to cherish. It drove home the fact that to rasikas and sishyas, he is a living link to a musical legend.
