Ramakrishnan Murthy has become a part of the galaxy of top vocalists in Carnatic music thanks to his hard work and dedication. His vocal recital at the Palghat Fine Arts Society bore testimony to his versatility, rich repertoire, and creativity. His unswerving loyalty to tradition and sincerity in presentation were noticed in his music.
Navaraga varnam Valachi and Samajavarada , compositions of Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar in Sudhasaveri, set the perfect concert ambience. A smooth alapana of Asaveri suffixed with the Swathi Thirunal composition Palaya Madhava was heartwarming.
Classical expressions in the alapana of Pantuvarali and engrossing niraval and swaras in Vadera Deivamu, a Tygaraja kriti, won applause.
The Chowka kala kriti Vazhimarai thirukkudhe in Natakuranji, composed by Gopalakrishna Bharathi, and a fast-paced Anandamritakarshini , a Dikshitar kriti in Amritavarshini, were apt fillers before the main raga Harikamboji. Ramakrishnan presented an outstanding version of the raga, ornamenting it with charming sangatis.
Choosing the popular Tyagaraja kriti Dinamani Vamsa , he rendered an authoritative niraval and volley of well-designed swaraprastharas. The swaras centering on ‘sa’ were remarkable. Parvathi Ninnune , a rare kriti of Syama Shastri in the raga Kalagada paved the way for the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Behag.
The raga’s melodic charm was admirably showcased in the vocalist’s delineation. Contours in Kapi, Atana, Neelambari, and Surutti lent an edge to the presentation. The pallavi Dasaratha baala Ramachandrayya Dayanidhe in Adi tala was portrayed initially in Behag and subsequently in the above four ragas, so also the kalpanaswaras, but in the reverse order. The whole exercise was a masterly creation, revealing the artiste’s brilliant manodharma.
The concluding phase of the concert was a grand exercise in aesthetics. Aravinda Padamalar, a less-heard kriti of Ambujam Krishna in Kapi, was a pleasing choice. Soulful Swathi Thirunal compositions Manasija Karuna in Ahiri and Taruni Njan , in Dwijawanthi, rendered movingly, brought nostalgic memories of maestro K.V. Narayanaswamy. Ramakrishnan signed off with a Thiruppugazh, Maalasai Kopam in Jonpuri.
The accompanists enhanced the musicality of the concerts. Young violinist Vittal Rangan was a good match for the vocalist with his superb raga essays and swara phrases.
Senior mridangam player K.V. Prasad demonstrated his maturity and expertise.
He supported the vocalist brilliantly with his soft and gentle beats. Tripunithara Radhakrishnan’s percussion skills on the ghatam were in evidence throughout. Their tani in Adi tala received a thumping round of applause.
