Sriram Parasuram: Extraordinary musical feat

Sriram Parasuram’s Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandi was the highlight of Ugadi celebrations in the city

Sriram Parasuram

A long list of organisers, a litany of predictions, felicitations to senior citizens, uncomfortably hot weather, noisy air-coolers, snacks and buttermilk for the audience, and great music by Sriram Parasuram––the Ugadi celebrations at Anand Nagar Community Hall were a mixed package.

One of the rare classical musicians who is equally accomplished in Carnatic and Hindustani music, and a violinist and musicologist too, Sriram Parasuram has built a reputation for his solo jugalbandi vocal concerts of Hindustani and Carnatic music. This is an extraordinary musical feat for which he has been widely acclaimed. It was this format that he chose for this Ugadi concert.

Given that this format is a novelty for most music-lovers, he interspersed the performance with snippets of information. A host of competent accompanying artistes enhanced the concert––R. Dinakar (violin); D.S.R. Murthy (mridangam); Vinay Patankar (harmonium) and Harjit Singh (tabla).

Sriram commenced his concert with Puranadaradasa’s

Jaya Jaya Jaya Janaki (Nata). He then proceeded to a bandish Saajan More Ghar Aaye in Raag Jog, which is its Hindustani music equivalent, albeit with subtle differences, of Nata.

Sriram informed the audience that the Annamacharya kirtana he rendered, Aakati Velala , had been tuned by his guru S.R. Janakiraman in Shubali, a lesser-known, panchamvarja janya ragam of Shubapanthuravali. To complement this piece, he sang a Tharaana in Shubali’s Hindustani counterpart, raag Gurjari Thodi.

Then came a soothing and nuanced Kharaharapriya aalapana followed by an unusual commencement at the anupallavi

Chukkala Rayuni for

Prakkala Nilabadi . Of course, an anupallavi beginning happens all the time with Thyagaraja’s

Balakanakamayachela and

Soumitri Bhagyame and occasionally with his

Yevarani Nirnayinchedira too, but with this krithi, it is rather uncommon. The neraval at

Thanuvuche Vandana and swarakalpana both testified to Sriram’s richly imaginative manodharma. A traditional Sindhi semi-classical item, a Tappa in mishra kapi Piya followed as a brief piece.

Thyagaraja’s Theratheeyagarada (Goulipanthu) was a bhava-laden offering. It had an unusual thani avarthanam featuring the mridangam-player and tabla artiste. Herein, each tried to outshine the other in a friendly contest resulting in listening pleasure for the audience.

Akka Mahadevi’s Akka Kelamma (Pahadi) was followed by a lively rendition of the ever-popular Annamacharya kirtana Muddugare Yashoda (Kuranji).

Dayananda Saraswathi’s Bho Shambho (Revathi) was preceded by the recitation of the Chidananda Roopam Shivoham . Sriram's vigorous and varied (octaves) rendition of the phrase Bho Shambho had an electrifying effect. The mangalam Pavamaanasuthudu sealed the enthralling concert.

The concert was preceded by a Veda Swasthi programme; Hevalambi Nama Samvatsara Panchanga sravanam by Brahmasri Tigulla Narasimha Murthy; and felicitation of its octogenerian members by Vignana Samithi.

The programme was jointly organised by a host of cultural organisations/individuals –– Vignana Samithi, Alivelumanga Sarvayya Charitable Trust, Sangeetha Ksheerasagaram, Sujanaranjani, Neelambari, Saptaparni, Nadanilayam, Vemuri Chandrashekharam, and G.V. Sreeram Kumar.