Navaratri concerts at Erinjeri Karthyayini Temple in Pazhaya Nadakkavu, Thrissur, witnessed performances of young singers and stalwarts.
Bombay Sisters C. Saroja and C. Lalitha
The first day’s concert was by Bombay Sisters, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha. They opened with Mahaganapathim... (Natta-Adi-Dikshitar) and went on to Sreekumara Nagaraaalaye... (Atana-Adi-Swathi). The main composition was in Kalyani, the opening alapanam followed by Syama Sastri’s kriti Himadrisute... with niraval and manodharma swaras at ‘Shyamakrishnasodari’. Tani was played by Palakkad Maheshkumar (mridangam) and Vazhappilly Krishankumar (ghatam). Violinist was Trivandrum Sampath.
Kottakkal Ranjith Varier
Kottakkal Ranjith Varier made a mark with his excellent selection of songs. Beginning with Sree Rajamathangi... (Shudha Dhanyasi-Adi-Muthaiah), his choice of Irayimman Thambi’s Pahi Nikhila Janani... (Nata-Adi) was a refreshing one. The main raga that he elaborated was Kamboji followed by a Dikshitar kriti in Adi – Marathakavalleem... A ragam-talam-pallavi in Brindavanasaranga with forays into ragamalikaswaram was enjoyable. Vayala Rajendran (violin) Alappuzha Chandrashekharan Nair (mridangam) and Mangad Pramod (ghatam) gave able support.
Suma Pisharody began her concert with a Lalgudi varnam in Bahudari. The main raga was Thodi, she presented it well with alapanam, manodharma swaras and niraval, the composition being Koluvamarathaka... (Adi-Tyagaraja). Thirunellur Ajith (violin), Ramkumar Varma (mridangam) and Alapuzha Manohar (ghatam) supported her.
Erudite recital
Pranavam Sankaran Namboodiri
Pranavam Sankaran Namboodiri was in fine flow from the first Hamsadhwani varnam, Sree Mahaganapathe... in Adi. Sree Saraswathy Namostute... (Arabhi-Roopakam-Dikshitar) with swaras at the pallavi was well presented. The rare raga Vijayanaagari was delineated with effortless ease and the composition was Vijayambike... (Adi-Muthaiah Bhagavatar). The melakartha ragam, Sankarabharanam was chosen for the main presentation and he followed it up with a Kamalamba Navavarana kriti, Sree Kamalambikaya... (Roopakam-Dikshitar). Accompanists were Idappally Ajithkumar (violin), Balakrishna Kammath (mridangam) and Manjoor Unnikrishnan (ghatam). Tani was a spirited one.
The Gayaki sisters’ performance on the fifth day was full of bhakti rasa. They opened the recital with an Ada tala Varnam, Neranammithi... in Kanada. Karimukha Varada... , a GNB composition in Nata (Adi), about Lord Ganesha, followed. The sisters sang Palimsu Kamakshi... , the famous Syama Sastri kriti in Madhyamavati, Adi, and gave a fine exposition of the raga as their main item. Killikurissimangalam Ramesh (violin), Poongod Sanoj (mridangam) and Tripunithura Kannan (ghatam) supported the vocalist.
Opening with Navaraga varnam, Mathangi Sathyamoorthy sang a paean to Ganesha, Pahi Pahi Bala Ganapathe... (Hamsadhwani- Roopakam-Chidambaram). Another Devi stuti, Thaye Tripura Sundari... (Shudha saveri-Khanda Chapu-Periya Swami Thooran) followed. The main raga of the evening was Kalyani. Elaborate alapanam was followed by Thanam. The pallavi, Karthyayini Kadambavanavasini... was the icing on the cake. A lively taniavartanam followed by Thrissur Jayaram (mridangam), Udupi Sreekanth (ghatam) and Kalamandalam Shyju (morsing). Trichy N.C. Madhav was on the violin.
Chertala Ranganatha Sharma
Cherthala Ranganatha Sharma’s performance on the seventh day saw him begin with a varnam in Ranjini (Adi). Shanmughapriya was a detailed presentation with introductory ragalapanam, Ekambresanayakim... , a Dikshitar kriti in Adi, in praise of the presiding deity of Kanchipuram, was embellished by niraval and kalpanaswaras at ‘Kanchi Nagara Nivasini.’ The raga chosen for elaboration was Saveri. Mysore Sadashiva Rao’s kriti Kamakoti peethasthithe... in Adi followed the ragavistharam. He appended niraval and swaras at ‘Kadambavananilaye.’ Accompanists were Viju. S. Anand (violin), K. Jayakrishnan (mridangam) and Vellatanjoor Sreejith (ghatam).
V.R. Dileepkumar
V.R. Dileepkumar’s spell-binding recital began with a varnam in Kedaragoula. Kanjadalayadakshi Kamakshi... (Kamala Manohari-Adi-Dikshitar) was sung with niraval and manodharma swaras at ‘Raka Sasivadane’. Dileepkumar breezed through Teliyeleru Rama... (Dhenuka-Adi-Tyagaraja) and gave an exhaustive ragalapanam in Mukhari. Dileepkumar’s RTP in Brindavanasaranga was the highlight of the evening. He was supported by Attukal Balasubramaniam (violin), Thrikkakara Y.N. Shantaram (ganjira) Palakkad Maheshkumar (mridangam) and Payyanur Govinda Prasad (morsing).
Musical legacy
Maharajapuram S. Sreenivasan
Maharajapuram S. Sreenivasan, the scion of a great legend, started his concert with a Saveri varnam, moving quickly on to Mahaganapathe... (Nata-Adi-Mayooram Vishwanatha Shastri), a kriti made famous by his father. Maharajapuram gave brief renditions of Anandabhairavi and Shyama. Maharajapuram chose Shankarabharanam for his next presentation. A detailed alapanam gave the rasikas glimpses into the grandeur of this Melakartha ragam. He sang Mahalakshmi Jaganmatha... (Mishra Chapu-Papanasam Sivan) with a variety of meticulously crafted innovative passages. A relaxed and elaborate alapanam of Shanmughapriya was the high point of the evening. Thanam was followed by the Pallavi, KarthyayiniKameshwari Devi ... in Adi. Supporting him were T.H. Subramaniam (violin), Palladam Ravi (mridangam) and Udupi Sreedhar (ghatam).
Akshay Padmanabhan
The tenth day of the concert featured young Akshay Padmanabhan. Shahana varnam was a pleasant beginning and Sivakamasundari... in Jaganmohini followed. Neene Paramapavani... by Annaswamy Shastri and the melodious Hiranmayi Lakshmi... lived up to expectations. He did justice to the Tyagaraja composition, Raghuvara nannunanavara... in Adi. The slow and weighty Syama Sastri kriti Kamakshi Amba Kanchi Kamakshi... set to Mishra Chapu talam was an apt choice for Navaratri. Thaniavartanam was played by Cherthala Krishnakumar (mridangam) and Elankulam Deepu (ghatam). Sunitha Harishanker was the violinist.
