Leading artistes enthralled music aficionados at the 11th National Music Festival in Palakkad.
Pantula Rama’s vocal recital was steeped in classicism. ‘Vanajakshi’, a varnam in Kalyani, and Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s ‘Sri Maha Ganapathi ravathumam’ in Gowla, which were the opening pieces, were suffixed with fine swaras. After a graceful alapana of Shudha Saveri, which is Devakriya according to Dikshitar, she presented a pleasing version of ‘Sri Vatuka nata’ of Dikshitar’s, and embellished it with tidy kalpanaswaras. Her elaborate vinyasa of Subhapantuvarali, interspersed with splendid akaaras, won admiration. ‘Sree Satyanarayanam’ and the lively swara combinations made an impact.
Her lengthy exposition of Thodi was appreciable. The niraval and the imaginative manodharma swaras in the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Dasarathe’ were the best part of the recital. Her husband, MSN Murthy (violin), Palakkad Mahesh Kumar (mridangam) and Trichy Murali (ghatam) provided good tempo to the concert.
On Tyagaraja Aradhana day, a group of musicians rendered the saint’s Pancharatna kritis in the morning.
Sreevalsan J Menon in concert at the National Music Festival in Palakkad
Sreevalsan J Menon’s vocal recital in the evening was the epitome of aesthetics. He commenced impressively with the Bowli raga kriti, ‘Antakarandha’ composed by Advaita Dasa. Niraval and well-conceived swaras in Tyagaraja kriti ‘Rama Nannubrovara’ in Harikambhoji sustained the tempo of the concert.
A sweet sketch of Hamsanadam preceded Oothukkadu Venkatakavi’s ‘Kalyana Rama’. The vocalist’s sense of sahithya was visible in his interpretation of the kriti. The manodharma swaras brought out the raga bhava in full. He captured the quintessential beauty of Bhairavi in his magnificent alapana, which was adorned with delightful sancharas.
It was a refreshing experience when he chose the evocative Kshetragna padam ‘Rama Rama prana sakhi’ in this raga. The expansive niraval and swara patterns lent additional splendour. The listeners were immersed in a musical trance when he presented raga Desh. The thanam was followed by impressive pallavi and the ragamalika swaras. Percussion support by Idappally Ajithkumar on the violin, Balakrishna Kamath on the mridangam and Vazappally Krishnakumar on the ghatam stood out.
Sikkul Gurucharan in concert at the 11th National Music Festival in Palakkad
Sikkil Gurucharan’s concert gained strength right from the opening varnam, ‘Aeranapai’ in Thodi. His rendition of ‘Sarasasamadana’ in Kapinarayani, a Tyagaraja kriti, beautified with an energetic niraval and kalpanaswaras, brought memories of maestro Madurai Mani Iyer.
Muthiah Bhagavathar’s kriti ‘Rajaraja srithe’ in the rare raga Niroshta was followed by an exquisite exposition of Keeravani. Surajananada’s composition, ‘Samaganapriyakaram’, drawn from his wide repertoire, was a welcome choice. The chittaswaras and swara combinations offered a treat. The Huseni raga song ‘Pahimam Brihannayaki’ of Swathi Thirunal, adorned with interesting jathis, was melodious.
The piece-de-resistance of the concert was the elucidation of Kalyani. Gurucharan went through the raga stage by stage, decorating it with akaras and brigas. His portrayal of the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Aetavunara’ with a comprehensive niraval and swaraprastharas provided aural pleasure. The singing was complemented by accompanists Trivandrum Sampath (violin), B Harikumar (mridangam) and Tripunithara Radhakrishnan (ghatam).
Trichur brothers, Srikrishna Mohan and Sriramkumar Mohan in concert at the National Music Festival in Palakkad
Trichur brothers, Srikrishna Mohan and Sriramkumar Mohan, performed on the last day of the festival. The highlight of their recital was a brilliant alapana of Saramathi, the main raga. The duo revelled in the elaboration, depicting the raga swaroopa in its entirety. Their presentation of the popular Tyagaraja composition, ‘Mokshamugalada’ was studded with evocative bhava. Niraval and swaras were a testament to their good manodharma.
The concert acquired momentum from the renditions of ‘Piravavaram tharum’ in Lathangi, composed by Papanasam Sivan, and ‘Guruvayurappane’ in Reethigowla, a Ambujam Krishna kriti.
‘Vanajakshi’ in Kalyani and ‘Gananathena’ in Arabhi, the opening numbers, were impressive but for the acoustics. ‘Rakshamam Saranagatham’ in Natta, a favourite of Chembai, and ‘Chetasri Balakrishnam’ in Dvijavanthi, a Dikshitar kriti, did not come up to expectations.
They concluded the concert rather abruptly after ‘Radhasametha Krishna’ in Yamuna Kalyani and the popular English note. The concert could have been more wholesome, if they had chosen a major raga and kriti for elaboration. While Sayee Rakshith, a disciple of Kanyakumari, accompanied on the violin, Trichur R Mohan was on the mridamgam and Kovai Suresh on the ghatam.
Other artistes who were featured at the festival were Kanyakumari and her disciple Nishanth Chandran (violin duet) and OS Thyagarajan and Bharath Sundar (vocal). The fete was organised by the Palghat Fine Arts Society.
