Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha in collaboration with two different organisations at the Capital arranged two events, Muthuswami Dikshitar Day celebrations and a workshop on padams and javalis, this past weekend. While the India Habitat Centre collaborated for the former event and the celebrations were held at the Amaltas Hall of the Centre, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts collaborated for the latter event and the workshop was held at the Lecture Hall of IGNCA. Both these events had one thing in common. Noted Chennai-based vocalist Geetha Raja was at the helm at both these events, utilising her performing as well as teaching skills.
A celebrated South Indian poet and composer, Muthuswami Dikshitar is the youngest of the musical trinity of Carnatic music (the other two being Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri). Dikshitar’s compositions are known for their contemplative nature and portraying the essence of the ragas. Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha’s gesture of organising a festival for Dikshitar is therefore, laudable. Sadly, Geetha Raja’s concert, comprising exclusive compositions of Dikshitar’s, was somewhat lacklustre.
Falling short of one’s expectations, the concert was somewhere in between a lecture-demonstration and a full-fledged concert and by and large seemed to be a mechanical rendition of Dikshitar’s compositions one after the other to suit the occasion.
Geetha started her recital with a popular composition “Maha Ganapathim” in the raga Nata. The kalpanaswaras that she sang towards the end of this first item was impressive.
“Vina pustaka” in the raga Vegavahini was her next choice and she rendered it in a riveting rhythm.
Detailed renditionAfter rendering “Tyagarajaya namaste” in the raga Begada, “Brhannayaki vara dayaki” in the raga Andhali, and the fast paced “Sri Guru Guha” in the Devakriya (Suddha Saveri) in quick successions, Geetha took up “Hiranmayem” in the raga Lalitha for a detailed rendition.
The other song taken up for an elaborate rendition was “Sree Kantimatim” in the raga Hemavathi. The concluding session of Geetha’s recital too seemed to be a stretching one, which included “Divakara tanujam” in the raga Yadukula Kambhoji.
VSK Chakrapani on the violin and Elanthoor Jayan P. Das on the mridangam accompanied Geetha Raj in her concert.
Besides being a performer, Geetha Raj is also actively involved in teaching music to students of music.
That she engages herself wholeheartedly in this task came to fore during her workshop in which she taught a padam and a couple of javalis to the students and music lovers of the Capital.
Synonymous with dance music, both padams and javalis are musical forms in which the sringara rasa is manifested in these compositions.
Because of the exquisite melody and rhythm of these forms, they are taken up in musical concerts, although towards the end.
Given the time constraints and the complex nature of padams and javalis, Geetha did a fine job in the workshop explaining the intricacies of the compositions and imparting them.
