A long innings in the field as sought-after accompanists and violin soloists, the Akkarai Sisters – Subhalakshmi and Sornalatha, have a wide exposure to the varied styles of eminent artists. With such advantages, it came as no surprise that the siblings, sang with the voice of experience. While Subhalakshmi’s timbre has a ringing clarity that the microphone loves, Sornalatha’s voice is more subdued, with a warmth that accesses bhava.
The good news is that their patient wait in the wings has paid off. If the audience response, which can be described as nothing short of rapturous, was anything to go by, the sisters have arrived. With enthusiasm, they launched into ‘Swaminatha’ (Nattai, Muthuswami Dikshitar) in which some sangathis, tweaked for ‘effect’, appeared contrived and the gamakas in some portions of chittaiswaram were over-oscillated. Sarvalaghu swaras at ‘Swaminatha’ sparkled, with one more eduppu at ‘Paripalayasumam’ adding interest.
The comprehensive sweep of Sornalatha’s Vachaspathi alapana was firmly anchored by azhutham and shone with exquisite patterning at the panchama. Despite the tendency of voice to thin out in the tara sthayi, the suite was well-negotiated by resorting to ‘ri’ kara that reduced vocal strain and enabled zigzag ascents and descents.
Composed by the siblings’ grandfather, vidwan S.P. Sivasubramaniam ‘Ananda Thandavam’ came as a refreshing addition to the kriti trove in this raga. The fact that it was prefaced with a brief explanation which drew attention to a special feature, namely, the swarakshara in the charanam, heightened rasikas’ appreciation of subtleties. Kalpanaswara, with kuraippu at the dhaivata, was studded with savvy kanakkus.
Treading a route that was Carnatic in letter but partly, yet cohesively Hindustani in spirit, Subhalakshmi’s exposition of Lalitha was a fait accompli. The alapana was adventurous, negotiating tricky bends with the confidence born of conviction, hard work and natural flair. Reflective niches at karvais, swooping jarus and briga cascades were served up with a flourish. With perception, the artist opted to showcase the Syama Sastri masterpiece ‘Nannu Brovu Lalitha’ as a standalone kriti, sans niraval or swarakalpana. Subhalakshmi’s deeply felt articulation at ‘Maharagni’ in the charanam blended tenderness and passion. The sisters’ approach suited the rendition of ‘Atu Kaaraadani’ (Manoranjani, Thyagaraja) to a T, the filler being embellished with fluent swarakalpana.
A powerful clutch of swaroopa-affirming pidis established the substance of Thodi, the main raga.
Prayogas at the madhyama and panchama carried punch, while unusual touches lit up the dhaivata and nishada suite. At the tara sthayi, it was a triumph of the nagaswaram style all the way, admirably executed, whether in the superfast passages or the swara bhedam exercise at the madhyama. What made this centrepiece memorable was the fact that virtuosity was matched by soul. A brisk ‘Emi jesithe’ (Thyagaraja) with niraval and kuraippu at the shadja rounded off the treat.
K.U. Jayachandra Rao (mridangam) and Giridhar Udupa (ghatam) enthusiastically supported the voices andstrings in their challenging rhythmic forays and communicated their joy in the thani.
Ranjani Ramakrishnan (violin) was delightfully quick on the uptake, whether in mirroring kanakkus or in picking up melodic threads and weaving them into her very own fabric. Her playing had an effortless flow that both impressed and soothed.
The sisters’ abundant manodharma was a huge plus, as was the element of accountability. Sornalatha’s voice shone best in the mandhra and madhya sthayis, but needed strength in the tara sthayi. The music served up food for thought. Among which one lingered. Namely, in their understandable eagerness to make a mark, the sisters tended to forget that sometimes the artist needs to relax and let go. And just let the music take over.
