A concerted effort

Sharada Cultural Trust's annual festival saw stellar performers coming together.

Ranjani and Gayatri. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Ranjani and Gayathri gave a superb performance on the third day of the annual festival of Sharada Cultural Trust. Starting off with Valachi Vachchi , the Navaragamalika varnam, they quickly moved on to Atana for Sakalagraha , a composition of Purandaradasa with some quick kalpana swaras.

The Denuka piece of Tyagaraja, Theliyaleru Rama , which generally becomes the vehicle for vocal calisthenics, was rendered soulfully.

Ramapriya was taken up for a detailed and competent alapana.

Korinavaramu was sung with passion with lovely kalpanaswara patterns. Then the Husieni piece,

Yeppadimanam , led to the centrepiece

Marakathavalli in Kambhoji. H.N. Bhaskar kept close company on the violin and followed admirably. Neyveli Skandasubramaniam on the mridangam and Madipakkam Murali on the ghatam delivered a studied tani.

The RTP in Reethigoula came out very well. The alapana was an elaborate treat followed by a competent thanam. The ornate Pallavi in Thriputa thalam,

Kanda nadai , was crowned with ragamalika kalpanaswarams. The memorable concert closed with Bhavayami Gopala , Saagarasayana and a scintillating Sakha Maaja Narayan .

A family affair

Brothers and sisters that sing together are heard of. But it is rare to have a mother and daughter sing together and do so with élan.

Lakshmi Rangarajan and Subhiksha Rangarajan gave a very professional account of themselves on the fourth day of the Sri Tyagaraja Aradhana annual festival conducted by Sharada Cultural Trust.

Bhavayami , the first piece was rendered without obvious deviations from the popular version and had many rasikas singing along happily. Manvi Alakincharadhate in Nalinakanthi was next. Surprisingly this turned out to be the concert's only Thyagaraja krithi.

The alapana of Pantuvarali came out well and was shared between the mother and daughter. Bhaktha Ramadasa's Yennaganu was sung nicely but the neraval in Ramachiluka was a bit too long. Chethasri Balakrishnam in Dwijawanthi showed off their nice patantharam and was sung in perfect unison.

Maa Ramanan ( Hindolam), Thillai Ambalaththanai ( Suruti) and Bhogeendrasayinam (Kunthalavarali) brought up the main raga Shankarabharanam. Lakshmi dished out a very traditional and enjoyable version of this raga laying emphasis on Raga Bhava. Saroja Dalanetri was the chosen song and polished off with detailed swaras. H.N. Bhaskar was delectable on the violin following with care and summing up ragas competently.

The tani by Neyveli Skandasubramaniam (mridangam) and Madipakkam Murali (ghatam) was followed by Jagadodharana and a Chenjuruti piece to elegantly seal the concert.

An intelligent recital

The next day featured a very competent Manda Sudharani. An accomplished team consisting of Dwaram Satyanarayana (violin), Nemani Somayajulu (mridangam) and Srinivasagopalan (morsing) accompanied her. Though not blessed with the best of voices, Sudharani made intelligent choices to keep the audience strapped to their seats throughout the concert.

Chalamela , the Natakuriniji varnam, was delivered in various speeds immediately followed by the invocatory piece, Gajananam . Sarasa Samadaana in Kapinarayani was sung with a great deal of pep.

The sarvalagu kalpanaswaras and the way the whole team handled this piece was blissful and reminded one of Mani Iyer and co.

Sudharani gave a very good account of Saveri for Tulasi Jagajanani . She then picked up Behag for a superb alapana in which Dwaram excelled on his turn.

Smarajanaka Subhacharitha stood out in the thoroughly enjoyable exercise in Behag.

Sudharani picked up Keeravani for a very detailed and scholarly RTP.

All parts of the RTP were of high standard and so was the tani. The enjoyable kutcheri ended with pieces in Dwijawanthi, Sindubharavi and Suruti.