With summer beating a retreat, it's a welcome time to submerge in an avalanche of music and dance concerts inundating the city. Saptaparni opened its gates to a chamber concert of M.J. Daniel, a fresher with a potential to scale greater heights.
Charting across high seas, he opened the concert with traditional repertoire – a varnam in Natakuranji with a technical prowess that was as surprising as it was enchanting. Before proceeding further, it is worth a mention that this young musician's sensibilities came to the fore in his choice of nine main kritis and varied tala. Each kriti was filled with one of the nava rasas (nine moods).
For instance, the Chelamela raa.. varnam can be classified under ‘shringara'. Where many a varnam fails to take off and is generally looked upon as mandatory in the traditional katcheri format, here we had a taste of stylistic rendition with clarity of diction and a tone and texture that was as deep as it was honeyed. Then came the Gambheera Nata Sri Vigna rajam bhaje in Khandagati where the predominant rasa (mood) was ‘Roudra'. The entire kriti marched on the ‘gati' – so much for the singer's mastery over the tala. This particular aspect was more pronounced and lauded by many scholarly rasikas in the Munnu Ravana… in Thodi, the main piece of the recital. Daniel was able to master the Jhampe talam which many a singer avoids, the audience were told by scholars, as it is too complex a talam to manipulate along with the kriti. The musician took it as a challenge and never let go a fraction of the tala. It was that precise and yet the emotive element remained intact as he meandered his way through a wonderful alapana. The swarakalpana was brief and left a little more wanting going by the richness of the raga. The Thodi emanated the ‘bhayanakam', so to speak.
It was indeed a pleasure to see the vocalist taking up challenging pieces like Raghuvamsa sudhambhudi … in Kadanakuthuhalam, which runs like a western sonata on any Indian instrument but rendering it vocally, one had to keep up with the speed that ran like an electrified wire. Daniel did full justice to the tilting melody of Kadana Kuthuhalam (Hasya rasa). His voice rose and flowed like the ebb and tide of the ocean. Not a slip could be detected in the fast track song; it ran in perfect meter.
Ennaganu Rama bhajana… in Panthuvarali (Roopaka talam) went well with the audience especially the brief alapana that delineated this very melodic raga. It soaked the listeners in ‘kaarunyam'. The vocalist was able to tune in the ‘veera' mood right from the start as he defined the nuances of Mohana ragam (Adi talam) in a mesmerising alapana. The neraval, ( Rama ninne nammina vaaramu gaama… , served to further enhance the heroic mood so evident in the lyric.
Tranquillity (shantam) permeated as a natural corollary to ‘veera' with Rama ika nannu brova… in Sahana (Roopaka talam). Clarity in diction is the singer's strongpoint throughout the presentation. Bilahari had the connoisseurs in raptures once again as Kanugontini… weaved magic with a sense of wonder (adbutam) inherent in the song and its rendition. Then came the all-time favourite Bho Shambo representing the mood of ‘Bheebatsa'. It seemed to provide a relief from the ‘Rama' lyric chain that seemed to inadvertently percolate through the recital. Daniel embellished it with the required verve and vigour.
Prior to drawing the concert to a close with a very beautiful mangalam in Kedaargowla ( Madhavaniki… ) the energetic vocalist was too ready to concede to listeners' choice and showcased his talent with Hindustani-tilted ragas like Yaman Kalyan Bhavayami Gopala balam… an Annamacharya keertana in Khanda chapu talam.
What made this new star stand out was his dedication and passion for music. Komanduri Ananthashouri Rajan on the violin proved a fit accompanist. Kali Varaprasad on the mridangam and Janardhan on the ghatam complemented each other. Wish we have more such talent to showcase under the aegis of Srujanaranjani which is doing yeoman service to the cause of music.
