In her concert, Bombay Jayashree lived up to her reputation of providing a haven of sensitivity, aesthetics, melody and introspection. Her meditative instincts propelled her exposition and a willing voice gave shape to her aspiration.
In raga alapanas, the sancharas were strung together to form a compact mosaic. Many exhilarating angles invited her attention. While elaborating a major or rakti raga, Jayashree's enjoyment and involvement was writ large on her face. There was no facet of vinyasa that did not go well with her musical philosophy.
If tranquillity is the window to sangita’s sublimity, she provided it in ample measure. It was an interesting mix of serene motivation and realised objective. To seek sublimity in music is not to reject vidwat, but to go beyond it. The real purpose of music is to set the mind off on a meditative path and Jayashree’s performance achieved that.
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The ragas Surati (‘Rama Deivama’) and Keeravani (‘Kaligiyunte’) formed the mainstay of the concert. To what extent Surati raga and kirtana could calm the mind was showcased well by Jayashree. Her svanubhava accentuated the emotion of the song. The presentation had attractive depth, creating a serene environment. The sahitya was intonated with exceptional sweetness.
The Keeravani alapana, compact in expression, had a classic base. The gentle-textured sound modulation lent a vintage feel to the raga and kirtana. Considering how impeccable the raga and kirtana image was, it was acoustically well-designed. It emphasised the truth that rendering the song was to synthesise the grandeur of the piece with the vaggeyakara’s vision.
Both the Surati and Keeravani vinyasas focussed on their inherent aesthetics.
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The Meera bhajan at the end, presented in the most authentic bhajan format, was the Kohinoor diadem of the concert.
The solo version of Surati and Keeravani by violinist Embar Kannan was reflective of the benign influence of the vocalist. It was full of graceful movements, an indication of his years of accompanying experience guiding the raga lines.
J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and Anirudh Athreya (ghatam) enriched the songs. The thani was a bag full of pulsating rhythms.