Braving limitations which arise because of age is not easy in a creative field such as music. Subbulakshmi Swaminathan, a prime student and sister of the late S. Kalyanaraman, managed just that with commendable confidence. It certainly took some time for her voice to settle without perceptible cracks. But what kept the proceedings alive was the singer's earnestness, profound touches and creativity.
Essentially melodious
The ragas she chose for extra attention were Abogi, Ramapriya, Hindolam and Suddha Dhanyasi. An aficionado might have felt the absence of heavy weight ragas such as Sankarabharanam, Thodi or Bhairavi. Well, how one handles and presents a kriti counts more than the raga.
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Subbulakshmi's raga essays showcased her strong training and the projection of phrases could convey the essence of the melody. The palpable weakness in the vocals, however, limited her sojourns; yet she could fairly cover of the range of the ragas chosen.
Dikshitar's ‘Matangi Sri Raja Rajeswari' in Ramapriya (Ramamanohari) and the niraval and swaras on the line ‘Rama Manohari Rakendu Sekari' went on inspiring lines.
The Hindolam raga interpretation led to Papanasam Sivan's ‘Sama Gana Lolane'. Usha Rajagopalan (violin), Delhi Sairam (mridangam) and Tiruchi Murali (ghatam) were splendidly spirited participants in this section. ‘Enda Muddo' in Bindumalini (Tyagaraja) and ‘Divakara Danujam' in Yadukulakhambodi (Dikshitar's Navagraha kriti) were some of the beguiling fillers in the programme.
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The concert was held at Swamy's Hall for Shanmukhapriya.