Bhushani Kalyanaraman, whose non-strident and graceful communication skills have won wide acclaim, demonstrated convincingly that she was quite at home in all the numbers she handled at the vocal concert held under the aegis of Rajalakshmi Fine Arts, Coimbatore. Her presentation of the majestic ‘Viribhoni’ varnam in Bhairavi in two speeds was gripping. ‘Varavallabha’ in Hamsadhwani that followed next was rendered with suitable kalpanaswaras. Her Andholika raga alapana for the kriti, ‘Ragasudharasa’ was an earnest effort featuring suitable karvais. The Khambodi raga vinyasam for the kriti, ‘Kailasanathane Samrakshithoham’ moved around artistry tinged with melodic lyricism but the discords in the kalpanaswaras following the niraval had a jarring effect.
The raga delineation of Kalyani for the kriti, ‘Enthuko Nee Manasu’ was well-executed with rich phrases and intricate patterns to portray the beauty of the raga. Hemamalini’s violin essays at the raga sketches and swara sallies were in tune with the vocalist’s style. Ranganathan (mridangam) and Sethuraman (ganjira) provided good percussion support with a vibrant thani.
