Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Sangeetholsavam held in the capital city featured three entertaining Carnatic concerts by veterans and young musicians.
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K. Omanakutty portrayed the nuances and subtleties of Swati kritis, padams and thillanas in her concert. She began her recital with the kriti ‘Ananda Valli’ in Neelambari, followed by ‘Kalaye Devadeva’ in Ranjini and ‘Srikumara’ in the stately Atana. ‘Panchabana’ in Poorvikalyani, set to Adi, and ‘Somopama vadane’ in Yadukula Kamboji, set to Misra chapu, were the main highlights. A padam ‘Ilamariman nayane’ in Behag and a thillana in Bhoopalam were the concluding numbers. Manjula Rajesh (violin), Nanjil Arul (mridangam) and Vazhappally Krishnakumar (ghatam) gave able support to the erudite singer.
A violin duet by maestros Mysore Nagaraj and Mysore Manjunath was the main attraction of the fete. Their unique style of blending harmony with Carnatic melody was the most appealing element in the concert.
The duo opened the concert with ‘Parvathi Nayaka’ in Bowli. The tranquil feel of the scale was enhanced by mellow interludes and exquisite glides. Kanada raga visthara, which followed, was perhaps one of the best ever heard! The essay was a melodic journey through the gentle notes of the raga that flowed through expressive phrases and harmonic improvisations. The popular ‘Mamavasada’ was adorned with manodharma that embellished every passage of the kriti.
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The brothers extracted the melancholic feel of Charukeshi in a bhava-laden raga delineation. The long sustained phrases with vibrato was supported beautifully with harmony. The tanam that grew in speed and emotional intensity as it progressed was a meticulous exercise. The main kriti, ‘Kripaya’ set to Misra chapu, had swift and syncopated swara portions. Changanassery B. Harikumar on the mridangam and Sudheer on the ghatam kept pace with the ace violinists.
The brothers painted the myriad hues of Sindhubhairavi in a brief précis and the kriti ‘Vishweshara’. Subtle sruthibhedams and chord progressions were played within the Carnatic frame of the raga.
The concert by young vocalist Vishnudev Namboothiri was a lively one. He began the concert with ‘Padmanabha’ in Malayamarutham and followed it up with ‘Bhavaye’ in Keeravani. Vishnudev brought out the essence of Kamboji raga through his expressive visthara. ‘Padasa’, a kriti famous for its apt swarakshara usages in Kamboji raga, was the main piece. ‘Bhaja Bhaja’ in Sindhubhairavi and ‘Smarajanaka’ in Behag were the light numbers sang at the end of the concert. Attukal Balasubramaniam, Mavelikkara Rajesh, and Anchal Krishniyer accompanied the singer on the violin, mridangam and ghatam respectively.
The fete was organised by All India Radio, Trivandrum.