The annual 12-day music and dance festival to celebrate the 198th Jayanthi of Maharaja Swati Tirunal opened with a concert by the Bombay Sisters. The sisters, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha, who are regulars at this fete, once again enthralled rasikas in Thiruvanthapuram with their unique voice culture, and their traditional style of rendition and presentation.
Perfect start
The Ada tala varnam ‘Sarasijanabha' in Kamboji was a perfect start to the concert. The rendition was smooth and easy, as the singers brought out the aesthetics of the chittaswarams and charanaswarams in the composition. ‘Bhavaye Gopabalam' in Pushpalathika, a rare derivative of Kharaharapriya, was the next piece. The Swati Tirunal composition set to Roopaka was presented with fervour especially when the sisters embellished a sustaining note in the charanam. Lalitha elaborated Thodi, travelling through its distinct routes, touching the nuances, and unveiling the crux of the scale. Violinist S.P. Ananthapadmanabha played an excellent extempore, with meticulous constructions revealing the various shades of Thodi on his violin. The kriti tagged to it was ‘Devadevamampalaya.' The sisters came up with a special ‘manodharama' session during the exquisite niraval and swarams at ‘Paavana.' The interim kriti ‘Karunakara madhava' in Begada, set to Roopaka, was sweet and refreshing.
Ragam-thanam-pallavi was a class apart. Saroja's delineation of Poorvi Kalyani had finish and finesse. The violinist complemented her flourishes with precise interludes. The thanam was built on fine touches and fantastic sancharas. The pinnacle of the concert was the swara showers from the duo. The stream of swarams that began with in Poorvi Kalyani flowed through Bilahari, Vasantha, Varali and Kapi.
The percussion side was handled with great discipline by Kumbhakonam Swaminathan on the mridangam and Vazhapally Krishnakumar on the ghatam. The tani was excellent. The sisters concluded the concert with a Javali by Swati Tirunal – ‘Itu Sahasamulu' in Saindhavi raga. The concert was organised by the Swati Thirunal Sangeeta Sabha in the capital city.
