The Erode Tamil Isai Sangam had recently organised the veena recital of vocalist S. Sowmya.
The popular vocalist, S. Sowmya, developed throat irritation which made her resort to another unfolded talent of playing veena. We heard and enjoyed the best of it that day.
Even at a very young age, Sowmya had inherited a large repertoire (about 400 kirtanas of Tyagaraja ) from her father who had learnt them from S.P. Natrajan, the senior most disciple of flute Mali. It was from the day she joined Dr. Ramanathan, that her musical foundation and progressive development gained strength and firmness both in vocal and veena.
With the soft plucking of the veena, her recitals in general, generated immediate rapport with the audience.
Starting with ‘Gajavadana’ in Sri Ranjani, ‘Maya Thirtha Swarupini’ in Mayamalavagowla, ‘Singara Velavan Vandan’ in Ananda Bhairavi, ‘Kaliyuga Varadan’ in Brindavana Saranga, were well rendered.
It is an unwritten law that when raga is rendered, swaras shall not peep in, and when kalpanaswaras are rendered, the raga should envelop every swara with its proper gamaka. Sowmya’s both raga and sara renditions bear testimony to this rule.
Thodi was taken up for elaboration.
High musical excellence with pure ingredients of chaste music in raga, swara and kirtana renditions bore the stamp of Dr. Ramanathan on every phrase.
S.R. Vinu’s Thodi was excellent. K.V. Gopalakrishnan’s mridangam and T. Raj Ganesh’s ganjira sustained the tempo through out the performance and their thani kept the audience spellbound.
The Anjaneya Park, the venue, was surcharged with chaste and melodious veena music of Sowmya and party. This critic left the hall with the worthy cogitations ‘Music blesseth him that giveth, and him that taketh.’
