Uttara, a centre for performing arts, celebrated its first decade of service to the art of music by holding at Thyagaraya Ganasabha's main hall an appealing flute ensemble, by about a dozen young flautists, all disciples of popular and lone female flautist of the state, Jayaprada Ramamurthy.
Jayaprada stationed herself in the centre of the group and conducted the show. In order to balance the sound levels of these flutes in unison, Jayaprada employed two mridangams played by Rajagopalacharya and Kalivara Prasad, Srikanth on kanjira, Bhargava Ramji on ghatam, and Pavan Singh on violin. When so many flutes are in play it is difficult to choose a suitable pitch level. Jayaprada fixed it to one-and-a-half shriti to suit all the flutes.
There was raga delineation too which was given to the senior of the group, Maitreyi Jayaseelan. Maitreyi has already bagged a senior scholarship of the Ministry of Culture. She displayed ease and maturity in playing raga essays of Nata for Mahaganapathim , and Hindolam for popular Samajavaragamana of Thyagaraja. While raga essaying went to the share of Maitreyi, the swarakalpana was presented in turns by other seniors: Krishna Chaitanya, Shrikari, Akshay, Sumanth, Akhilesh, Sanjay and Ranganath.
The concert was traditionally opened with Hamsadhwani varnam Jalajaksha Ninne of Manambu Chavadi Venkata Subba Iyer that set rapport with the audience. Popular Mahaganapathim in Nata of Mutthuswami Deekshitar was played next as obeisance to Vinayaka, Lord of Obstacles.
Lanka Saankari , an unknown composition of Ganapathi Sachidanada in Bowli, and Bho Sambho , a Sivasthuti in Revati, figured later. The final piece was Nagumomu Galavani in Madhyamavati of Thyagaraja, used as Mangalam to close the concert.
The other students who took part were Sanjay, Sharat Ram, Maheedhar, Aditya, Ria Shailendra, Bhuvan Pratap and Siddartha. It was an impressive team effort with enviable coordination.
Justice T.N.C. Rangarajan and vocalist P. Surya Rao inaugurated the festival. Founder of Srirama Ganasabha, Koniki Satyanarayana, mridangist Kolanka Lakshmana Rao, flautist Dattatreyulu and Harikatha Bhagavatar Kocherla Ramakrishna were felicitated.
