When it is D.B. Ashvin, you can expect a torrent of music surging ahead. And, there is no stopping him. It’s hardly surprising, as he is the grandson of T.K. Rangachari, who occupies an honoured place in the galaxy of musicians of the 20 composer.
Ashvin, a management consultant settled in New Jersey, has a flexible and resonant voice and has brilliantly mastered the vallinam and mellinam modulations. This was manifest in his exceptionally detailed Pantuvarali alapana. On the violin, M. Vijay too offered an elegant and graceful elucidation. Ashvin chose a Periyazhwar Thirumozhi, ‘Vennaiyalaintha’ (Adi) tuned by his grandfather. Niraval and swarams at ‘Manickame’ saw his voice traversing effortlessly from kizh panchamam to mel panchamam. In the crisp thani, Ashwin Sridhar (mridangam) played a few lovely pharans. His concluding korvai merged smoothly with the eduppu.
Ashvin opened his concert with Tyagaraja’s ‘Salakalla’ (Arabhi), a lovely piecewith chittaswara. He sang the anupallavi, ‘Kalamuponu’ with nine varied sangatis.
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Kalpanaswaras were at ‘Ilalo’. His Sriranjani alapana had an emotive character, which was reflected in Vijay’s response too. In Tyagaraja’s ‘Sogasugamridanga’ (Rupakam), swarams were at pallavi, ‘mridanga’ and at ‘talamu’ alternately. Ashvin concluded his inspiring concert with a Tilang thillana of T.K. Rangachari.
Those who couldn’t make to his concert have certainly missed some high-quality music. Ashvin is truly beyond time and an eighty-minute slot is hardly enough for him to give even minimal expression to his music. He deserves prime slot and I hope he gets it next year.
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