A promising duo

Sourirajan and Venkatakrishna performing as part of Sangeeta Ksheera Sagaram at Sri Thyagaraya Gana Sabha. Photo: G. Ramakrishna

There is a new pair of siblings, ‘Komanduri Brothers’, evolving in Carnatic music. Sourirajan and his younger brother Venkatakrishna are the sons of musicologist and vocalist-violinist Komanduri Seshadri. Venkatakrishna has grown into the shoes of his father and shaped himself as another vocalist-violinist. He has already established himself as vocalist and is graded so in AIR. Sourirajan on he other hand is a vocalist who grew as a musician whp learnt under the tutelage of his father Seshadri. Due to other commitments there were many breaks in his learning but after he began to fully concentrate on music he grew to be a seasoned musician.

The brothers seem to be establishing themselves as the ‘Kommanduri Brothers’, pairing in concerts. Of the two Venkatakrishna, is presently serving at the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam Music College at Tirupati. Sourirajan, strayed away from his family and brother but maintained their compatibility .For instance, Venkatakrishna voice is softer than Sourirajan’s bold voice.

In a concert they presented last week for Sangeetha Ksheerasagaram, the duo displayed their compatibility, despite some minor seasonal throat problems. The programme was held at Thyagaraja Ganasabha’s mini hall, last week.The duo was given the talented company of Ramaraju Dinakar on violin, K.Chaitanya Ramesh on mridangam and T.P.Balasubramanyam on ghatam.

Sourirajan and Krishna opened their concert with Kedaragowla varnam in Jhampe talam of Rudrapatnam Venkatramayyer. It was done in two speeds and that helped to tune their voices. The repertoire was rich and ambitious enough with the self served opportunity of adding a lengthy Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi session as well as another piece at the end Some other numbers too were quite exercising.

Intelligently, the brothers distributed technical elements between them — raga renditions to Venkatakrishna and swarakalpana to Sourirajan. Srimahaganapathim in Athana of Jayachamaraja Wadayar of Mysore followed, the pair presenting it with devotional appeal. Sanathana Paramapavana in Phalamanjari of Thyagaraja figured next and the brothers rendered it with one voice. Maayammayani Pilachite in Ahiri of Shyama Satsry’ and Yemani Pogadudura in Veera Vasantham served as a curtain raiser to a major raga effort of Kalyani for Yetavunara Nilakada Neeku . Kalyani was well evolved by Venkatakrishna projecting its charm. After the kriti was expressively presented by the duo, the neraval at the line ‘Thyagaraja Swararchita’ was taken by Krishna, extending its sahitya beauty. Then the two joined in the swarakalpana part carrying the raga’s melodic line. The percussionists presented tani Avartanam in classic tempo.

There appeared then the major show piece of the concert Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Bhairavi. Again Venkatakrishna took up the raga and presented it with autheniticity. The pallavi was in Khandachapu Triputa Talam penned by their father and done in three speeds in tisram. Pallavi Sahityam was

Kantini, Mukkantini, Garala Kanthuni, Ganga Paravatulu Koluvaga . This pallavi was set by their father Seshadri. Swarakalpana was done in raga chain with Krishna doing the Bhairavi belt - Anandabhairavi, Vasantabhairavi and Salaga Bhairavi, his brother Sourirajan presented swaras in Malayamarutham, Bahudhari. Pallavi and neraval were done in trikala Tisram. Violinist Dinkar’s support was complementary, revealing his own erudition. The concert concluded with an Annamacharya kirtana

Ramachandruditadu in Dwijavanti.