I had somehow missed Sudha Ragunathan's concerts at Hamsadhwani for a couple of years. But I found the same nostalgic spirit I had witnessed on previous occasions, at the recent annual recital in memory of its founder-secretary R. Ramachandran (RRC) (Refer to my earlier reviews (www.thehindu/Musicscan/ 8 June 2007; 5 May 2008; 27 March 2009.), pervading the atmosphere , thus converting it into an earnest collective prayer.
Beginning with a lively Andolika varnam by GNB, Sudha created a serene and meditative mood even at the early stage of the concert with leisurely versions of Dikshitar's ‘Govidaraajena Rakshitoham' in the rarely-heard raga Mecha Bowli, Neelakanta Sivan's ‘Enraikku Sivakripai Varumo' in Mukhari, and Papanasam Sivan's ‘Paadame Tunai Paramasivaa' in Valaji.
Thodi was her choice of melody for the main number, and the song was Tyagaraja's ‘Chesinadella Marachitivo.' She distilled the essence of the raga just as she had done earlier, and her repetitive recitation of the phrase, ‘Raamaa! Sree Tyaagaraaja Premaavataara Seetharaama!' was intensely meditative.
The restrained performance of all the highly accomplished accompanists (Embar Kannan (violin), Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and S. Venkataramanan (ganjira) preserved and enhanced the worshipful mood of the occasion.
