Saptaswara Samskrutika Samstha invited twins — Madhumita and Susmitha, to present a concert on Dikshitar’s birth anniversary, in the company of Radhika Srinivaasan on violin and Karra Srinivas an mridangam. This event was held at Thyagaraya Ganasabha’s mini auditorium.
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The twins had initial training from their mother Vijaya Padmanabhan, who was student of Poosarla Manorama, belonging to Dwaram family. They opened their concert with Neranammiti, Kaanada ata tala varnam and rendered the number displaying mature expression. This was presented in two speeds. The sisters later went for Dikshitar’s Parvatipatim in Hamsadhwani. They opened it with delineation of the raga, sharing its construction with a balanced approach and displayed ease and spontaneous skills in evolving the raga. The kriti rendition was neat, rendering it as one voice. The swarakalpana part too came for neat expression of melodic element. This was set in Adi talam.
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Paalayamaam in Kannada, roopaka talam also of Dikshitar that followed had similar treat like they presented the earlier number with raga essay and swarakalpana, creating the same impact. Papanasam Sivan’s Nambi Kettavar in Hindolam was a simple kirtana rendition. So was Sri Varalakshmi in Sriragam, Roopaka talam another composition of Dikshitar.
The main offering of the concert was Meenakshime Mudam in Poorvikalyani, also of Dikshitar, made the concert more a true Dikshitar session, giving good time for the raga expansion, both the sisters excelling in laying path for taking the melody to its charming heights. The sahitya element of the kirtana was enriched with fine expression that was taken into the neraval part, at the line Madhurapurinilaye Manivalaye Amba with equal stress on sahitya element. The swarakalpana matched the heights of the kirtana and was further elevated by the kalpanaswaras. The tani avartanam presented at this stage by Karra Srinivas was evocative of their talent. Radhika Srinivasan’s violin support ran like a chasing shadow to the vocal output of the twin sisters. Her solo bits in raga and swara exchanges carried complementary touch.
The post-main number session had some devotionals like Yaadava Nee baa of Puranadaradasa in Hamsavinodini; Charana Kamalaalayathai in Kalyani, a Tiruppugal of Arunagirinaadar and Bhavayami in Yamunakalyani of Annamacharya.