The Chinmaya sisters Uma and Radhika started their concert with Neelakanta Sivan’s ‘Sambho Mahadeva’ in Bowli. Fetchingly aligned swaraprastaram by both the sisters embellished the effort, the violinist providing matching replies. With their soft high-pitched voice, if only there was involvement or swanubhavam in their rendition, they could have turned it into a stunner. This was followed by ‘Daya Juchudakidi Velara,’ a Tyagaraja kriti in Ganavaridhi.
The Sriranjani raga alapana presented by Radhika, who seemed to be having a slight voice problem, up to tara shadjam was followed up with a flawless essay by Uma. Tyagaraja’s ‘Brochevarevare’ was followed with a brisk round of swaraprastharam. ‘Sarasadala Nayane,’ Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar’s composition in Saramathi was rendered well with more involvement, before embarking on the RTP which consumed more than one-third of the concert time.
It was a very well-rehearsed RTP, wherein Lathangi and Lalitha were handled like twin sisters. Radhika delineated Lathangi alapana up to Tara shadjam which was a bit throaty, (were the slips due to voice problem?) and was concluded by Uma with a mature and enjoyable presentation. The violinist’s version brought out the murchana of the raga well.
Uma’s Lalitha raga alapana was poignant and Usha Rajagopal added to the beauty of this raga with typical violin strokes. Both the vocalists and the violinist executed the switch from one raga to the other smoothly, be it alapana , tanam, niraval or swaraprasthara.
The tanam was skilfully handled, though a bit stretched out. In the niraval of the pallavi line in 2kalai Adi talam “Lathe Lalithe Sulalithe Subhacarite Namaste Lathangi” each showed their prowess. The swaraprasthara in two speeds, with the tempo intact, included one avartanam each in tisra gati. The marathon exercise gave the feeling of surfing channels with a remote control.
The percussion vidwans Kallidaikkurichi Sivakumar and Nanganallur Swaminathan played very well bearing in mind that sometimes silence is golden.
They followed the main artists faithfully and gave a fitting thani. The concert ended with ‘Baro Krishnayya’ and a thillana.