The G.K. Sundaram-Thayarammal memorial music concert of Ranjani and Gayathri, featured at the Mani High School, Coimbatore, was an illustration of how they mesmerised the rasikas with their musical perceptions and an eloquent vocabulary that emerged from their untiring saadhakam and considerable skill.
A distinctive fragrance of Nattai wafted in with the opening Thamizh Vaazhthu followed by Ambujam Krishna’s composition ‘Thirukkolam Kaana Vaarir,’ in Nattakurinji with a spate of swaras.
After a brisk rendition of Dikshitar’s ‘Annapurne Visalakshi’ in Sama, Ranjani’s alapana of Lathangi for the kriti, ‘Marivere’ was a linear development interspersed with swift flashes through the octaves casting a spell on the listeners.
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The niraval and swaras were attractive aided by an imaginative playing by Manoj Siva on the mridangam and Gopalakrishnan on the ganjira. Gayathri’s raga picture of Madhyamavati, digging out all pidis through adventurous bends with lyrical passages, was an exercise of impassioned singing for the kriti, ‘Rama Katha Sudha’ with an impressive niraval and swaras. The Tamil virutham was a real beauty. The duo revelled in the melodic segments in the concluding bhajan and abhang in Deshkar. The artists’ musical agenda included ‘Kuchelopakhyanam’ (Swati Tirunal) and ‘Madura Madura Meenakshi’ (Bagesri). Kudos to Rajeev (violin) who responded with ease and picked up the gauntlet with alacrity in the swara sallies. The percussive support of Manoj Siva (mridangam) and Gopalakrishnan (ganjira) was of a high order with a lilting thani.
(krishangan@ gmail.com)