It was ideal to organise a music concert of a maestro well versed in rhythmic patterns for an occasion to felicitate a performing percussion artiste. Naturally, Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan, well known for his melodious exposition of complex and intricate rhythmic patterns in his concerts, would be the first name that emerges in one’s mind for such an occasion. Last week he performed at Cherpu, near Peruvanam, the cradle of melam of central Kerala.
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Panthuvarali varnam, with which he began, was followed by a serene rendition of the Reethigoula piece ‘Ragarathnamalikache’, which had a garland of swara passages. Harikamboji was taken up for a detailed alapana and a neat sketch of the raga was presented. Tygaraja’s ‘Entharaneethana’ was the kriti, with niraval at the rarely sung charanam ‘Aagamothamugu nee gunamulu’. Sensing the occasion, TNS weaved the solfa notes in his characteristic rhythmic cycles. Dikshitar’s ‘Sree Sathyanarayanam’ in Subhapanthuvarali was rendered in a slow tempo, without taking away the gaiety of the kriti.
Seshagopalan followed it with ‘Samayamithe’, composed by Muthiah Bhagavathar in Budhamanohari, a derivative of Sankarabharanam, thereby saluting his lineage. The piece-de-resistance of the evening was Thodi raga. It was dealt in detail, traversing through its various contours. A master in Sruthibhedam, he generated ragas such as Kurinji and Anandabhairavi at different stages of the kriti. Oothukadu Kavi’s ‘Thaye yeshoda’ was the kriti tagged after a spacious alaapana and it was adorned with niraval and swaraprasthara.
Cherthala R. Sivakumar accompanied on the violin sensibly and his solo renditions for Harikamboji and Thodi were commendable. Percussion support by Kovai G Prakash (mridangam) and Kovai G. Suresh (ghatam) was in tandem with the total mood of the concert and they played a good tani for the Thodi piece. The concert was held in connection with a programme to honour Chenda exponent Peruvanam Satheesan Marar.
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