Many moods reflected here

It was a mixed bag for Coimbatore rasikas as veterans and up-and-coming artists performed for the Gokulashtami-Navaratri festival. T.K. Ganapathy writes

Aparna Gopal and S. Divya. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

As part of the Gokulashtami-Navaratri Festival 2015, Manoranjitham, a cultural wing of the Sree Ayyappan Puja Sangham, Ram Nagar, Coimbatore, hosted its silver jubilee with a series of music concerts by veteran and young artists. It was a fit occasion for artists Pandanallur Chandrasekhar and R. Agoram Iyer to be feted. The festival was inaugurated by Balasubramanian, chairman of City Union bank, Kumbakonam.

Aparna and Divya , disciples of Pandanallur Chandrasekhar, opened the music fete.

Their pleasant voices, clear diction, perfect sruti alignment and strict adherence to classicism lent an edge to the presentation. The duo commenced with Saranga varnam that was invested with due solemnity. The raga preface of Hemavathi by Divya and Vanaspathi by Aparna showcased their capacity to showcase the varied shades of the ragas. ‘Enna Punniyam Seidheno,’ ‘Sree Kanthimati,’ ‘Subrahmanyena Rakshitoham’ and ‘Theliyaleru Rama’ were pieces which were part of their repertoire. Accompanying them were Guruvayurappan (violin) and Radhakrishnann (mridangam).

Amrita Sekhar ’s rather sharp voice stuck a chord with the listeners especially when she negotiated the octaves with fluidity. A highlight was her grammar-friendly interpretation of ‘Deva Deva Kalayamite’ complete with niraval and swaras. Her line-up included ‘Maamava Meenakshi,’ ‘Enna Thavam ’ and ‘Bhagyatha Lakshmi Baaramma.’ Sivaraman (violin) and Venu (mridangam) were the accompanists.

Artistry and aesthetics were what one got while listening to the Malladi Brothers . They began with ‘Karunimpa,’ the Sahana varnam.

The raga vinyasa of Ritigowla for the kriti, ‘Mamahridaye Vihara’ and Dhanyasi for ‘Balakrishnan Paadamalar’ saw the brothers at their emotive best in showcasing sancharas. Their rendition of ‘Vasudevayani’ (Kalyani) reminded rasikas of the mercurial version of GNB. The Bhairavi alapana with sampradaya pidis had minute embellishments. The RTP in Dharmavati that focussed on Lord Krishna was a serious fare. Ganesh Prasad (violin) imputed deft touches in his solos. The percussive support of Balaji (mridangam) and Chandrasekhara Sharma (ghatam) was of a high order.

Gayathri Venkatraghavan paid tribute to the genius of M.S. Subbulakshmi. Starting with ‘Maathe Malayadwaja Pandya,’ she led the listeners on an emotional tour. The raga vinyasa of Kalyani (for ‘Birana Brova Iti’) and Vasantha (‘Hariharaputhram’) were again replete with bhava and aesthetic brigas. Her vocal range was amazing. The RTP in Thodi for the kriti, ‘Karthikeya Gaangeya’ with niraval offered many a graceful sanchara. Charumathi Raghuram’s violin accompaniment was classy. K.V. Prasad (mridangam) and Chandrasekhara Sarma (ghatam) on laya wing, embellished the session with perception and control.

Pantula Rama displayed her musicality with confidence. She began with ‘Nee Bhajana Gaana’ in Nayaki, and that set the tenor and tone for the recital. Her crisp alapana of Kannada, Kalavathi and Kaapi were melody-driven.

Her Kalyani portrayal for ‘Kaaruvelpulu’ was a reflection of the devotion of the Bard of Thiruvaiyaru. ‘Konji Konji Vaa Murugane’ was a soulful and spirited version. M.S.N. Murthy’s violin accompaniment complemented Rama. He displayed exceptional playing in the solo portions and swara repartees.

The laya team comprised Ravi (mridangam) and Raja Ganesh (ganjira), who played an energetic thani.