Packed with VERVE

Vocalist Vinay Sharva drew much applause for his mastery of the nuances of Carnatic music.

Vinay SharvaPhoto: Special Arrangement

Vinay Sharva’s Carnatic music concert in Kochi stood out for its impeccable technique and style. What seemed a low key affair with a varnam in Sahana and ‘Janakiramana’ in Sudhaseemanthini , changed course as Vinay came into his element with a vibrant and riveting exposition of Anandabhairavi and Shyama Sastri’s kriti ‘Marivere’. The supple sancharas in the alapana were marked with clarity and soaked in raga bhava. Some parts of Sunita's rendition on the violin were charged with aesthetics.

Tripunithura Neelakantan supported the vocalist well on the mridangam in two fast tempo pieces, Swati Tirunal’s ‘Gopanandana’ in Bhooshavali and ‘Kanchadalayadakshi’ in raga Kamalamanohari. The mridangam was bang on with a peppy, high decibel ‘teermanam’ that drew huge applause from the audience.

A full 20 minutes alapana of Bhairavi was a wonderful flow of imaginative, spontaneous music that used long gamakas and fast sancharas amply. Vinay’s full-throated singing with some lovely modulations enhanced the melodic effect.

He packed raga phrases that tantalised and he magically wove them to touch the madhyama and nishada, the jeevaswara. Some swift brigas were also enticing.

After an elaborate tanam, he sang the pallavi ‘Bhairavi Tripurasundari’ in two phases. Intricate rhythm patterns were suffused into the aesthetics of improvisation.

The vocalist creatively blended Behag to Nasikabhooshani and, later, Kapi in the ragamalika section. His treatment of these ragas was elaborate and it culminated magically at the eduppu, which was greeted with applause.

Sunita, on the violin, put on a bleak show in the alapana and even in her follow up of the ragamalika swaras. The taniavarthanam by Neelakantan and Tripunitura Kannan was predictable and rather tame for the most part.

Bhava came to the fore as the vocalist gave expression to ‘Jagadodharana’ in Kapi and ‘Sankara sreegiri’ after a short sketch of Hamsanandi. The recital concluded with the Dhanashri tillana of Swati Tirunal.

The programme was organised by Rasikapriya, Kochi.