Her name says it all – Sultana or Empress of Song. Aptly titled ‘Sangeet Samragni’, Begum Parveen Sultana, living legend, sang at Kamarajar Arangam for the Chennayil Tiruvaiyaru fest .
The audience glittered with celebrity musicians and cognoscenti, many of whom had turned up to relive the magic of her music.
Happily, age has not diluted the artist’s virtuosity but only mellowed it.
In response to listeners’ requests, she commenced with raag Purya Dhanasree. Her voice a resonant extension of the two thrumming tanpuras flanking her, she sailed regally into the vilambit ‘Lagi Mori’, meeting raga Swaroopa head-on in mandra saptak passages that twined the nishadh with the madhya saptak rishabh and gandhar in a languid tracery. It was a commanding start. Much awaited, the first octave, spanning her signature glide, manifested as a satiny jaru from nishadh to nishadh.
In the climactic landing on the tara saptak shadja, her voice possessed the power to stun listeners. The artist’s voice appeared to emerge from some primordial core that absorbed and transmitted the energy of the universe. She again soared with enviable ease to the ati taar saptak shadja, her incredible range traversing three octaves. It was not only about reach, but also about consistency of tone and a voice that retained its vitality in the peaks and troughs.
‘Payaliya Jhankar’ scorched a trail of white fire through the drut, alternating between sargams and lightning taans.
Next on the menu was a tarana in raag Hamsadhwani. Vadi-samvadi phrases emphasising nishadh and gandhar were used to create a ‘mirror effect’ in successive octaves. Imaginative volleys involving just four swaras, ‘pa ni sa ri’, ricocheted in a narrow corridor to create a fascinating exercise.
Can you envisage a Parveen concert in Chennai without ‘Bhavani Dayani’? Launching into this eagerly anticipated and evocative composition which she has made her very own, in raag Misra Bhairavi, the artist spun a glorious tapestry of prayogas remarkable for their singular beauty.
Attaining rarefied heights, the notes of the lines ‘Jagat Janani’ pierced through the collective consciousness to transcend the temporal and lift the audience to a spiritual plane.
Ravindra Katoti (harmonium) echoed the vocalist’s ideas, spicing them with interesting variations. Ranging from a subdued pattern to forceful strokes, Vishwanath Nakod’s expertise on the tabla highlighted the creative flights of his co-artists.
The singer recounted her memories of Chennai and the city’s knowledgeable rasikas. With the subject of voice culture being more relevant than ever today, the artist emphasised the absolute necessity for daily riyaz, irrespective of the stature of the musician.
