A well-structured Purvikalyani raga alapana followed by the kirtana ‘Ananda Natam Aaduvar,’ was the highlight of Sudha Ragunathan’s performance on the last day of the Kapali temple Panguni festival. Though her characteristic pace was not much in evidence, her kutcheri experience helped her to impart vocal intensity.
A major part of the sancharas in the higher octave was in the vibrant zone and her appeal was mainly centered in that area. In her own way her concert presentation was to convey a different angle of delight rooted in sampradaya. Viewing the Purvikalyani raga essay as a whole, it was a combination of fertile manodharma hand in glove with superb voice control in the management of sancharas.
Equally adept was the interpretation of the song. She turned her singing method to bring out the lilting sahitya pattern. This technique no doubt communicated the liveliness of the description on Nataraja’s dance captured in the sahitya. The alapana, song and niraval were well handled with an eye on the impact on the rasikas.
In this genre was the other kirtana, ‘Darini Telusukonti’ (Suddha Saveri). The following sangati-packed sahitya was in fit and finish quality. Her rendering revealed an organic link between classicism and vocal vibrancy. The presentation can be rated high both on perspective and articulation. In lending percussive support to both the items the play by Skanda Subramaniam was stellar in technique and responsive to the laya-rich opportunities the two songs provided.
The song list included ‘Renuka Devi’ (Kannada Bangala), ‘Yarukku Ponnambalam Kripai’ (Bhairavi). Quite understandably it was the post-thani light music like ‘Bho Sambo Swamyambo’ that the rasikas fervently applauded.
Pakkala Ramadoss, on the violin, was through out modest. In solo versions of Suddha Saveri and Purvikalyani his development method touched on the vital sancharas. The violin tone was quite soft-sounding.
In the tani avartanam Skanda Subramaniam packed the beats with tonality, korvais and change of nadais, brimming with vitality. The overall impression was high both in style and smartness. The morsing artist A.S. Krishnan played the second fiddle to Skanda Subramaniam.
Jayashree Vaidyanathan framed her performance at the Kapali temple Panguni festival with vigour and vividness in the manner she handled raga alapanas and rendering of kirtanas.
Regarding voice, talent, training and expressions the appeal was very cordial. She brought to bear on the raga development all her inherent ability.
Two alapanas at her hands – Kiravani and Khambodi - were given shape according to her musical inner guidance in maintaining the compactness of the raga shades. Vital traditional sancharas revealed the images of the ragas, the development progressing step by step from the mandhara sthayi to the tara sthayi.
Commitment to the values of Carnatic music and steadfastness in adhering to them were an integral and inseparable part of her performing objective. The interplay of karvais and sanchara negotiations in the Khambodi alapana edifice were worked out with restraint.
Jayashree Vaidyanathan placed great faith on music’s lucidity free from vocal extravagances. All these aspects got reflected in the kritana session too. The pride of place went to ‘Tiruvadi Charanam,’ the main item in the programme.
The clear intonation of the sahitya enhanced the emotional contents of the beautiful song. This was part of her vivid perception of the place of kirtanas in a performance. This aspect was pervasive through the other songs, ‘Eesane Indha,’ in Chakaravaham and in the very first piece, ‘Sri Mahaganapthim,’ (Atana).
The vocalist enjoyed good understanding support from the accompanists – Thirumarugal Dineshkumar (violin), V. Sai Raghavan (mridangam) and S. Sunil Kumar (ganjira). The performance was a good team effort.
