The last four days of Sri Sadguru Sangeeta Sabha’s week long music festival conducted at Gokaraju Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika presented vocal and instrumental concerts of top quality. ‘Bhagavata Katha Gana Sudha’ a fine musical feature imaginatively written and composed by Popuri Gowrinath was presented with the erudite compering of scholar Mallapragada Srimannarayana Murthy. Several songs depicting important episodes from Bhagavatham were appealingly rendered by Gowrinath and his wife Gayatri. They were accompanied by P.Charumathi Pallavi (violin), K.Sasidhar (veena), S.Ramana (flute) and P.Sriramcharan (mridangam).
On the next day, Aswatha Narayanan of Chennai rendered a fine vocal concert. Blessed with a fine voice and commanding manodharmam, he started the concert with Sankarabharanam varnam followed by Vinayakuni valenu (Madhyamavathi ragam), Gnanamosagarada (Poorvikalyani) and Kamakshi swarajathi in Bhairavi, one of the three gems composed by Syamasastri, the other two being the Todi and Yadukulakambhoji swarajathis. The Bhairavi Swarajathi was serenely rendered by Aswatha Narayanan in proper tempo also treating it with neraval and swaras – a rare thing to take up. The vocalist also scored well in rendering an efficient RTP in raga Varam. His command on all the manodharmam aspects were came to fore amply in the RTP item. N.C.Rajeev of Chennai, an accomplished violinist and K.Sadgurucharan, a top grade mridangam staff artiste of Vijayawada Akashvani and S. Hanumantarao, ghatam artiste from Tadepalligudem made their presence felt with their excellent support to Aswatha Narayanan. The tani played by Sadgurucharan and Hanumanta rao stood as one of the highlights in the concert.
Padmashri awardee and veteran violin vidushi Avasarala Kanyakumari gave the audience a superb violin treat. Her vast experience and masterly bowing were as evident as her amazing vidwat and confidence in playing in every item she played. Starting with Bhairavi ata tala varnam, Kanyakumari followed it with Mooladhara Murthy of Papanasanam Sivan finishing the kirtana with elaborate kalpana swaras at break-neck speed but in with crystal clarity.
On request from audience – not entirely desirable in a concert — Kanyakumari played Raghuvamsa in Kadanakutuhalam with typical but interesting gimmickry in the muktayi swaram. The next item that was presented by the veteran was a very intricate, novel and commanding RTP a highly skilful fusion of just two audava ragas Revati and Sivaranjani. It was challengingly and commandingly played by Kanyakumari in what could be compared to a trapeze act. Her masterly concert came to a close with a sparkling Tillana composed by herself in Sindhubhairavi and Govinda namas .
Patri Satish Kumar’s mellow, silken and alert support on the mridangam was also a veritable treat. His anticipation was very sharp and the tani played along with the morsing support of top grade mridangam artsiste of Akashvani B.V.S.Prasad came as a special rhythmic treat.
No superlatives are enough to assess the great music delivered by well known and internationally popular vocal duo of Chennai Ranjani and Gayatri. Their music was enchanting and soul-filling. The sisters simply arrested the audience with their divine music not allowing even one to leave the auditorium. Their concert began with a crisply rendered Kalyani varnam. Next the sisters sang Raju vedale Todi with bhava-laden neraval and beautiful kalpana swaras vying with each other. They rendered Marakathavalli the majestic composition of Dikshitar in Kambhoji with soulful alapana (this time Kambhoji was delineated by Gayatri), neraval and enthralling kalpana swaras. However, the superb RTP sung in Hamir Kalyani brought down the house. It was sung in Khanda triputa and came to a finish as a beautiful swara raga malika. The electrifying concert came to a fitting finish with an Abhang for which the sister are known.
