Style of play

Jayaprada Ramamurthy's recital was notable for the way she used different flutes.

Jayaprada Rammurthy's show was engaging. Photo: Special Arrangement

Jayaprada Ramamurthy won international recognition by bagging ‘Global world record' recently. She was honoured recently for this achievement at Thyagaraya Ganasabha. She was the choice musician to be featured in the ‘Adhyatmika Samskritika Utsavas', held there. Her recital was notable for the way she used different flutes in her concert. The style of play was remarkable for she produced sounds of high quality continuing melodic appeal. She received thundering applause from audience for sustaining long-note ‘Sadjam' holding the breath for a considerable time and also for thrilling out put of her swarakalpana part with mathematical variations in Chaturasra, Tisra and Khanda gathis. She had full orchestral support with Pavan Singh on violin, Kalivaraprasad on mridangam, Bhargavaram on ghatam and Mallikarjun on kanjira. In addition, her senior student Krishna Chaitanya also lent support on another flute, thus having four flutes in play in the concert.

She opened her recital with popular Vatapi Ganapathim in Hamsadhwani of Deekshitar offering salutations to the Lord. The interesting part of this presentation was the way she presented raga elevating all its beauties and a two speed swarakalpana using ‘Sama Shruti flute' and ‘base flute', earning audience appreciation. She then took up Kalyani for an elaborate delineation, moving through familiar phrases of the raga applying nuances. Her choice composition in this was Thyagaraja's familiar number Vasudevayani' in Adi Talam that she played with palpable vocalist touch rendering the sahitya clear and enjoyable. The nereval she presented as part of the kriti also added to the impact. The kalpana swara that followed put to view her rich imagination. They were more of probing nature for beauties. She used another base flute of different length to what she used in the earlier number, to help cover all octaves with ease.

As an interlude, Jayaprada presented Annamacharya

kirtana Ekkadi Manusha Janmamu ' that carries philosophic idiom. At this stage she played

Maitreem Bhajatam in ragmalika in memory of Indira Gandhi whose birthday was being celebrated

Maitreem Bhajatam' .

Later she played a devotional composition of Ganapathi Satchidananada Govinda… '. A tillana of Balamurali concluded her show. She received excellent support from the entire orchestral team, the violinist responding well in

raga and swara presentation displaying his own imagination with complementary touches. The rhythm side too was competent. Young Chaitanya too lent good support revealing his own learning.

On the occasion Jayaprada was warmly felicitated in recognition of her contribution to the field of classical music.