When an artist has to cope with a recalcitrant voice, it is always an uphill struggle to translate thought to articulation. But which vocalist hasn’t faced voice issues at some point?
Viewing a list that includes stalwarts, counting Sangita Kalanidhis, you find that such musicians fought with and at least partially overcame the problem with a never-say-die spirit.
For the listener, it’s a different ball game. The kutcheri interface teaches you that the core of classical music transcends a pleasing voice or the lack of it. You learn to look beyond voice to a concept called abhiprayam. You don’t merely listen, you discern.
As a reviewer, you do not harp on the shortcoming. Instead, what matters is whether an artist walks on the right side of the line of intention. Which Ashok Ramani did. Gamely filling in for absent artist M.S. Sheela, the seasoned musician chose to rise beyond long-time voice constraints by wisely treading the bhava route.
Warming up with Kothavasal Venkatrama Iyer’s varnam ‘Sarasuda’ (Saveri), the artist capitalised on the madhyamakala potential of ‘Jaya Jaya’ (Nattai), suffixing krithi with sarvalaghu kalpanaswaras enlivened by janta combinations and poruttams.
A graceful silhouette of Dhanyasi was sketched by engaging prayogas and brigas tailored for a gentle landing on the madhya sthayi shadja. Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Balakrishnan Padamalar’ is a bijou, aglow with nascent luminosity in the anupallavi and charanam sahitya. Sure enough, the artist homed in on ‘Neelamugil’ for swarakalpana in two kalais, dwelling on the oscillated nishadha, a repository of bhava.
Finely nuanced ravai sangathis lent light and shade to the rendition of ‘Amma Ravamma’ (Kalyani, Thyagaraja). The artist notched up his score in the main Kharaharapriya. The tier-by-tier construction of alapana reflected discipline, offset by vivid briga flights, drawing strength from Thyagaraja’s masterpiece
In ‘Chakkani Raja’, the niraval segments and sprightly kalpanaswaras with kuraippu at the dhaivatha impressed.
Ashok’s finest hour, however, came in the RTP. An unusual raga choice, Ganamurthi raised the bar. The vivadi feel was brought out with sensitivity. Handled in phases, the alapana formed distinct little islets with a skilfully manoeuvred tanam navigating calm waters.
The pallavi ‘Ganamurthe, Venu Ganamurthe …’ in mishra jati triputa tala (two-kalai) was delivered with panache, with niraval that came as bursts of anuswara-rich passages slipped in through tala interstices.
Vioinist Nalina Mohan’s raga essays on strings shone with astuteness, particularly the rich tonal variations in the mandra sthayi.
With Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma (mridangam), Sukanya Ramgopal (ghatam) and Bhagyalakshmi N. Krishna (morsing), the thani avartanam crescendoed to a very satisfactory close.
Winning spontaneous applause for her crystal clear sollus and well-structured kuraippu, young Bhagyalakshmi on the morsing is an artist to watch.
