With live concerts back after a COVID-19-induced hiatus, it was a more meaningful experience for music lovers as Ragapriya began its concert series from November 26.
On the first day, S. Saketharaman enthralled the audience with his high pitch emotive singing. He started off with varnam ‘Angayarkanni’ on the presiding deity of Madurai. It is a composition by his Guru Lalgudi Jayaraman, in which he uses nine distinct ragas (Navarasa Pada Varnam), (Bilahari, Huseni, Valaj, Saaranga, Sucharitra, Atana, Rasikapriya, Sahana and Nadanamakriya) to bring out the Devi’s navarasas (nine emotions).
With necessary kalpana swaras, he brought to the forefront ‘Sarojadalnetri’, in raagam Sankarabharanam. The recitation of caranam ‘saamagaana vinodini’ was well received by the audience with applause. Violinist S. Varadarajan brought out the entire nuances of the raga to make the song more melodious to the audience. Neyveli Venkatesh, on the mrudhangam, and K.V. Gopalakrishnan, on the ghatam, created an aura of soft and sound touches in the elaborated tani avartanam.
Saketharaman rounded off his concert with ‘thiraadha vilaiyaattu pillai’ by Mahakavi Bharathiar, in raagamaalika, Ullam Uruguthaiyaa made famous by singer T.M. Soundararajan, GNB’s favourite ‘Shonnadai sheidida sahasama kiliye’ in Ragamalika and among other numbers.
He concluded with a Thillana by Lalgudi. The rasikas enjoyed every moment of the concert that was charged with energy.
