The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : The singer loved his music and so did the audience

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Monday, May 14, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

The singer loved his music and so did the audience

Deepa Ganesh

Popular musician C. Ashwath got an overwhelming response

IN FULL FLOW: C. Ashwath at Vaishaka Sanje in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: Sugama Sangeetha, Kannada lyric music, has always had a faithful following.

It is a form unique to the State and the Kannada language. Great composers, crowd pulling songsters and large audiences have been more a norm than an aberration. However, in the six decades of its being, the journey has been fairly long.

C. Ashwath is one of the most popular singer-composer of the recent times. He is among the biggest crowd pullers, and Vaishaka Sanje, organised by Bhagavataru, a cultural organisation, on Sunday was no different. The auditorium was overflowing and the organisers found it difficult to convince the people that they could not accommodate any more. The organisers called it a historic occasion; for the first time a Sugama Sangeetha concert was ticketed and the response was overwhelming.

Ashwath, at his age, has a spirit that soars: he kept the audience on its toes for the over three hours that he sang. Accompanied by the talented Pallavi M.D., Supriya Acharya and Ravi Muloor, it was a concert with some of the best songs in the genre. Apart from Ashwath's own compositions, the only other composer who found place in the musical evening was the unparalleled Mysore Ananthaswamy.

The concert began with a Kuvempu poem, "Yelladaru Iru", which urges one to be a Kannadiga always, even with geographical dislocation. The mellifluous, medium-paced song, set to Yaman, was rendered in chorus.

Supriya Acharya's rendition of "Muchchumareyillade" was stirring. She was convincing in "Nee sigade balondu baale Krishna". The song in Ahir Bhairav has a rich, intense melody; though the poem itself is not a sparkling one. However, the lines "Olagiruva giridharane horage baaro... " redeem the song, sharply bringing to focus the deep chasm between the real and the ideal. The flute bits and the evocative harmonium passages (on keyboard, Krishna Udupa) elevated the song. Pallavi did a great job of Bendre's "Naaku Tanti". With her flair for folksy tunes, she gave it a special glow with some imaginative interpretations. She sang "Deepavu

Ninnade" with remarkable flourish. The accordion (on keyboard) for "Naaku Tanti" was outstanding. Wish Ravi Muloor had got more than just a single song; he was good.

Ashwath sang some of his usual numbers: one never tires of his "Shravana Bantu". There is such a remarkable compatibility between the song, tune and the singing. It soaks in a celebratory spirit and it is hard to come by another composition like that. "Baduku Maayeya" in Durbari was grand and "Kodagana Koli Nungittta" cheery. Of course, "Baa illi sambhavisu" and "Taravalla tagi ninna" are the audience's favourites, but somehow the spirit of the songs got lost in its robustness. These two very spiritual songs, abandoned their inherent, contemplative nature to acquire a new, strident tone.

Despite the differences, it was a heartening evening: Ashwath loved his music and so did the audience.

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