Vocalist holds fort
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It was a concert of performers and accompanists complementing each other well.
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THERE ARE times when the accompaniment takes over the central performance by sheer dint of excellence. Ramya Badrinarayanan's Bharatanatyam recital under the aegis of the South Indian Cultural Association (SICA) was one such. Not to underscore the dancer's arresting performance, the vocalist, Sashidharan stole the show like the wave of the magic wand. An equally commanding `nattuvangam' by guru Revathi Ramachandran and `mridangam' by N.K. Kesavan made an extraordinary team of excellence.
Ramya warmed up with the `varnam' after the Pushpanjali in `Nalinikantha', `Guru vandanam' and `Thodiya mangalam' (Jaya Jaya Janaki Ramana - an Annamacharya keertana). Meticulous accuracy to notation and `tala' marked her presentation, from beginning to end, more evident in the `varnam' and pure `nritta' numbers. The footwork opted for was not very complex or elaborate except in flashes and most of the footwork patterns seemed repetitive. The `teermanams' undertaken during the `Annamacharya keertana' were a little amateurish. It was the `varnam' in `Raagamalika' (a Dandayudhapani Pillai's composition) that set the tone for some varied pieces to follow, despite toeing the conventional format. The `Anu pallavi' (Sada ninaivu kondu) made for interesting `sancharis', `abhinaya'. Her expressive countenance could take upon any emotion with naturalness and communicated myriad feelings through eye language. The `adavu' patterns began with impressive work in the first cycle and invariably ended with circular whirls for almost all items as the speed increased. Sashidharan more than augmented the dance with his immersed singing, which could not help but draw the audience attention to the sides of the stage. The tonal quality of his voice was magnetic as he slid through the `Nalinikantha' in absolute melodic `swara' and the `sangathees' for the lengthier songs were simply superb, like the lines - `Saranganathan pottru,' and the coquettish `javali' - `Yenthati kulukay' in `Kalyani'.
Ramya's `Om Namo Narayana' in `Karnaranjani' depicted the `Gajendra Moksham' episode with varied expressions and a fervour in praise of the Lord of `Guruvayoor' (Endru ullam poohandha). The changed costume suited the dancer better than the conventional one and also gelled with the chosen pieces of presentation. The pure `nritta' recreated from temple tradition of olden times (part of the `nivedanam' dance of Cheyyur Chengalvaraya temple) was a pleasure to watch with the highlight of the entire show being an innovative piece. Working out footwork patterns to which the anklet bells and `mridangam' were the only audible sounds/accompaniment, Ramya and Kesavan set for a serve and play volley with infectious enthusiasm.
She was able to take on all the `mridangam' notations without faltering in all the cycles which holds good for her staying power but actual footwork (minus the bells jingle) was not audible at all times.
Rounding of the performance with four random `pashuram' (verses) from `Andal Tiruppavai' (first, third, 24th and 30th), Ramya made a perfunctory presentation of the `bhava' and `hastha mudras'. For instance, the lines `Yashodai illaisingham' were hardly depicted in vivid postures to drive home
the descriptive verse. Though Ramya was able to make an impressive show of talent despite minor drawbacks, evincing equal care and concern for all presentations from the beginning to the tail end is the hallmark of development for any artiste. Subbalakshmi on the violin was upto the mark.
RANEE KUMAR
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