Tributes to a teacher
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Rare kritis embellished Kummanam Sathyanesan's concert.
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ALTHOUGH HE was a taskmaster, Kalyanasundaram Bhagavathar was a much sought-after teacher. K.J. Jesudas, Sujatha and many others are known to have learnt from him. Poornathrayeesa Sangeeta Sabha paid tributes to this great master. A concert of Kummanam Sathyanesan was organised on the occasion.
`Neranami' the majestic adathala varnam in Kanada, in a regulated pace, gave the right grounding for the concert. Next came `Mahaganapathe' in Hamsadhwani raga. The Ghana raga Arabhi was given a brief illumination and was followed by the sweet composition `Sri Saraswati namosthuthe.'
Backed by tradition
Sathyanesan is backed by tradition. His voice demands more clarity and keeping the audience interest alive was indeed a challenge for the artiste. `Dinamani vamsa' in Harikamboji was followed by Kalyani and the sparkler `nidhichala sukhama,' which compares the worth of true devotion as against worldly possessions. `Thiruvizha Ullas' alapana of Kalyani stood out and he provided ample back-up through the other pieces.
`Varalanthukom,' the kriti made famous by S. Ramanathan, in Gurjari raga was supported by a ravishing Sahana `Vandanamu raghunandanaa.' Kharaharapriya in its myriad hues can be passionate and spiritual at the same time. Perhaps the most exquisite of Swati Tirunal's navabhakti kritis is `Sathatham thavaka padasevanam.' The elaborate swara essays left a few passages to muse over, and the thaniyavarthanam by Mangat Pramod on the mridangam and Vazhapilly Krishnakumar on the ghatam displayed fair amount of skill. A rare Thulasivanam kriti `Kuru Shubha' in Sama raga was another poignant piece to cherish.
HAREESH BAL
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