Commendable venture
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Anasuya Murthy's inaugural recital for Indira Devi Kala Pradeepti was replete with clear diction and sonority.
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(From left to right) Uma Rama Rao (niece), Jayasree (daughter), Y.S.R. Pantulu and Y. Pardhasaradhi (both sons) pay their tributes to Yellapragada Indira Devi.
THERE IS an uneasy calm that our classical music is being diluted in an effort to please a westernised Indian audience in the name of fusion. Result. A number of small cultural organisations are coming together individually or in groups to promote classical music in its purest form among the younger generation artistes who are the rising stars in this arena. Indira Devi Kala Pradeepti is one such fledgling that has borne wings recently under the stewardship of veteran dance guru Uma Rama Rao.
Yellapragada Indira Devi (1914-40) was a promising prodigy in the music firmament whose life was cut short before it bloomed to its full. Within the short span of life, she had the rare appreciation of none other than the famous Veena Dhanammal for playing the veena and singing along with it. The nascent organisation is a tribute to her memory.
"The focus is to conduct music concerts annually adhering rigidly to the `kutcheri sampradayam' (formatted concert convention), be it north or south Indian vocal or instrumental. A renowned musician will grace these concerts, a panel of judges will appraise the quality and classicism of the artistes going on stage and an award will be given to the best performer. The performer should also field questions on style and technical aspects of the concert with a lecdem to fortify the performance. In short, it will be a coherent whole-`shikshana' (learning), `sadhana' (practice), `parisodhana' (research) and `pradarshana' (performance) oriented festival," says Uma.
Memorable recital
Anasuya Murthy's inaugural recital, though brief was something that goes down the memory lane. Her husky voice has an exceptional quality of being unique and sonorous. Right from Dikshitar through the Thyagaraja kriti ("Nannu vidichi" in "Reetigowla") to "Paani jagajjanani" (Vachaspati) to the `bhajan' and a `sollukattu' sung in vocal style, there was an intensity in her tone that bestowed life into the lyric. Her `swarakalpanas' executed stylishly were pronounced and powerful, especially in the lower octaves where she sounded superb. The clear diction was like a frill to an already finished product. Despite mediocre acoustics of the venue, Anasuya gave her best based on her own musical virtuosity.
RANEE KUMAR
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
