Salutation to the rasika
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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Nithyasri Mahadevan's concert at the AIR function had a poignant touch.
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MOMENTOUS OCCASION: Nithyasri Mahadevan pays homage to the stalwarts and the humble rasika. PHOTO: K. N. MURALIDHARAN.
It must have been one of those very rare instances when the choice of `Endaro mahanubhavulu,' from Tygaraja's Pancharatna kritis truly befits singing at a big occasion. But then, one has never doubted the instincts of Nithyasri Mahadevan, seasoned artiste and grand-daughter of D. K. Pattammal.
The great moment was the function where All India Radio released albums from its treasure trove of close to a century. Overnight, rare melodies from M. S. Subbulakshmi, Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyangar and the Alathur Brothers were duly returned to where they belong, the public domain. Nithyasri obviously had an intuitive sense of the significance of the occasion and the poignance of ``Endaromahanubhavulu, andariki vandanamulu."
There sure was a representation of Chennai's glitterati in the front rows of the Music Academy. But there was also this familiar sight of the common folk manoeuvering through the crowds at the entrance and jostling for space in the galleries. So overwhelming was the atmosphere nevertheless, considering the hundreds of rasikas assembled there. If you cared to notice the vast number of the aged and children who had turned out trying to catch a glimpse of the proceedings, you would agree that the feeling was simply elevating.
Devotion
In case one had any doubt, the `mahanubhavulu' that Tyagaraja spoke of in that masterpiece were indeed the lay public, full of humility, love and above all surrender at the altar of music. That is how best the evening's proceedings can be summed up. Nithyasri may have done well to space the singing of the several charanams in the pancharatnam with an avartham here and there for the violin and percussion. But then, only a mediocre mind would quibble over such small detail, missing the big picture.
The concert comprised ``Sambhomahadeva" by Neelakanta Sivan, ``Eemani ne nii mahima telpudunamma' by Subbaraya Sastri. But the exposition of Vachaspathi was when Nityasri allowed herself the freedom to reveal her great prowess in voice modulation.
M. A. Krishnaswami on the violin, I. Sivakumar on the mridangam, Murali on the ghatam and Krishnan on the morsing enriched the evening's recital.
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