Feast of music
PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM
KEEPING THE AUDIENCE SPELLBOUND: Kasim and Babu
The 14th anniversary of Sri Rama Gana Sabha, Tiruchi, was celebrated with a music and dance festival in Balakala Vidhanam, Renganagar, recently. The three-day festival proved a feast for music lovers. On the inaugural day Gayathri Venkatraghavan's vocal recital stod out for its originality and creativity combined with melody. The delineation of the ragas, Lathangi and Khamboji, in particular kept the audience spellbound. The rendering of `Shri Ranga Sai' showed maturity. Akkarai Subbulakshmi's violin added richness to the concert. Mridangam (R. Shankara Narayanan) and ghatam (Madipakkam Murali) provided a well-synchronised percussion suport.
Rare treat
The nagaswaram concert by S. Kasim and S. Babu, inheritors of the rich legacy of the legendary Sheik Chinna Moulana, charmed the audience with their gayaki style of rendition on the second day of the festival. Kasim and Babu were in excellent form through the concert. The brothers began with the Nattakurinji varnam in Adi, which was rendered in two speeds. The brisk kritis `Gajavadhana' (Sriranjani) and `Ananda Sagara' (Garudadhwani) followed the varnam.
The Anandabhairavi alapana by Babu was moving. `Kamalamba,' a navavarna kriti was played to perfection and was well received by the audience. The awesome Dasavatara Ragamalika (`Kamalajaasya') by Swati Tirunal was a rare treat.
Kasim presented `Sri Raghuvara' with the accent on the mood and the melody. The swaraprastara was energetic. The brothers won the heart of the rasikas with `Thikku Theriyadha Kaattil' by Subramanya Bharati, `Venkatachala Nilayam' and a Kabir Das Bhajan in rag Misra Khamaj. The Kasim-Babu duo ended their performance with the popular patriotic song `Jayati Jayati Bharata Maatha' composed by Viswanatha Sastry. Tavil Vidwan Srirangam V. G. Murugan and Malaikottai S. Senthilkumar accompanied them in perfect harmony.
Agile movements
The final day's programme started with a music quiz conducted ably by V. Ratnakumar, a member of the Sabha. Uma Ramesh of Chennai rendered a Bharatanatyam recital. . Papanasam Sivan varnam was the main piece. The fluid and agile movements in the tillana showed the hours of practice that she had put in. Her abhinaya was well displayed in `Chinnanchiru Kiliye.' The Mayor of the Tiruchi Corporation, Charubala R. Tondaiman, the chief guest at the valediction, commended Sri Rama Gana Sabha for its services in the field of music.
SYED MUTHAHAR SAQAF
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