Devotion through music
K.C. ASOK
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Aswathy Tirunal Rama Varma's concert began the Navaratri music festival on the right note.
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ASWATHY TIRUNAL: Heir to a rich musical tradition.
The annual Navarathri music festival at Navarathri mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram began with a Carnatic vocal recital by Aswathi Tirunal Rama Varma.
Several renowned artistes have performed at the Navaratri mandapam in connection with the nine-day festival. For them, their performance at this platform is more of an offering to Goddess Saraswathy, than a simple recital.
Rama Varma began the concert with a short alapana of Bhoopala raga, as if to mark the dawn of the nine-day music festival. `Ramarama pahi... ' in Roopaka tala, a rare Swati krithi, was chosen. Soon after this came the main item in Sankarabharanam, `Devi Jaga Janani... .'
The main piece was presented with raga elaboration, tanam, niraval and kalpana swarams. This was followed by a crisp but masterly thaniyavartaham by B. Hari Kumar on the mridangam. S.R. Vinu, a disciple of violinist Mysore Nagaraj, deftly accompanied on the violin. `Pannagendrasayana... ,' the garland of eight ragas - Shankarabharanam, Kamboji, Neelambari, Bhairavi, Todi, Surutti, Mayamalavagoula and Revagupti - wherein the singer paid homage to Goddess Saraswathi, evoked the right mood for the festival.
During the initial phase of the concert, Rama Varma seemed to be in the grip of his guru Balamuralikrishna's bhani. But towards the end of the concert, he was able to come into his own.
The concert was preceded by the customary rendering of Thodaya Mangalam and Ganapathi Stuti by Mullamoodu Bhagavathars.
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