Whistle wiz wows with Carnatic recital
A. RAMALINGA SASTRY
|
Komaravolu Siva Prasad's unique rendition mesmerised the audience.
|
NATURAL SYNC Siva Prasad whistles away.
Simulating the effect of a flute recital by way of whistling, that too in adherence to the traditional format, can be hailed as a unique achievement in the firmament of Indian classical music. Komaravolu Siva Prasad, programme officer in the Department of Culture, Government of AP, has done just that. He has more than a thousand concerts to his credit all over the globe, including the Festival of India in USSR in 1987-88.
With the release of an LP record, five CDs and an equal number of cassettes, he has found a place in the Limca Book of World Records in 1991.
Prasad enchanted everyone with his recital at Kalabharathi for Sri Vijaya Thyagaraja Sangeetha Sabha, the oldest in the city. The repertoire for the evening comprised Dikshitar's Vaathaapiganapathim (Hamsadhwani) with raagam and swaram, Muttaiah Bhagavataar's Saarasamukhi (Gowdamalhar), a brief elaboration of Atukaaraadani (Manoranjani), Tulasidalamulache (Maayamaalavagoula), Prakkalanilabadi (Kharaharapriya) and Nagumomuganaleni (Abheri), interspersed with Niravadhisukhada (Ravichandrika) and Brochevarevare (Sriranjani), all compositions of Thyagaraja.
Spirited accompaniment by B.S. Narayana on violin, D.S.R. Murthy on mridangam, S. Hanumantha Rao on ghatam, Harjit Singh on tabla and G. Satyasai on morsing, the concert made for soul-stirring music. The tani that followed and a couple of western tunes (Wedding bells and Come September) were scintillating pieces.
Scholarly `layavinyasam'
In another event, a short recital on violin by K.V.S. Prasad, a prelude of sorts to the main show of layavinyasam by Guntuku Venkata Rao on mridangam, marked the cultural meet organised in Mihira Dhyanamandiram recently. The mandiram, which attracts a large number of people of all age groups and all walks of life for its free homoeopathic clinic, yoga and meditation centres, is managed by M.R.L. Rao in Visakhapatnam. With the co-operation extended by the founder secretary of Royal Cultural Academy, Jampana Kumara Varma, Rao organises recitals of devotional and classical music once every month on one of the the Sunday evenings.After starting his recital with Mohanavarnam, Prasad went on to play Mahaganapathim (Naata), Sarasamukhi (Goudamalhar) and a brief but scholarly raagam taanam pallavi after which Venkata Rao executed the thrilling layavinyasam on mridangam. M. Sridhar on ghatam, Y.P.S. Madhubabu on kanjira, P. Ramesh on tabla and G. Ramesh with morsing gave good support.
Trained by noted mridangist G.V. Subbaraya Sarma, Venkata Rao passed the diploma examination in mridangam with distinction and thus received the Best Student Award instituted in the name of T.S. Mani Iyer for that year. He made a name for himself providing accompaniment to renowned artistes like Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana, Dwaram Durga Prasada Rao, T.S. Seshagopalan, Malladi Brothers and others. Even while working as a lecturer in mridangam in Dwaram Venkata Swami Naidu Kalakshetram, he honed his skills under the tutelage of the esteemed V. Kamalakara Rao of Rajahmundry.
He visited Canada and USA as an accompanist to Dwaram Mangatayaru (violinist) and vocalist P.V.S. Seshaiah Sastry besides Malaysia and Singapore with the noted danseuse G. Krishnaswetha. It was a thrilling experience listening to the layavinyasam. The maestro went about the beats with perfect harmony bringing up a variety of bholes in chaturasram and trisram that led to traverses in the Gopuchchayathi pattern in Misrachapu before he concluded with the Moharamuktai. The others who accompanied him proved to be his peers on the respective instruments in their turns.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
