Musical pilgrimage
K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
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Njaralath Harigovindan's Sopana Sangeetam concert in Thrissur was a soulful pilgrimage through Kerala's musical heritage.
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SOULFUL MUSIC: Njaralath Harigovindan's mission is to popularise and preserve Sopana Sangeetam.
Njaralath Harigovindan, one of the leading exponents of Sopana Sangeetam, is the son of the late Njaralath Rama Poduval who played a crucial role in preserving Sopana Sangeetam, considered the indigenous musical tradition of Kerala.
Although, initially, Harigovindan had to face some setbacks, and criticism from certain conservative critics, his music gradually overcame those hurdles. In order to preserve his father's rich legacy, Harigovindan left his job as a high school teacher and journalist. "Although there are financial problems, an urge motivated me to devote myself to the popularisation of Sopana Sangeetam as a tribute to my father," says Harigovindan.
Author, researcher
He is the author of `Kerala Sangeetam - Kettathum Kezhkkendathum,' an interesting book written for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, which speaks volumes of the researcher in him.
He gave a concert recently in Thrissur, under the aegis of Nanma Charitable Trust, at the regional theatre of the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi.
Instead of the usual invocation to Ganapati, he began the recital with a stuti to an elephant, which was composed by him. It was followed by an Ashtapadi `Priye charuseele... ..' in Mukhari. The late Ayyappa Panicker's poem `Thathamma,' which went deep into the subtle nuances of bhava sangeetam, captivated the audience.
This was followed by the Ashtapadi `Mahatimalaya sameere... ' in Anandabhairavi, and `Mamala nade,' the singer's own composition in Padi. The alapana of Padi, a Keralite raga that exudes veera sringara, had the audience glued to their seats.
However, the Ashtapadi `Lalita lavanga... ' did not match the numbers preceding it. Sung in second speed (`randaam kaalam') in Adi talam, the rhythmic speed distorted the romantic feel of the lines.
A song in praise of Ramzan, `Lailathul khadarinte mazam Ramadan...,' popularised by Harigovindan himself, through different television channels, revealed another charming facet of Sopana Sangeetam. As a tribute to the late actor Oduvil Unnikrishnan, he recited `Vande Mukunda hare...,' the famous song from the film `Devasuram,' followed by `Harita janita vana mohanam...,' a composition by Dinesh Varma.
The famous `Thunga Pimga Jadakalapavum' in raga Bhoopalam, a Shiva stuti that was popularised and sung last in Thrissur by Rama Poduval, came after that.
Philosophical number
Although the singer had decided to conclude the recital with this number, he sang one more song as per the request of the listeners. He opted for the philosophical `Bhogangal okkeyum khsanaprabha chanchalam' from `Lakshmanopadesam' of Thunchathezhuthachan. Harigovindan preferred to concentrate on the music and left the percussion to Peringode Sreedharan who deftly accompanied on the edakka. The recital was a 90-minute pilgrimage into the subtle nuances of Kerala's enthralling musical heritage.
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