On a different pitch
B.R.C. IYENGAR
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Bombay Jayashree's concert was simple yet emotive.
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Bombay Jayashree.
The bi-monthly concert under the aegis of JB Cultural Foundation (JBCF) was by noted singer Bombay Jayashree Ramnath at Hotel Green Park. The Foundation has been growing bigger and its service to the cause of Carnatic music is in tune with its growth. The JBCF has a way of arranging these programmes — it is not like any other line up, but the meticulousness and immaculate care taken in every aspect of the programme, not to mention the fabulous dinner for the select audience, deserves accolades, thanks to J. Balasubramaniam, the chairman.
To listen to Jayashree Ramnath, who has not visited Hyderabad for sometime, was evident at the full attendance. None stirred for the entire duration and the concert went on for two hours smoothly. The fierce fondness to listen to the artist was evident.
Jayashree Ramnath was on a different pitch. In tune with the type of audience and the set up, the concert was simple yet emotive; the artiste has a keen aesthetic sense if not a profound inspired fortitude.
The voice is well harnessed and modulated to different moments, deep and sonorous at one moment and commanding and challenging at the other. Sometimes it sounds very thin and gaunt but the reliance on sruti is immaculate and rigid.
The chords have a range of three octaves and used to the point of comfort and not pain.
This speaks of the conscious approach to the concert and scrupulous care to maintain chastity.
The audience was different and so was the concert. Overall, it sounded rather bald as it was fabricated around visranthi and totally devoid of sensitised provocation in the form of parody.
Item after item was soaked in relaxation and to a great extent emotion routing away from the need-based pepper and salt. Under these circumstances, pure music with no shadow of variety in kalapramanam and even some amount of thrill, however sacred it is, may lead to some stir of tedium. To start the concert without a varnam and to resort to weighty compositions of Dikshithar calls for courage and confidence since these compositions are riveted to steadfast norms. Also, to tread on the beaten path of stalwarts such as M.D. Ramanathan and Nedanuri is sometimes risky.
It was so in the first two items one in kedram and another in kannadagowla; so was the composition of Dikshithar in Lalitha. Kalyani (Himadrsuthe) was a welcome change. Kharaharapriya was elaborate and the krithi, Sowmithribhagyame was reasonably good with little or no decoration.
The concert ended up with some lighter items like the thillana in the raga vasanthi. Vittal Ramamurthy on the violin and Arun Prakash on the mridangam were very sober and refused to add any ecstasy.
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