Where music steals the show
RAJALAKSHMI PADMANABHAN
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Visaka Hari enthralled Madurai rasikas at Lakshmi Sundaram Hall recently.
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Photo: S. James.
Visaka Hari.
‘S angeetha Gnyanamu Bakthi Vina Sanmargamu Galade’ sang Tyagaraja, his lyric bearing the message that music without devotion takes us nowhere. It appears that the converse is also true, for the rasikas of Madurai journeyed towards Rama, swept along by the mellifluous strains of Visaka Hari’s music, actually saw Rama in all His beauty and splendour and worshipped Him, as they listened to ‘Thyagaraja Ramayanam’ at Lakshmi Sundaram Hall recently. Visaka Hari revealed a new dimension to Harikatha as the story became subservient to soulful music. Visaka’s exposition made you realise how familiar lyrics of the saint-composer embody dramatic scenes from the Ramayana. For instance, she thrilled the audience with her word-by-word explanation of the fourth charanam in the Pancharatna kriti, ‘Jagadananda Karaka,’ wherein the whole of Bala Kaandam is narrated.
Sweet voice
With consistent ease and facility, she balanced music and story and enthralled the audience with her sweet voice, clear diction, skilled niraval and bhava.
Beginning the concert with the evergreen ‘Sitamma Mayamma’ in Vasantha, Visakha extolled the virtues of Rama in her rendition of ‘Meevalla Guna Dosha Memi’ in Kapi and ‘Sujana Jeevana (Kamas’). Charanams from two other Pancharatna kirtanas, ‘Entharo Mahanubhavulu’ and ‘Kanakana Ruchira’ were aptly used to explore reference by Tyagaraja to incidents from the Ramayana. Different scenes from the Bala Kaandam were embellished by popular kritis while two Tamil songs by Arunachala Kavirayar, ‘Ramanai Tharuvaye’ in Sindu Bhairavi and ‘Yaaro Ivar Yaaro’ in Mandu provided variety.
Visakha was ably supported by B. Ananthakrishnan on the violin who tirelessly switched from playing for the kritis to providing background tunes to her discourse and Valmiki’s slokas, matching her in skill and bhava. S.J.Arun Ganesh on the mridangam was alert to the changes and masterfully provided humorous touches, particularly when the singer described the walk of Rama in the kriti, ‘Hecherikka’ in Yadukula Khambodi. She made passing reference to the Gita, Bhagavatham, and Kamba Ramayanam but Tyagaraja remained the mainframe of reference. The crowd, which included children and youngsters, listened spellbound till the clock struck nine. One could not but wish for the great number of interwoven episodes and humorous stories told in the traditional Harikatha. At the same time it was unique in conception and a wonderful alternative to the routine Sunday TV fare.
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