Gururajachar’s repertoire and nearly flawless tonal quality were the highlights of the concert.
Flawless show Gururajachar during the performance.
H.S. Gururajachar, the 85-year-old vocalist, has the strength and vigour of a young man and rarely falters in tonal quality. Clarity in expression and grammar in his music and sahitya import were intact. He mastered almost all the compositions of the great saint composers and also of Puranadaradasa, forerunner of Thyagaraja whose method of teaching music is still in vogue.
Perhaps Gururajachar is the lone veteran who can sing almost all the compositions of Purandaradasa, many of which went into his album, produced by the music sabha Sangeetha Ksheerasagaram. The album was released on this occasion.
There are more than 40 compositions, with a good share for Purandaradasa’s works. The sabha organised this function last week at the Thyagaraya Ganasabha. The CD was released by Dr. C. Narayana Reddy.
Dr.Narayana Reddy was all praise for the veteran for his sahitya expression and musical appeal.
Gururajachar’s concert followed the felicitations. His concert reflected his erudition. He began with Siddhi Vinayakam of Deekshitar in Shanmukhapriya. He then moved on to two compositions, one in Hamsadhwani and the other in Begada. After singing them well, he took up Thodi as his main attraction, which really tests the patience and capacity of any artiste and especially of a veteran like Gururajacha
r. His rendition received applauses.
He rendered Koluvamaregada of Thyagaraja in which he presented nereval and Swaraprasthara. The Purandaradasa compositions he sang in the concert were Hariya Ninneyada and Binnahake Bayaillavayya in ragamalika. He concluded with a surati raga kirtana of Ananthadheesa – Bho Yathivara.
Gururajachar’s son H.G. Vasudevachar sang along with his father. M. Suryadeepti on violin and Prof. V. Gopalakrishnan on mridangam lent support. Ayyagari Shyama Sundar, a veena virtuoso and former principal of Vijayawada Government Music College, felicitated the artistes.
G. S.
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