Tuned to each other
HARISH BAL
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The Sathur sisters’ recital showcased their adherence to the grammar of Carnatic music.
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Photo: K.V. Srinivasan.
musical duo: The Sathur sisters, Bhuvana Rajagopal and Lalitha Santhanam.
Adherence to tradition marked the concert of Sathur sisters Bhuvana Rajagopal and Lalitha Santhanam. Daughters of the late Sathur Subramaniam, the sisters, who were taught by their father, received additional training from S. Ramanathan, O.S. Thy
agarajan and Neela Ramamurthy.
A Tamil varnam in Charukesi raga, set to Adi talam, was soothing. ‘Sakthi ganapathim bhajeham,’ a kriti in Natta, had attractive swara passages to go with it.
Scale gliding exercise
The rare raga Manoranjani found expression in the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Atakara thanibalkani.’ After the few initial phrases, Bhuvana’s Shanmukhapriya alaapana proved to be a scale gliding exercise. A Papanasa Sivan kriti ‘Sharavanabhava innu thirumandiram’ stood out for its clarity in enunciation and accent on the gamakas.
That the sisters are sticklers to the grammar or lakshana of Carnatic music was evident in the rendition of Lalitha, who, with her more powerful voice, sang a series of packed kalpanaswaras in sarvalaghu pattern.
Alapuzha Chandrasekharan on the mridangam nourished the swaras with exact jathis to suit the phrases. He seemed to know every curve and turn of the sangathis for the kritis and korvai patterns in the swara rendition.
A brisk rendition of ‘Pahiparvathanandini’ in Arabhi and swaras for the same elicited quite a few shabashs from the audience. The Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar kriti ‘Neekelana’ in Devamanohari raga was yet another interim piece.
Lalitha unfurled the basic nature of Kambhoji raga right in the first few phrases and she took a steady approach in developing the raga. Only towards the last part of the swara singing were her phrases repetitive and her rhythm faltered during the mukthaippu.
‘Mari mari vachuna,’ the rarely sung kriti in second speed Adi tala, received fair treatment. Neraval for ‘ramuni mahimane’ had some charming movements by Bhuvana, in the upper octave.
Violinist Viju S. Anand proved his mettle by playing the raga with an etch on the madhyama. The thani by Chandrasekharan and Alappuzha manoharan (ghatam) was full, vigorous and compact.
A Malayalam composition ‘Nin sannidhiyil njan thozhuthu’ in Desh raga and ‘Pandareegayya’ were the last compositions to be presented.
The programme was organised by Poornathrayeesa Sangeeta Sabha, Thripunithura.
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