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An honour for the maestro

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Culture fest Lalgudi G. Jayaraman being honoured;

Visakha Music and Dance Academy, known to promote classical music and dance besides drama and allied arts by way of organising fortnightly programmes and running a school attached with a library, instituted the Naada Vidya Bharati title in 2002. Viol in maestro Padma Bhushan Lalgudi G. Jayaraman was the choice of the board of trustees this year. As was done in the last five years, the title was given along with citation, a lotus flower made of gold, silk clothes, shawl and a cash award of Rs.1 lakh. The award was conferred on Jayaraman at the academy’s auditorium Kalabharati last week.

The function also marked the inauguration of the six-day annual fete of music, dance and drama organised by the academy. Like the earlier recipients of the award (Balamurali, Pt. Jasraj, Vempati, Utsad Amzad Alikhan and Nedunuri) for Jayaraman who is hailed as a pioneer of Carnatic music on violin besides being revered as a teacher and composer par excellence, it turned out to be yet another feather in his cap.

The Naada Vidya Bharati in his response thanked God for bestowing him with the privilege of being a scion of a family of musicians of his great grandfather Lalgudi Rama Iyer, a noted disciple of St. Thyagaraja who stayed with him when he visited Lalgudi and composed Lalgudi Pancharatna kritis.

The inaugural concert of the annual fest was befittingly rendered by Jayaraman’s daughter and disciple Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi along with R. Ramesh on mridangam, N. Guruprasad on ghatam and Anirudh Atreya on kanjeera. Her repertoire comprised Asaveri Varnam, Vandeham of Annamayya (Hamsadhvani), Sri Rama Saraswathi (Naasaamani), elaboration of Ninuvinasukhamu (Todi), Munupe teliyaka (Bangala), expansive expatiation of Saragunapaalimpa (Kedaragoula) and ragam tanam pallavi in Kapi in Khandatriputa with swaram in Raagamalika.

Cultural evenings

The next two evenings at Kalabharati as part of the Vishaka Music and Dance Academy fete, and featured vocal recitals in Carnatic and Hindustani. The vocal recital by O.S. Thiagarajan in the company of R. Ambika Prasad on violin and J. Balaji on mridangam proved to be a paragon of sublime melody ordained in Carnatic music. He started with the popular Begada kriti Vallabhanayakasya and concluded with swaram; Thiagarajan seemed to be an epitome of soulful concentration and showmanship of aesthetic erudition. Not only the elaborative treatment of the Lalgudi Pancharatna kriti Eesapaahimam (Kalyani), Kaamakshi of Syamasastry (Varali) and Ekaamreswaranayaki of

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

O.S. Thiagarajan.

Dixitar (Shanmukhapriya) but also the rendering of Teliyaleru Rama (Dhenuka), Paritaapamu (Manohari) and so on sans any adornments, turned out to be enthralling. Prasad and Balaji made a good effort sustaining the gusto both in their following and turns. Thani on mridangam was a commensurable exercise.

The Hindustani vocal recital by young Shashank Maktedar in the company of Bharat Kamat on tabla and Ajay Joglekar on harmonium was a knowledgeable effort. Compositions in Ek and Teental in Raag Lalit Gowri (a Janyam of Marva Thaat) with a faint touch of Desh purposefully made it sound like a Janyam of Gamanasrama of the carnatic system. Compositions in Chayanaat (Kalyani Thaat), Pahadi of Bilaval Thaat, Tilak Kamod and Bhairav were his choice for the evening. Endowed with an easily and pleasingly articulating voice covering little over two-and-half archives, Maktedar singing the last three items in particular, left an absorbing impression. Bharat and Joglekar with their soft and dexterous handling of tabla and harmonium contributed grandeur.