Melodious blend of gaana and laya
HARISH BAL
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O.S. Thiagarajan’s recital in Kochi showcased his command over raga and tala.
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A stickler to tradition, O.S. Thiagarajan’s style of rendition gives priority to all aspects of manodharma and imparts a rich feel to the compositions.
His Chembai Memorial Concert opened with ‘Karunimpa,’ Veena Kuppaiyyer’s popular varnam in Sahana. A precise sketch of Begada raga unfolded the melodic beauty of the raga.
The Dikshithar kriti ‘Vallabha nayakasya’ was packed with swaras that were rendered rigorously. This was complemented aptly with ‘Raramayinti’ in Asaveri raga. ‘Biranabrovayithe,’ a Shyamasastri kriti in Kalyani, was well supported by Edapally Ajith on the violin. The right blend of gaana and laya, and propriety in the rendition were Ajith’s pluses during the concert.
In the Abhogi alaapana, the vocalist took a swift glide to the dhaivatham and concentrated on the upper sancharas. Brigas and swift akaaras garnished the alaapana.
Brisk swaras
The GNB composition ‘Thamasamiha thalanu’ in Rupaka tala had brisk swaras in jhanda and vakra patterns with varied eduppus. ‘Bantureethikolu,’ a Tyagaraja kriti in Hamsanadam, was presented well.
The Kamboji raga elucidation was comprehensive; the vocalist spacing the phrases so meticulously that there was no ambiguity in the raga structure. Whirling sancharas with right phrasing was the high watermark of the concert. The same systematic approach was followed in rendering the long majestic kriti ‘O Rangashayee;’ not a single sangati was skipped.
‘Bhooloka vaikundam’ was also a trifle too lengthy. The first speed in the swara rendition fared better and the accent on the gamakas was noteworthy. He sang only a few compositions and he did not sing any tukkadas.
The thani with A.V. Manikantan on the mridangam and Sudheer on the ghatom was vigorous and packed with surprising turns and gumkis. The concert closed with a tillana in Hindolam. Before the traditional mangalam in Madhyamavati, the vocalist chose to preface it with ‘Nadupai galigeru norulu,’ the Tyagaraja kriti in the same raga.
The programme was organised by Kerala Fine Arts Society in Kochi.
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