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Carnatic classical

Gayatri Girish

Charsur Digital

CD - Rs. 195.

Mellifluous rendition

Vaishnavism, the worship of Vishnu, is one of the six routes to Godhead according to Hinduism. Vishnu, the protector of the universe, is an ideal subject for bhakti. The maximum number of hymns have been composed by great savants extolling His glory. Andal, the only woman among the Azhwars, Kulasekhara Perumal, Narayana Tirtha, Adi Sankara, Swati Tirunal, Margadarshi Sesha Iyengar and Arunachala Kavi are some of the bhaktas whose compositions are included in this album.

Gayatri Girish has established herself as a vocalist with substance and her disciplined training under gurus Vaigal Gnana Skandan and Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan has shaped her talent and art considerably. Her fluent voice with a good range traverses the octaves with ease, and her commendable grip on laya should help her to make further successful progress.

Andal’s ‘Margazhi Thingal’ in Nattai gives a rousing start to the programme, while Thondaradipodi Azhwar’s ‘Kudadhisai Mudiyai’ sung as a viruttam in Kanada merits appreciation.

Margadarshi Sesha Iyengar’s ‘Rangapathe’ in Sanskrit, also wearing a Kanada outfit are perspicuous expressions of positive musical discernment. A ragamalika of verses from Kulasekhara Azhwar’s ‘Mukundamala’ in the mode of viruttam in Khambodi, Ananda Bhairavi, Ragavardhani, Behag and Brindavani rendered mellifluously with high involvement levels, are pointers to an artiste who has the wherewithal to raise her performance quotient to higher rungs. ‘Yaro Ivar Yaro’ of Arunachala Kavi is sung in Bhairavi in the contemporary scenario, but has been rendered in Saveri many decades ago. Gayatri has preferred the Saveri version and presents it with aplomb.

Adi Sankara’s Bhujangaprayaatha Stotram adorned by ragas Pantuvarali, Saramati, Gavati, Kalyana Vasantam and Revati among others and the finishing suratti for the Phala sthuthi with a praiseworthy emotional thrust, bears repeated listening. Narayana Tirtha’s ‘Alokaye Sri Balakrishnam’ that has been tuned in different ragas by musicians, is sung in Charukesi by Gayatri. ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam,’ so liltingly tuned in classical ragas by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer has a neat, tidy finish. Ambujam Krishna’s ‘Dasavataara Mangalam’ in Saurashtram set to misra chapu talam stamps the seal on a rewarding programme of aural enjoyment and devotional overtones.

S.P.

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