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The three-day music festival in Mangalore left the audience spellbound
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Three well-known vocalists and an upcoming singer had the connoisseurs of Carnatic music spellbound by the depth of their performance at the three-day Sangeethothsava here last weekend.
Organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in association with Sangeet Parishat and Mangalore University, the festival saw T.M. Krishna of Chennai at one of his best.
He achieved a unique harmony with his accompanying artistes – Mullai Vasal G. Chandramouli on the violin, K. Arunprakash on the mridanga and N. Guruprasad on the ghata. The main piece in the raga Kambhoji with the composition “O ranga saaayi…” of Thyagaraja took the audience to a meditative height. He also gave some rare ragas Dhenuka and Vivardhini. The audience appreciated his presentation of Kanakadasa’s “Daasarendre Purandara…” He presented his own composition “Sharada Karunanidhi…” in Hamir Kalyani. The performance by Prince Rama Varma was marked by the way he found time to chat with the audience now and then. Particularly impressive was the way he explained the meaning of the composition “Sri Rama naamam maruva maruva…” of Bhadrachala Ramadasa before rendering it. That helped the audience enjoy it better.
He presented the thillana composed by his Guru Balamuralikrishna in the raga Kuntalavarali with great ease and élan. His concert was greatly aided by accompanying artistes, particular Praveen on the mridanga.
The singer was greatly appreciative of the accompanying artistes. At one point of time he asked the audience whether anyone had heard of Kaivara Amaranarayna. When hardly anyone raised their hand, he informed that the composer was from a place near Mysore. He said all the compositions of Kaivara were dear to him but regretted that they were not popular. The singer presented his “Krishna enu…” He said he had been coming to Kollur Mookambika temple for the last 35 years to recharge “my batteries” but was singing here for the first time. Organisers assured to bring him back to the stage again and again.
Vocalist Nityasree Mahadevan enthralled the audience with the creativity of kalpana swaras in the raga Panthuvarali.
Beginning the raga with an animated 15-minute alaap, the singer took the krithi “Ramanathaam Bhaje Ham…” to a crescendo with her creative and imaginative improvisations in the kalapana swaras. Her Purandara Dasa kirtana “Satyavantarigidu Kalavalla…” in the raga Bhairavi was enjoyable and many in the audience could not help hum along with her. Young and confident singer Meghana Murthy showed why she could not be taken lightly. Her performance was marked by depth and maturity that is difficult to achieve at her age.
Other artistes who performed in the Sangeethothsava were Archana Priyadashini, Sankari Krishnan and Srinath Marathe (all vocal) and Venugopal Shanubhogue (violin).
GOVIND BELGAONKAR
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
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