Friday Review
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Intelligent, bhava intact
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VOCAL Nandini plays to her strengths – a facile voice and an instinctive feel for the higher values of classicism. LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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Photo: B.Jothi Ramalingam
K.P.Nandini.
Mother Uma and aunt Geetha, performing together as the Mayavaram sisters are familiar names in the kutcheri circuit. With music running in the family, it is small wonder that K.P.Nandini has blossomed into a fine young artist, who is not only an acco
mplished violinist but also a talented vocalist. The commitment shows. In her vocal recital for Naada Inbam, the artist’s presentation testified to an intelligent approach without compromise on bhava. A concise sketch of Sriranjani and smooth-flowing sarvalaghu kalpanaswara patterns with simple kanakkus formed an effective frame for Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Gajavadana.’ Another Dikshitar kriti, the seldom aired ‘Sarasadalanayana’ (Khamas) was a stand alone piece that came as a value addition.
Although Thodi was the main raga, it was a Ranjani suffused with the glow of creative insight and underlined by the conviction that comes from thorough identification with raga swaroopa that stole the show. A delicate touch here, an unexpected twist there, all contributed to a riveting delineation that swept over a range encompassing the mandra sthayi madhyama and tara sthayi rishabha.
Grammatically sound kalpanaswaras in two speeds, achieving a fine balance of aesthetics and proportion, graced the line ‘Palukupoti’ in Tyagaraja’s ‘Durmarga Charadhamulanu.’ The niraval-swara exchanges at ‘Agamamula’ in’ Tyagaraja’s ‘Siva Siva Siva Yenaradha” sparkled.
The Tamil composition ‘Dhayavu Seiyya’ in Surati provided the contrast factor before the Thodi exposition, distinguished by purposeful phrasing, laced with clarity and strength. In Tyagaraja‘s ‘Neevanti Dhaivamunu,’ the extensive niraval explored a gamut of madhya and tara sthayi possibilities while kizhkala and melkala kalpanaswaras offered interesting variations. Every generation must make its discoveries just as every artist’s unique sensibilities must evolve through these discoveries. Nandini plays to her strengths – a facile voice and an instinctive feel for the higher values of classicism, through a style that involves a faster than average delivery of sancharas in raga delineation, the pace reflecting a raring-to-go energy and dynamism. However, one of the fallouts is that this pace offers the vocalist little opportunity to seek out and dwell in purity of tone and significance of pause, which could translate, with time, into more karvais and a more leisurely exploration evoking serenity.Fingers flying over strings with insouciant grace, M. Rajeev’s seemingly effortless sancharas and sallies emerged with lucidity and logic. Add to that a quick-on-the-uptake ability to take on kalpanaswara challenges and you have a talented young violinist whose progress is worth mapping.Nellai Balaji’s never intrusive, ever supportive mridangam accompaniment gave a consistent boost to voice and strings.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
