Off the beaten track
ARUNA CHANDARAJU
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Rupa Sridhar has been quietly doing her bit for music. She recently released a CD, Vaanyai Tubhyam Namaha
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Photo: Murali Kumar K.
ENLIGHTENING The renowned M.L. Vasantha Kumari, who was Rupa’s teacher, gave her a new insight and approach to ragas
A relatively unknown vocalist rendering infrequently heard compositions –– the curiosity factor evoked by the CD “Vaanyai Tubhyam Namaha” is high. And once you have heard this four-piece record by vocalist Rupa Sridhar, the satisfaction quotient is much higher.
This is the first exclusive record from Rupa, who runs the Ranjani Institute of Music in Malleshwaram. She had her initial training under her mother Jayalakshmi Krishnaswamy (a student of Bagalur Krishnamurthy) and father G. Krishnaswamy, a violinist.
Rupa later came under Anoor S. Ramakrishna’s tutelage. She obtained an M.A. in Music from Bangalore University with a gold medal and a State award. She was performing regularly on stage, radio and TV, and working as UGC Research Fellow when she was invited to be Visiting Professor in Musicology at Rishi Valley School where M.L. Vasanthakumari was then resident musician. “I learnt not only countless kritis from MLV who took me under her wing, but also a whole new insight and approach to ragas, besides the know-how for effective concert-presentation,” reveals Rupa.
Currently, Rupa performs regularly and teaches advanced-level students (seven are on the concert-stage). She is also involved in the propagation of Annamacharya Sankeerthanas under the guidance of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Nedunuri Krishnamurthy.
In this CD, accompanied vocally by her daughter-student M.A. Madhuvanthi, Vidushi Rupa takes the listener through a varna, two krithis and a devaranama. The renditions are all mellifluous and (largely) gentle-paced and exhibit a firm grip on raga and taala; and a laudable attention to bhaava or mood. The enunciation of phrases show complete clarity. The instrumentalists don’t overwhelm the singer, preferring to play a supportive follow-the-leader role during their accompaniment and coming into their own during the brief but sparkling alapanas and tani-avarthanams. But then Rupa has equally competent accompanists –– Vidushi Charulatha Ramanujam on violin, Vidwan Anoor Dattatreya Sharma for mridangam-play and Vidwan Somashekar on ghatam.
The opening piece is “Chalamu Jesedi”, an atta thala varnam by Ponnaiah Pillai in Kamavardhini. This composition is known for its beautiful yetthugada swaras and for bringing out a very different and interesting facet of this melakartha raga. An attathala varna is always more challenging than the usual rhythm cycles and also this entire varna is quite an intellectual exercise. Rupa’s rendition rises to these challenges and is smooth, fluid and enjoyable. Mysore Vasudevacharya’s krithi “Pranamamyaham Sri Saraswatheem”, in Bilahari raga and tishra triputa thala follows. It is another rarely heard composition, and sounds rich in bhakti rasa and has a gentle-tempo.
Rupa explains that she deliberately chose items not regularly featured on stage or in records as she wanted to move off the beaten track and offer listeners some novelty in their listening experience. Also, she feels there are many exquisite, but little-known compositions which deserve to be showcased more often. This explains the choice of the next piece –– Thyagaraja’s “Paramathmudu Velige” in Vaagadheeshwari where both the lyric and melody are infrequently heard. This neat and melodious rendition illustrates Rupa’s high calibre as a vocalist since the vivadhitwa of Vaagadheeshwari makes it a difficult raga to handle especially in the neraval which can be challenging.
The conclusion is with another, rather unknown piece by Madhwesha Dasa. This devarnama, “Baaro Namma Manege” in Ragamalika employs Yaman, Karnataka Sohani, Kanada and Hindolam. Rupa took this composition tuned by her mother’s friend and embellished it with her own sangathis and the end-result is fairly satisfying.
For copies, contact Rupa Sridhar at 2331 2231, or 97411 90832
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