Sung with poise
PVK
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The twin-CD pack has Parassala Ponnammal’s mellifluous renditions.
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PRERANA
Parassala Ponnammal
Swathi Soft Solutions
Price: Rs. 250.
Parassala Ponnammal, vidushi who is well into her eighties, has been recently creating waves in the Tamil Nadu concert circle. She is a disciple of stalwarts such as Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bagavathar and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. Ponnammal’s twin compact disc album has the vocalist in the company of Lalgudi Vijayalaksmi (violin) and Nanjil Arul (mridangam).
The selection includes songs that were popular a few decades back as well as a couple of rare compositions. ‘Dayapayonidhe’ in Jaganmohini (Meesu Krishna Iyer) is the chosen number for a bright opening.
The singer ensures that she reaches her destination perfectly every time the kakali nishadam is approached from the panchama note. That is reflective of her commitment towards swarasthana suddham. A brief alapana of Begada is satisfying. ‘Vande Deva,’ one of the navavidha bhakti kritis of the royal composer Swati Tirunal, representing ‘Vandanam’ is sung at a brisk pace followed by a few avarthas of solfa passages sung at the beginning of the charanam ‘Pavanasana.’
‘Bhavaye’ in Sriranjani (Swati Tirunal) is a creation that is not frequently heard and is refreshing. A kriti in Mohanam (‘Paripahi,’ again by Swati Tirunal) follows suit. The major number in the first disc is the monumental ‘Maanasa Guruguha’ of Muthuswamy Dikshitar in Anandabhairavi.
Ponnammal’s vinyasa of the melody is a meaningful essay. She does not overdo the alapana. The second disc opens with a rarely heard kriti of Muthaiah Bagavathar, ‘Manthrineem’ in Hemavathi. The alapana, kriti, chittaswaram and the kalpanaswara passages are fair efforts. A painstaking alapana of Saveri (‘Anjaneya,’ composed by Swati Tirunal) is the main raga offered.
Balanced accompaniment
Nanjil Arul’s mridangam accompaniment is very balanced throughout this recording. He matches the pace of the vocalist and his playing blends with the music of the singer. ‘Neeke Daya’ (Neelambari, Tyagaraja) is a soulful rendering towards the close of this recording. A rather flat rendering of a Sindubhairavi song (Athatha Dani) and a Saurashtram number (‘Sarasijanaba’) are the other Swati Tirunal compositions vocalised. The vishranti, poise and calm which can be experienced while listening to D.K. Pattammal can also be savoured in the music of Ponnammal.
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