An ode to light
ANANDI ROY
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Madhurya in Paris celebrated Deepavali and Tyagaraja with chaste music.
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RHAPSODY IN PARIS: Suguna Purushotaman.
The Tyagaraja Festival was organised for the eighth consecutive year in Paris by Madhurya, a non-profit making association set up to promote Carnatic music in France in 2001. Its key event is the Tyagaraja Festival, held over a weekend in October. This year, the day coincided with Deepavali. The theme chosen was therefore “light” and the mood was joyous as the 18 artists were welcomed into the country a few days before the festival.
The entrance hall was decorated by S. Rajam’s paintings of the vaggeyekaras. The festival focussed on the light and luminosity that music sheds on us.
Appreciative audience
Some special characteristics of the audience and the festival need to be mentioned.
In Paris, unlike most other cities where Tyagaraja festival is conducted, the public is predominantly western consisting of people for whom this system of music still remains foreign. Over 300 people came to listen to the music, fully appreciative of the spiritual joy and serenity that it brings us.
This festival is unique, being the single annual event during which several hours of Carnatic music may be listened to live. The organisers and the artistes had decided that the compositions chosen need not necessarily be Swamy Tyagaraja’s.
Hence the public had the opportunity to listen to the songs of various composers, from Purandara Dasa and Kshetragna to Gopalakrishna Bharati and Papanasam Sivan.
Saturday’s programme started with a violin duo, Viji and Sriram Krishnan enchanted the audience with their virtuosity and their exuberance, their complicity adding to the charm of their programme. Their programme remained stoically Tyagaraja.
Rich vocals
Mythili Prakash.
This was followed by Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma’s vocal concert. He sang a moving ‘Bale Balendu’ (Ritigowla), his rich and powerful voice imploring and full of emotional resonances. As for many others, this was his very first concert in Paris and he was determined to give the city of lights and it public everything that he possessed in his luminous voice. He fulfilled this promise.
Saturday’s programme ended with a dance programme by Mythili Prakash and her musicians. Mythili started with ‘Nada Tanumanisam,’ paying homage to Tyagaraja and the sapta swaras, then went on to illustrate Krishna’s greatness and nobility of soul in Krishnaarpanam.
Suguna Purushotaman’s concert on Sunday afternoon was sheer bliss, her emotion-filled voice expressing pure bhava. Her introductory song was Sudha Madhurya bhashana (sinduramakriya), sung at the request of the organisers for the evocation of Madhurya.
At the special request of the organisers, she demonstrated for the Paris audience a dwitala avadhana, adi tala in misra nadai with her right hand and khanda jati ada tala in chatusra nadai with her left hand.
The applause and standing ovation that she had spoke for the magic of her concert, was it possible that this so gentle being could give so much, could carry all she knew?
Suguna created the mood and the serenity for the enjoyment of the final concert. Maestro T.N. Krishnan and his children Viji and Sriram took the stage for the last two hours.
They started with an elaborate Nalinakanti raga, exploring the various passages, unknown corners, creating the territory, giving sense and beauty with every note, with every single touch.
Then came the much sought after Saramati, the audience had longed for it, TN Krishnan gave it to us, once again lovingly, full of tenderness, full of the bliss and joy so much a part of his music.
Magical moments
Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma.
His violin spoke the words of the kriti, “Is bliss attainable by one who has not experienced the profound ecstasy of devotional music ?” The atmosphere created was rarefied, the audience electrified, silence and music, magical partners.
Then, as if to remind us of our earthly existence, he played Raguvamsasudha (kadanakudukalam). This was followed by a true gem, an alapana in Kiravani.
The concert ended appropriately with Sindubhairavi and Swati Tirunal’s ‘Vishweshwara,’ a prayer to the mind to be in communion with the Lord.
For the time of a weekend, in Paris, the city of lights, we had the privilege of being with some of South India’s most distinguished personalities, to drink in and relish their music and to celebrate Deepavali together.
The public’s reaction, the numerous messages received is proof of the grace and splendour of our musical system.
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