Keeping up the momentum
SVK
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The Hyderabad Sisters were exuberant and the pace never slackened.
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DIGNIFIED: Lalitha and Haripriya, Charumathi Raghuraman, Sriram Parthasarathy. Photos: V. Ramamurthi
The Hyderabad Sisters (Lalita and Haripriya) brimmed with exuberance keeping the momentum going from the start with the Gambira Nattai kirtana, `Sri Jaalandara.' The way they rendered raga Kiravani, sharing the sancharas between them, was an emphatic assertion of their objective — not to slacken pace. This was evident in the kirtana `Kaligiyuntegada' as well, which drew a favourable response from the listeners. Their technique was marked by dignity. The two earlier kirtanas — `Abhayambikaya' (Kedaragowla) and `Emanine' (Mukhari) — with their heightened resonance were a product of intense musical motivation.
The performance was enhanced largely by the contribution of the young violin accompanist Charumati Raghuraman. Her exposition was remarkable for the ease with which it reached classical heights. She has a sound instinct for music and a melodic expressiveness to match. For one so young, the raga picture of Kiravani revealed deep sensitivity and commitment to the rakti aspect. Charumati breathed charm into her raga development with sancharas that sparkled with brilliance. This part of the concert — her solo version — reflected her mastery over bowing, and had poise, grace, and elegance.
The heart-warming feature of Melakkaveri Balaji's mridangam play was the unusual gentleness in the manipulation of pervasive patterns, both during accompaniment and later in his brief tani with Adambakkam Sankar. The quiet tone of all those on the dais was a welcome experience.
Today's music scene presents new images, new realities. A good voice used mechanically and relentlessly can never be graceful. Sankaran Namboodiri's kutcheri was routine and refinement of expression did not seem to be a priority. His singing hardly reflected the relationship between voice and values.
The way he developed Kalyani (`Needu-Charana-Pankaja') lacked beauty and the sancharas breached the limits of sensitivity. What is music without gracious exposition? Even the beautiful Atana kirtana ``Bala Kanakamaya" descended to the narrative. In Sankaran Namboodiri's formula-ridden technique, delicacy was lost. In contrast, V. Sanjeev, violin accompanist, presented his solo version of Kalyani with lucidity and subtle variations in sancharas inviting rapt attention. B. Sundar Kumar on the mridangam provided tame support.
The accent today among youngsters is more on musical appearance than on depth. This was reinforced by the interpretative method adopted by Sriram Parthasarathy in building up alapanas and tackling kirtanas.
This epitomised his ideal and the inspiration he drew from it. There was a touch of coquettish swing in the alapanas of Kalyani (`Esa-Pahi-Maam') and Kambodi (`Sri Subramanyaya'). Artistry at his hands became calculative, demonstrative and intellectualised.
Sriram presented a hide-and-seek picture of Sucharithra in `Maravakave-Maanasa,' a new composition, with his unusual creative impulses. Hearing his concert was like a voyage of discovery, not of the strand of classicism, but of new singing techniques. The implication is obvious — new waves of change are transforming the way Carnatic music is sung and appreciated.
The vocalist's style did not suit either accompanist — violinist R. Satish Kumar and mridangist Delhi Sayeeram.
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