Uncompromisingly classical
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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Majestic Gowlai, evocative Bowli, soothing Sama... it was vintage stuff that Kanyakumari and Embar Kannan offered.
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EVOCATIVE RENDITION: Kanyakumari Photos : V. Ramamurthi
Violinist Kanyakumari is a senior artiste whose music is a repository of the formidable experience gained from her long-time association with doyenne M.L. Vasanthakumari and her own achievements as a solo artiste.
She was ably accompanied by her disciple, Embar Kannan. The majestic gait of Muthuswami's Dikshitar's ``Sri Maha Ganapathy" (Misra chapu) in Gowlai welcomed those hardy souls who had braved the rain to attend the concert.
Powerful strokes shaped the charanam, showcasing the stateliness of the kriti, kalpanaswaras with varied poruthams gracing the line ``Prakaashakaro."
The uncompromisingly classical strains of Harikambodi filled the hall along with the Tyagaraja kriti ``Dinamanivamsa."
Embar Kannan.
``Sriman Narayana" in Bowli was an evocative rendition followed by Tyagaraja's ``Vararaagalaya" (Senjukambodi) which provided a contrast in mood and tempo.
The innate calming quality of Sama raga, akin to a soothing touch on a fevered brow, shone through in Tyagaraja's "Shantamu Lekha Sowkhyamu Ledhu," where the saint-poet emphasises that even for the most exalted personage there can be no happiness without inner peace.
Kiravani, the main piece, could not be faulted in form or content, although one missed the more subtle hues that a deeper exploration would have yielded. Tyagaraja's ``Kaligiyunte" was followed up with neraval and swaraprasthara, the latter underlining Kanyakumari's yen for catchy kanakkus.
The concert benefited from the benign and reassuring support of Vellore Ramabhadran on the mridangam and Mayavaram G. Somasundaram on the kanjira who kept their tani short and crisp.
It is always a pleasure to anticipate the tukkadas in a Kanyakumari concert as one never knows what gems will emerge from the treasure trove of MLV favourites.
And emerge they did, with ``Muralidhara gopala" (Maand) and the beautifully-tuned ragamalika, ``Yaadavaraaya."
Other items included ``Parulanna" in Kapi and the joyously effervescent tillana in Desh composed by Lalgudi G. Jayaraman.
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