Perfect foil for each other
G. SWAMINATHAN
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With voices that blended easily Shashikiran and Ganesh offered value-based music.
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Photo: Shaju John.
EFFECTIVE USE OF THE STRONG AND THE LIGHT: Shashikiran and Ganesh. Photo: Shaju John.
Practice has mellowed the voices of Shashikiran and Ganesh. They have understood the effective use of strong and light phrases.
Both are endowed with pleasant voices that blend easily — with Ganesh strong in upper registers and Shashikiran in the mantra sthayee. These changes have added value to their music.
The highlight of their morning concert was a competent Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Shanmukhapriya. Ragam as well as tanam were executed by Shashikiran. The alapana was replete with kaarvai, brikhas and akaras.
The pauses between the phrases were neatly provided to elevate the overall impact. The pallavi "Un Darisanam Kidaikkumo Dhayanidhi Saravana Bhava Guhane" was set in kandajathi triputa talam, two kalai with half eduppu.
All the technical aspects of pallavi-singing were addressed with meticulously compiled swaras by both Shashikiran and Ganesh.
Senior violinist M.S. Anantharaman played for this young duo showing innumerable subtleties in raga and swaras. Young Rohan Krishnamurthy (U.S.) played on the mridangam with good grasp.
Vocalist Gayathri Girish's concerts bear the fruits of dedication and distinct approach. The Bharat Kalachar concert was no exception. Suruti varnam opened her recital (was it necessary to append it with a mile-long swara baggage?). If it is Karna Ranjani it has to be "Vanchathonuna" of Muthaiah Bhagavatar. Gayathri expounded Karna Ranjani in a succinct but well-rounded format. The ragam chosen for expansive treatment was Sankarabharanam. Gayathri took enough care to give the best of the raga with her expertise in vocal articulation. The kriti too was a weighty one — "Akshaya Linga Vibo" with the customary neraval and swaras at "Badari Vana Moola." With the popular phrase of `ga ma pa ma ga ri ga sa ri ga' as anchor, Gayathri went on a long but delectable spree of kalpanaswaras. Earlier she established her combination skill in swaras through the package she offered for the Denuka kriti "Telialeru Rama."
Mysore Srikanth followed the path treaded by Gayathri on the violin. His expressions were just adequate. Poongulam Subramanian (mridangam) and S. Karthick (ghatam) made their presence felt with a long catchy korvai at the end of each kriti and also a tani of brilliant percussion blaze.
What if Jayalakshmi Santhanam is a senior citizen? She sang with the enthusiasm of a youngster. Her voice might dither, but not her vocal range and rendition. A majestic Pantuvarali varnam flagged off her recital.
One might have wondered why Jayalakshmi was stepping up kritis without recourse to alapana and swaras. What was the need to add extra glitz to bright Saraswati ("Saraswati Namosthuthe") or luxury to the quintessential Devagandhari ("Ksheera Sagara Sayana")? Later, Jayalakshmi expanded Simhendramadyamam giving it all her experience in right measure for "Ninne Nammidhi Nayya." Her neraval and swaras at "Pannakendra Sayana" travelled on the traditional highway without over-speeding.
Shertalai Sivakumar never tried to outsmart the senior vocalist at any point and followed her reverentially. So did percussionists Nellai A. Balaji and Rajaram.
P. V. Parameswaran used his malleable voice to create a sense of light music. Even a giant like Kalyani ("Vasudevayani") sounded weightless; lighter ragas like Hamsanadam ("Bantureeti") and Niroshta ("Raja Raja Rajithe") just floated in the air. Jayanthi Keshav and Thillaisthanam Suryanarayanan were his partners on the violin and the mridangam.
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