Vibrant in contrasting moods
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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There was something for everybody in the concert of K.J. Yesudas.
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VINTAGE STUFF: Yesudas. Photo: R. Ragu.
K.J. Yesudas was at his 1970s best in his kutcheri for a packed house. Quite a stupendous effort from the 65-year-old who suffered a bereavement in the demise of his mentor days before the rescheduled recital.
The appeal of the gayaka's resonant voice cut through India's linguistic, community and regional boundaries in a sensational manner in the 1970s. An important by-product of this mass appeal was the blurring of the watertight compartments.
There was something in the Music Academy recital to take home for everybody — the connoisseur, the cognoscenti, the rasika and the ubiquitous fan. The performance gathered momentum when Yesudas began singing one of his earliest signature songs, "Pavanaguru Pavanapura."
Thereafter, he drew inspiration mainly from Tyagaraja to portray contrasting moods.
Among the composer's kritis was the lively melody "Sripate Neepada Chintane Jeevanamu" in ragam Nagaswaravali. Imparting a serious mood was "Prananadhabiranabrovave," in Soolini, 35th melakarta ragam.
Yesudas followed this with "Manavinivinuma Maravasamayama," a lilting number in Jeyanarayani.
The vintage Yesudas voice, always vibrant and at times virulent, was all-too evident in the main piece of the evening — ragam Panthuvarali.
Yesudas' energetic exposition of the alapana with brisk sancharas in the three octaves had a majestic quality to it.
It also had a sound lesson for the younger generation of classical musicians who often choose to play it safe.
None could have failed to notice shades of Yesudas' guru, the redoubtable Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, in the presentation of Tyagaraja's "Raghuvara Nannu Marava Taguna?" with the embellishments of a neraval and kalpanaswaram. This wasn't all. An ardent Ayyappa devotee waiting to hear ``Harivarasanam" live wasn't disappointed.
A country-cousin, tracking the career of his childhood hero, was enthralled with the Christian number "Teninimayilum Yesuvin Namam Divyamadhuramame." A song from his sojourns in the Middle East, which Yesudas tuned to ragam Ananda Bhairavi "Salatulla Salamulla Anaa Yaseen Habeebulla" was another number that added to the rich variety of the performance.
It was perhaps not her day, even though there was great variety in Bombay Jayashree Ramnath's performance in terms of ragas and compositions. Her mainstay was the Trinity and she began to pack the kritis with punch and passion only somewhere midway.
Fortunately she never looked back after Dikshitar's Hindola Vasantham kriti, "Santhana Ramaswaminam." The first section had "Thera Tiyyagarada" in Gowlipanthu and Dikshitar's "Aanandanatanaprakasam" in Kedaram.
After an alapana in Darbar, she presented "Rama Lopamela Nannurakshinchubatla." There was more resonance, volume and feeling in Jayashree's ragam thanam pallavi in Nattakkurinji.
The sancharas flowed smooth, fast and clear in the two sections of raga alapana.
And the whole experience of listening seemed more purposeful. "Srilalithe Mampahi Sive, Pathithapavani Papasamani," gave a devotional touch.
Again, the ragamalika was a well-conceived exercise in which Jayashree devoted ample time to convey the flavour of different ragas. Among the lighter melodies, "Thiruppati Malaimele Irukkindra Perumale," was enjoyable.
B.U. Ganeshprasad (violin), Manoj Siva (mridangam) and Trivandrum Rajagopal (kanjira) gave a delectable melodic and percussion support.
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