A family affair
M. RAMESHM. RAMESH
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Trichur Ramachandran's Panthuvarali was enchanting, but after that the concert lost is appeal.
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Photo: K.N.Muralidharan.
Trichur Ramachandran.
Trichur Ramachandran's concert for the Narada Gana Sabha was a family affair, where his wife Charumathi and daughter Subhashree purloined most of the given time. In the periods where Ramachandran sang, the difference in class between him and the other two was starkly evident.
The resonant metallic twang of his voice was absent, instead, it was muffled as though he was singing through a pillow. Yet, his singing had an appeal that was lesser in other two.
But one must excuse Ramachandran because he was actually standing in for Sowmya, who reportedly cancelled her programme due to sore throat. Early on, Ramachandran sang a short and sweet alapana of Panthuvarali. Bhadrachala Ramadas' `Ennaganu Rama Bhajana' followed with crisp niraval and swaras at `Rama Rama', instead of the traditional point of `Rama Chiluka.'
The Panthuvarali was enchanting, but after that the concert lost is appeal.
As Ramachandran joined in Subhashree's Hindolam alapana, it mutated into a line-by-line duet between father and daughter, sounding like a teaching session. `Sama Gana Lole' (not Sivan's `Sama Gana Lolanae') was the song chosen.
Charumathi's Mohanam alapana was good, but Tyagaraja's `Nanu Palimpa' that followed served only to invoke pleasant memories of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer and Balamuralikrishna.
The concert regained some charm when Subhashri sang a neat Abheri alapana, followed by `Bhajare Re Manasa.'
All through the concert, violinist Embar Kannan gave an impression that he was playing below his calibre. Neyveli Narayanan (mridangam) and E.M. Subramanian (ghatam) did their best to nourish the concert.
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