NUNGAMBAKKAM CULTURAL ACADEMY
Deep, reflective phrases
K.J.Yesudas.
Plato wrote two sets of works — one in pure technical language for his students, the other, a popular dialogue for the layman. Yesudas seems to have taken the cue from the master. His concert was an act of positive inspiration — for himself and his admirers, devoted to his music.
The stage itself had to be opened up to accommodate the rasikas pouring in. He sang `Guruvina Ghulama' (Hamsanandhi-Purandara Dasa), which means that unless one is an `egoless servant' of his guru, nothing is achievable. He also presented an alapana of Kunjari for `Abhimanamennadu' (Tyagaraja). His other songs were `Bagayyanayya' (Chandrajyothi -Tyagaraja) and `Marukelara' (Jayanthasri - Tyagaraja). There was a slight cinematic slant to `Marukelara.'
Yesudas's main number was (`Yadhukulathilaka' - Garbapurivasar) in Chakravakam. The alapana had deep reflective phrases — the hallmark of his musical attainment. He is the unassailable king of melody but one was left wondering why he was bent upon releasing swaras in a flurry every now and then. The post-thani involved participation from the audience, with the songs `Kandhan Madhura' (similar to `Kandhan Karunai Puriyum Vadivel' of Madurai Mani Iyer), `Narayanathe Namo Namo' (Naryana Tirtha) and many other numbers of the same ilk.
Technology was put to its ultimate use. All the songs were on display in the `scrollable notebook' placed before him and there was also a battery of speakers, a dozen actually, in the hall — all for a more dependable and robust dispensation of music. Mahadeva Sharma, on the violin, had an accompanying style that strictly met the requirements of the main artiste with a persuasive tonal quality. K.V.Prasad (mridangam) and Tripunithura Radhakrishnan (ghatam) accompanied gently but their thani tended to be noisy, at least for a while.
S. SIVAKUMAR
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