Different moods, different strokes
G. SWAMINATHAN
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Musicians swung from melody to exuberance at the three-day festival organised by Tattvaloka and Kalalaya, U.S.
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Photos: R. Ragu and R. Shivaji Rao.
CREATIVITY UNLEASHED: T. M. Krishna.
Tattvaloka's Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirta Memorial Hall is a new, cool auditorium with an aesthetic interior. T.M.Krishna gave the inaugural concert of the three-day music programme, `Kaatriniley Varum Geetham' organised by Tattvaloka and Kalalaya of the U.S.Krishna's opening number was the famous "Viriboni" varnam in Bhairavi, in two speeds. "Veena Pustakadhari" (Vegavahini) by Dikshitar was deliberately slow, preparing the ground for "Karunayela Kande" (Varali) by Tyagaraja. Then, there came a leisurely alapana of Devagandhari and ``Sarade Veena Vadana Visharade" by Sivan. The flashy Kuntalavarali song, ``Tunga Tharange Range," added pep to the proceedings again. It was time for to settle for Todi as the main item.
Krishna's singing is fanciful. Even as one is enjoying his impeccable sruti aligned repose, he abruptly swings to the clamorous akaras. The soft contours suddenly turn wild. Thus Todi was melody and noise in turn.
Syama Sastri's "Ninne Nammi" was sung with emotional fervour, including the neraval at "Kanja Dalaya Dakshi Kamakshi." Here too, at one point, devotion turned into glitzy demonstration. The swara korvais landed on shadjam. Though loud, one has to give credit to Krishna for his smart and complex permutation skill with the swaras.
R.K.Sriramkumar matched the vocalist with fire and ice. Manoj Siva (mridangam) and B.S.Purushotham (kanjira) receded to the background in the contest between Krishna and Sriramkumar.
Professional poise
Sudha Raghunathan's concerts are planned with professional poise and appealing flavour. She never goes for songs that tax the audience psyche but takes special care to choose the popular and catchy compositions.
Further, Sudha has the uncanny knack of making even a dull number dazzle with her dainty presentation.
Even the primary lesson varnam like "Sami Ninne" in Sankarabharanam, therefore, gave a push to her concert. The Nattai kriti of Purandaradasa, "Vandisuvarialli Gana Nathane'' and the dazzle of swaras made one sit up in anticipation.
Sudha Raghunathan.
Another bundle of radiant kalpnaswaras came with "Meppulakai Kanathanvu" in "Rama Nannu Brovara" (Harikambodi).
Sudha deployed her computational competence in all her kalpanaswara exercises. Apart from the earlier ones, those that followed — "Varshaya Varshaya" in `Anandamrithakarshini' (Amrithavarshini) and "Kamalaja Manohara" with dhaivatam of varying magnitude as anchor in "Srinivasa Tava" (Kharaharapriya) — were testimony to this.
Nevertheless, one cannot but feel that Sudha could employ her discretion in structuring her raga exposition. While her spree of swirling brigas could add extra charm to a raga like Amritavarshini, the same could not offer weight or value to Kharaharapriya. The few flashes of unusual comprehensive sancharas were the only satisfying feature of the otherwise fast but airy raga exposition.
Pakkala Ramadas extended the desired support almost in the same style of Sudha. Neyveli Skandasubramaniam's properly framed percussion beats with Raman on the morsing was another attraction of this lively concert.
Innovative item
Ganesh-Kumaresh.
Violin duo Ganesh and Kumaresh have made it a point to include their innovative item, `Raga Pravaham,' in their concerts. In this exclusive exercise, the brothers select a classical Carnatic raga, and using their ingenuity, project it in a totally different shade and genre, which almost resembles the western classical. The notes go flat and fast and the speciality of Carnatic `gamakam' is set aside. The importance here is for harmony and rhythm. Janaranjani was presented in this fashion at the Tattvaloka-Kalalaya concert, much to the awe and delight of the audience.
The siblings' control over the instrument is incredible. If the traditionally composed gana-ragamalika varnam by Kumaresh, the rollicking swaras of "Gam Ganapathey" in Hamsadhwani and the brisk "Entha Vedukondu" in Saraswathimanohari put the rasikas in a merry mood, "Mokshamu Galatha" in Saramati dripped with emotion. A concise Kalyani alapana by Kumaresh was followed by Ganesh's vocal rendition of "Talli Ninnu Nera." The main piece was a Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Kapi. Ganesh in the alapana touched the astounding exotic phrases of Kapi, but should he have extended the exercise to the point of making it extravagant? The tanam-pallavi in Adi talam and the kalpanaswaras in ragamalika moved on similar lines of razzmatazz.
In such concerts, the percussionists are bound to have a field day. Patri Satish on the mridangam and Tiruchi Murali on the ghatam never missed an opportunity, and also staged a complete tani avartanam.
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