Listeners in the Capital experienced delightful Carnatic music concerts recently. Chennai-based Sumithra Vasudev’s appealing vocal concert was organised by Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha at New Delhi’s India International Centre. She started with a neat varnam in raga Nayaki, then took up Papanasam Sivan’s “Ksheera sagara sayee” in Poorvikalyani for a detailed rendition. The raga alapana, neraval and kalpana swaras revealed the vocalist’s depth. Muttuswami Dikshitar’s slow tempo “Jambupate” in raga Yamuna Kalyani was another aesthetic presentation.
Sumithra’s central item was Shyama Sastri’s “Meena lochana brova” in Dhanyasi, a raga that seldom gets the detailed presentation it deserves. Sumithra sang an excellent alapana, took up niraval in the charanam and presented kalpana swaras that flowed richly.
Later she sang ragamalika virutams in Kambhoji, Keeravani and Sindhu Bhairavi with excellent Sanskrit diction, before presenting “Bhajare Sri Ramam”. Sumithra concluded with “Dharmasamvardhini” in raga Madhyamavati.
Delhi R. Sridhar on the violin and Kumbakonam N. Padmanabhan on the mridangam provided good support. Sridhar played a delightful Poorvikalyani, while Padmanabhan played an engaging tani avartanam.
At Lok Kala Manch, Ramakrishnapuram South Indian Society presented Jyothi Sridevi, a vocalist with excellent diction. Jyothi’s invocation was Dikshitar’s “Vallaba Nayakasya” in raga Begada. The kalpana swaras at that early stage of the concert were delightful. Tyagaraja’s rarely heard “Panipatisayi” in raga Jhankaradwani , was well handled. Tyagaraja’s “Vadera Deivamu” in raga Pantuvarali and Periyasami Thooran’s “Muruga Muruga” in Saveri came in for detailed rendition. Her alapanas brought out the features of the ragas. Neraval and kalpana swaras were creatively handled.
Young Raghavendra Prasaath on the violin provided very good support. His Pantuvarali and Saveri were delightful. Kumbakonam Padmanabhan provided appropriate mridangam support and also played an enjoyable tani avartanam.
To mark the golden jubilee of their “Saint Arunagirinathar Ninaivu Vizha” and the “Padi Vizha”, the Thiruppugazh Anbargal conducted a two-day event this past weekend at the famous Malai Mandir. On the first day, a Thiruppugazh Isai Vazhipadu and on the second day “Valli Kalyanam” were conducted.
Late Thiruppugazh Guruji A.S. Raghavan, who set to ragas more than 500 hymns of Thiruppugzh and other works, taught these to a number of disciples, many of whom have moved to different parts of the country and abroad.
The event attracted overwhelming participation.
