The annual festival of South Indian Cultural Association (SICA), opened with a scintillating concert by Padma Shri awardee violinist Avasarala Kanyakumari. This year the fest was held to pay tribute to M.S. Subbulakshmi and was inaugurated by the Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, E.S.L. Narasimhan. On behalf of the sabha he decorated Kanyakumari with the title of ‘ Sangeetha Saraswathi’.The event was also attended by M.S. Subbalakshmi’s grandson Srinivasan.
Later, Kanyakumari gave a delightful concert. She first played Mooladhara Murthy of Papanasam Sivan in Hamsadhwani with touch of devotion with brief ragalapana and swarakalpana. She then played Thyagaraja’s Nadatanumanisam in Chittaranjani and Vidulaku Mrokkeda in Mayamalavagowla, both of Thyagaraja.
Kanyakumari then went for first raga delineation of Behag for her choice number Brochevarevarura of Mysore Vasudevachar. Though brief, the raga set the tone and spirit of the kirtana. This popular number of Thyagaraja was well received. She then came out with another Thyagaraja kirtana, Bagayanayya in Chandrajyothi with brief ragalapana that laid path for the main number of the concert Chakkani Rajamargamu in Kharaharapriya. Her play style with touch of vocalism kept up the right mood of the composition. The swarakalpana was presented in raga chain of Kharaharapriya, Sahana, Kapi, Dharmavathi and Sivaranjani. She gave good time to explore all the angles of raga and swara builds. Rajeev’s violin support was just complementary musical effects. The Tani avartanam by DSR Murthy on mridangam and Purushothaman on kanjira aptly kept up the mood of the concert in general.
In the post main number section Kanyakumari played Rajaji’s KuraindumillaiKuari Ondrum Illai in ragamalika, Krishna Nee Begane Baro in Yamunakalyani, Melu Ledu her own creation in Venkatadri raga of the Saptagiri ragas she created. tillana in Sindhubhairavi, her own composition, Venkatachala Nilayam in Sindhu Bhairavi and Lakshmi Rave Maintiki in Madhyamavathi were apt numbers to end this impressive show.
It was a great beginning of SICA’s annual fest.
