Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Coimbatore Kendra featured a few emerging artistes in the Carnatic music scenario during its 21st Pongal Music Festival.
Sriranjani Santhanagopalan exuded confidence from the beginning of her vocal concert, her melodiousvoicehandling the brigas with ease. She has the twin blessings of an excellent parentage and tutelage , being groomed by her father-guru, Neyveli Santhanagopalan. Her sprightly music impresses in its originality –– though, with glistening resemblance to her father’s style, here and there.
Even as Sri Ranjani began with the sloka, ‘Sumukhasya Ekadantasya’ on Vinayaka , she created the hope that she was going to present an enjoyable concert and she fulfilled that promise. After the varnam in Saveri, she passed on to ‘Vallabha Naayakasya’ in Begada. ‘Yaarukkuththaan Theriyum’ in Devamanohari was delightful. She rendered ‘Ranga Pura Viharaa’ and ‘Naaraayanaa Divya Naamam’ (popular songs by M.S), which brought the expected emotional response and applause.
She delved deep into Karaharapriya before presenting ‘Pakkala Nilabadi’, by Thyagaraja. The sowkya bhava was maintained , in spite of the briga-laden alapanas and the carefully calculated swara prastharas. Besides the raga’s fragrance, her niraval for ‘Manasuna Dalachi Mai Marachi’ also brought out the emotion conveyed by the lines (Are you in a trance, thinking of him?). It was good to see the accompanying artistes, spontaneously approving of her efforts.
The lighter session was also chosen carefully, with lively compositions such as the ragamalika kriti ‘Aarabhimaanam Vaithu’ and a soulful viruttam followed by ‘Aadum Chidambaramo’.
Rajiv Mukundan, a disciple of A.Kanyakumari, followed the vocalist faithfully. His repartees on the violin during the swara-session were enjoyable. Veteran percussionists Kovai G. Prakash on the mridangam and Kovai G. Suresh on the ghatam enhanced the concert, with their sensitive and supportive playing. Their ‘thani’ was full of sparks.
This year’s Pongal Music festival was a tribute to M.S. Subbulakshmi, this being her birth centenary year. It is but fitting that they featured the vocal concert of S. Aishwarya, the great-grand-daughter of MS. Trained initially by the legendary MS, and later by her grand-mother, Radha Viswanathan, Aishwarya follows MS’s bani and her patantharam. Her song selection that day, comprised kritis, popularised by MS.
When Aishwarya began with the sloka ‘Ohm Nama: Pranavaarthaaya’, there was a rush of nostalgia. After the Navaragamalika varnam, ‘Valachi’, she moved on to ‘Raama nannu brova raa’ in Harikambhoji and burst into niraval and swaraprastharas for the line, ‘Meppulakai Kanna Tavu’. It is not often that one hears the composition ‘Enaati nomu phalamo’ these days, and Aishwarya presented it after a satisfying alapana of Bhairavi. During the niraval, there was focus on the raga bhava, sans, dazzles. The main kriti was in Simhendra Madhyamam, and she sang another huge favourite of MS, ‘Raama Raama guna seemaa’, by Swathi Thirunal. As expected, she chose the lines, ‘Muni maanasa dhaamaa’ for niraval. ‘Thaayae Thripura Sundari’, ‘Akhilaandaeswari’ and ‘Main Hari charanan ki dasi’ were rendered with devotion. However, Aishwarya will do well by adding some spirit to her presentation.
Shreya Devnath, a disciple of Lalgudi Jayaraman, lent energy and vivacity to the concert. Her smooth violin delineated the ragas with incredible ease. Palakkad Hari Narayanan (disciple of T.K. Murthy) on the mridangam and S.V. Subramaniam, on the Kanjira, lifted the concert with their excellent support.
On the last two days, the forenoon session featured music-related programmes. On the fourth day, there was a lec-dem by Brahmasri S. Ganesa Sarma on ‘M.S. Ammaavin Isaiyum Arulum’. On the concluding day, music teachers, students and music lovers of Coimbatore performed the ‘Thyagaraja Aradhana’, during which they rendered the Saint’s Pancharatna Kritis.
