Before I entered the concert hall, rich passages of Mayamalagoula filled my ears. An ensemble came to my mind: it was not a random thought I realised. The depth and intensity that the voice of this veena produced was lush, a timbre that one comes by rarely.
Performing at the monthly concert of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, S.V. Sahana from Mysore, kept the audience spellbound during her two and a half hour concert. A disciple of the distinguished maestro M.J. Srinivas Iyengar, and T.N. Seshagopalan, Sahana’s expression is rooted in tradition. An artistry that is reflective in nature, the musician has a fine understanding of the Carnatic classical genre.
Dikshitar’s kriti “Annapoorneshwari” in Sama and “Devadideva” in Sunadavinodini were breezy renditions, typically suited for the veena. Sahana’s raga delineation for Ananda Bhairavi kriti “Marivere” was a reflection of her rigour and involvement in her art. Her progression of thought, the structure that emerged, and felicity with her medium was remarkable. Sahana, a refined student of music, wove silences into her seamless flow of rich musical ideas, making her presentation at once sophisticated and intense.
With the rendition of Raga Tana Pallavi in Kalyani, the concert moved to a crescendo. Without resorting to the clichéd phrases of Kalyani, Sahana gave it a refreshing interpretation. Her neraval for the Pallavi extended the boundaries of Sahana’s imagination. As she traversed along the ragas Mohana, Shubhapantuvarali, Charukeshi, Behag, Kalavathi and Revathi, she captured their essence succinctly.
Sahana, a very capable veena artiste, in her overall approach to music privileged essence over technique. Without any technical props, her fingertips touched the core of the raga. H.S. Sudhindra on the mridanga proved his seasoned artistry with his near perfect anticipation and accompaniment. Shrishylan on the ghata was rightly understated.
