Edapally Sangeetolsavam in Kochi featured an interesting line-up of veterans and up-and-coming Carnatic musicians of the day.
Ananya Ashok
Ananya Ashok
Her concert was a tribute to composer Muthiah Bhagavathar. A protégé of Madurai Seshagopalan, Ananya presented rare composition of Muthiah Bhagavathar like ‘Rajarajithe’ in rare raga Niroshta, and ‘Ambavani Nannadarimpave’ in Keeravani. Sunita Harishankar on the violin could match the verve and perfection of the vocalist in the long swara passages in the Keeravani kriti.
Supple sangatis soaked with bhava flowed in Ananya’s Kamboji alapana along with those rare light flourishes on the nishada, thus heightening the melody of the alapana. ‘Ratna Kanchuka dharini’ was another gem of a song in Misra Chapu and was tagged on to a scintillating, free-wheeling niraval on the line ‘Indusekhara Harikesa’. Balakrishna Kamath played korvais of immense variety during the thani. Ananya presented a short Thodi alapana focusing on the basic sancharas followed by a tanam and a pallavi in Chaturashrajathi triputa tala that culminated in swaras in Behag and Atana.
Narmada
Dr. Narmada
Her violin solo concert on the second day vouched for her rich Parur musical tradition, perfect technique being the hallmark of her playing. Long oscillations made the swara essays in ‘Sadinchane’ in Arabhi delighful. She displayed the intricacies in single string bowing and alternate string bowing in her Kalyani alapana that was followed by a pallavi in Khandajathi triputa. The other main items in her concert were Dikshithar’s ‘Vathapi Ganapathim’ in Hamsadhwani, ‘Sudhamayi’ in Amritavarshini and ‘Raghuvamsasudhambudhi’ in Kadanakuthoohalam.
Sikkil Gurucharan
Sikkil Gurucharan
Sikkil Gurucharan has matured to become a seasoned vocalist and the third day was yet another instance that proved his professionalism and mastery of the art. His Chandrajyothi alapana for ‘Bagayanayya’ was a balanced blend of bhava, skill and aesthetics. After a tanam in Madhyamavati, Thodi and Kamboji, Gurucharan presented a pallavi that was perfectly phrased. A thani by G. Babu on the mridangam was marked by vigour and clarity. Mahavaidyanatha Sivan’s composition ‘Sreesankara guruvaram’ in Nagaswaravali raga, and Gurucharan’s post-thani pieces ‘Santhanagopalakrishnam’ (Kamas) and ‘Chinnanchiru pen pole’ were equally pleasing.
T.M. Krishna
His much-awaited concert on the fourth day proved to be a crowd puller. Even without cumbersome swara passages and extensive raga sancharas, Krishna could give a musical experience that was consummate and exalting. ‘Sree dum durge’ in Sreeranjani raga saw Krishna infusing musicality into even phrases of two or three notes, long sustenance notes, and every curve and glide. A virutham ‘Koulam ganga’ was followed by ‘Dakshinamoorthe’ in Sankarabharanam. The musicians kept to the harmony, never once going overboard.
The vocalist directed the violinist Sampath to start the Saveri alapana, after which Krishna launched into a high decibel tanam in ragamalika culminating in a brisk two speed rendition of Saveri varnam ‘Sarasooda’ and a mid-tempo rendition of kalpanaswaras.
He could impart bountiful emotion in a leisurely singing of ‘Badalikadheera’ in Reetigowla with a niraval on the line ‘Sarvabhowma’ and, at times, giving expression on a single word. K.V. Prasad on the mridangam contributed immensely in this phase and in a thani that he played with Vazhapilly Krishnakumar on the ghatam. ‘Vandanamu raghunandana’ in Sahana and an ashtapadi in Mukhari, and Krishna’s regular ‘Irakkam varaamal’ in Behag followed.
Prasanna Venkatraman
Prasanna Venkatraman
He left the audience spellbound with his rich manodharma and variety in presentation. Muthiah Bhagavathar’s Mohanam raga varna, ‘Manamohana’and Tyagaraja’s ‘Upacharamujeseva’ in Bhairavi were treated deftly with swara essays. ‘Tanigaivalar Saravanabhava’ in Thodi had a highly creative niraval segment on ‘Tholaimayil mele’ that featured many unfettered variations and was a highpoint in his concert. The defining phrases for Sankarabharanam alapana were precise. The fast sancharas were proportionately arranged with the musical fragments.
His creativity once again shone in a niraval on ‘Ajanmamu durvishaya’ and swara sequences were interwoven with skill and propriety. Njanjil Arul on the mridangam complemented the energy and creativity of the vocalist and his thani too was impressive.
Vasudha Ravi
Vasudha Ravi
Her concert on the final day was marked by her purity in kriti renditions. ‘Sree Janaka Tanaye’ in Kalakanti was followed by ‘Naradamuni’ in Pantuvarali. Her Vrindavanasaranga elaboration for ‘Soundararajam’ had repetitions even though she could compensate to some extent with a perfectly pitched, well-rounded voice and good enunciation of lyrics. The tanam in Gowri Manohari was followed by a pallavi that had swara passages in rare ragas like Saraswati and Priyadarshini. Palakkad Mahesh Kumar and Manjoor Unnikrishnan accompanied on the mridangam and ghatam.
The event was organised by Edappally Sangeeta Sadas.
