MADRAS MUSIC MELA 2002 |
||||||
RASIKANUBHAVA 7 |
||||||
V Balakrishnan via email...
Saketaraman began his concert with the
Navaragamalika varnam. Pranamamyaham (Gowla), was sung with full-throated
enunciation of sahitya followed by a volley of swaras. The structure
of Sriranjani was fully brought out in an outline of the raga, and the
lively Sogasuga of Tyagaraja was sung with gusto. The swara passages
at the three places Sogasuga, Mridanga and Talamu were cleverly
executed. In Eti Yochanalu (Kiranavali), Tyagaraja asks Rama, "Why
hesitate to bless me? There is none to raise his voice against you."
Though the song was rendered well, singing at a lower tempo would have
created better impression. The emotion-soaked Mukhari was a hit. Entani ne (Tyagaraja), a beautiful kriti in the raga, extols Sabari's
rare privilege in having the Lord at her hut and offering him
delicious fruits. The neraval and the swaras at Kanulara sevinchi
were good. A breezy Nenarunchinanu in Malavi, with its
chittaswara, was
appropriate. The famous Kamalamba Navavarana kriti of Dikshitar Kamalambam Bhajare
(Kalyani) was preceded by an elaborate alapana. Saketaraman's version
of this kriti ensured that the raga was evident
even in the first few passages. He showed his aptitude for fast brigas
leading up to Tara sthayi Panchama. Some felt that he needed more practise to attempt such
maneuvers without any flaws. The concert
was concluded with Tanjavur Sankara Iyer's kriti Manadirkuhandadu
in Sindhubhairavi.
Nishant Chandran, who is also doing his
engineering has a good technique and ideas. Sundarkumar, a disciple of Karaikudi Mani, played softly
and rendered useful
support.
R K Sriramkumar on the violin was
impressive in Kambhoji and Nayaki. Neyveli Narayanan and Udipi
Sridhar played a competent Tani and were very helpful to the vocalist.
|
||||||
|