On the concluding day of the Ramotsava music series by Ramabhyudaya Sabha at Alammana Choultry in Srirampet on Apr. 18, city’s renowned musician Vidu. Dr. Sukanya Prabhakar gave a vocal concert with her daughter Vidu. Sumana Vedant. They were accompanied by young Janardhan, a disciple of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Kanyakumari on violin, Cheluvaraju on mridanga, Gurumurty on ghata and Sukanya’s most beloved student Meera Manjunath on tambura shruti.

Sukanya never takes any performance lightly. She always prepares herself thoroughly well for each performance irrespective of the venue, which shows in her singing.

The mother and daughter commenced their concert with a brisk varna in Kambhoji ‘SarasijanAbha’ set to Atta tala ‘by Swati Tirunal, which set the tone for the concert. A short sketch of Alapana of Bahudari led to ‘Prasanna GaNapatE pAhi’ by Mysore T. Chowdiah, a pleasant surprise as it is hardly heard in concerts. This was also topped with just a teaser quota of swaras.

Bhogavasanta was deeply evocative, unfolding with grace and clarity. The Kriti that followed ‘AmbA Sri kAmakshi’ by His highness Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was rendered with good diction and bhava, bringing out the lyrical beauty of the composition. Cheluvaraju’s support on mridanga was melodic without being overwhelming, keeping in mood with the main artistes.

An ugaboga ‘Hari ninna nAma smarisalu durita peeDipudunTe’ followed by the popular devaranama ‘neenyAko ninna hangyAkO Ranga’ in Brindavana Saranga was marked for the devotion content in the rendition. ‘Shankari sadAnanda lahari pAhi’ in Malavi, again by Sri Jayachamaraja Wdiyar, again a rarely heard number, was a good lively filler after which the duo chose Simhendra Madhyama for detailed rendition. The raga was elaborated with finesse and imagination, keeping the listeners captivating. While the seasoned musician dwelt on the lower notes and the Madhya sthayi, Sumana essayed on upper sthayi. Sri Swati Tirunal’s ‘RAma RAma guNa seema’ set to vilamba Adi tala was sung in the right speed. The young violinist Janardhan’s version of the raga was equally good and won appreciation from the audience. The line ‘Muni mAnasa dhAma’(the only neraval in the three hour concert) was chosen for melodic and lyrical improvisation. Sumana can work more on neraval singing and the kalpana swaras that followed by the senior musician were thankfully unspeedy and therefore melodic, thereby bringing out the raga bhava.

Senior mridangist Cheluvaraju and Gurumurthy on ghata offered rhythmic support that was both sensitive and energetic, culminating in a thrilling taniyavartanam that earned great applause.

In the post-tani part, a devaranama ‘RAma embuva eraDaksharada mahimeyanu’ prefixed with an ugaboga ‘Sakala vEdagalige sAravAgiha mantra’ by Sri Purandara Dasaru and ‘Ena bEDali nAnu ninna baLige bandu’ by Sri Gopala Dasaru were sweetly rendered.

Nowhere in the concert was the lyrical content in the compositions ignored. Sahitya was given utmost importance. Bhakti and Bhava ruled the concert. While announcing the compositions, the vocalist also gave additional information about them, which was most welcome and enlightening. Sumana is blessed with a very sweet and mellifluous voice that is just mesmerising. With this stalwart as her mother and with more practice, she can certainly reach taller heights in the field.

Thus the music series of Ramabhyudaya Sabha of 2025 came to a close with this concert. Dr. Sriram and his wife Mamata Sriram must be applauded for their selfless service in conducting this grand event year after year with utmost devotion. It was happy to see them being felicitated on the final day. The listeners were given delicious and sumptuous prasadam everyday after the concert, which was an additional attraction.

To sum up the concerts, the youngsters who performed can cut their speed in rendition and sahitya and the bhava in them can be more concentrated upon. The push for speed is universal these days. But in the enthusiasm of rendering them in racy speed, the emotion with which the composer has composed the compositions is forgotten. It is understandable that it is very difficult to render the compositions in the speed that they prefer to, keeping in tune with the swarsthana and shruti and in the zeal to exhibit their caliber and ability, they run after speed. In the years to come, their music will sober with maturity in singing. Let us look forward to the next Ramotsava with more of such divine concerts.  

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan