On the third day of the music series of Sri Ramabhyudaya Sabha at Alammana Choultry in Srirampet, Vid. Vishnudev Namboothiri from Kerala gave a vocal concert with Vid. C.S. Anuroop on violin, Vid. Anilakkad R. Jayakrishnan on mridanga and Vid. Srinidhi Kaundinya on ghata.

Groomed under Nayveli Santala Gopalan and P.S. Narayana Swamy, Vishnudev has established himself in the field of Karnatak music. An engineer-turned Karnatak vocalist, he has practiced devotedly to offer spontaneous music to music rasikas.

A brisk varna in Vasanta ‘Ninnukori’ by Tachchur Singarachari set to Adi tALA in two speeds was the opener. ‘Rara maayinti dhaaka,’ a rare Tyagaraja composition in Asaveri came as a happy surprise as not many musicians sing it in concerts.

Kharaharapriya was extraordinary wherein Vishnudev employed all vocal techniques, curves, glides, brigas and frills and yet all within the frame of tradition. ‘SamAnamevaru RAma nee SamAnamevaru’ by Sri Tyagaraja was rendered satisfactorily with a detailed neraval at ‘Paluku Palukulaku’ followed by intellectual swara essay. The vocalist’s confidence throughout the concert, which obviously is the result of his dedicated practice, was admirable.

Another rare number ‘Jaya Jaya RaghurAma’ in Shahana by Sri Swati Tirunal was a welcome filler after which Hindola was presented. Vishnudev’s  version of the raga was aesthetic, exhaustive and very pleasant and the composition that followed  ‘RAmanukku manam muDi dharittale’ by Arunachala Kavi brought smiles of memories to the elders in the audience.

The other highlight of the evening was Purvikalyani. Vishnudev explored the beauty of the raga step by step, the 15 minute alapana climaxing in long upper-range passages, leading onto the most beautiful kriti ‘Parama pAvana RAma’ set to ADitAla vilamba composed by Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar, with an elaborate neraval at the charana part ‘KanakAmbaradhara karuNAnvitavara’, the swara essay filled with raga bhava not being just an exercise. Jayakrishnan and Srinidhi Kaundinya gave ample display of their percussive skill in their Taniyavartanam.

‘KodanDa deeksha gurum,’ a shloka on RAma was sung in rAgamAlika with Abheri, Hameer Kalyani and finally Kamas leading to ‘RAma jogi mandu konare,’ a bewitching composition of Bhadrachala Ramadasar. Devaranama ‘RAma RAma RAma SeetA RAma enniro’ by Purandara Dasaru and an interesting nottu  by Dikshitar on Rama concluded the concert.

Everything was in soulful proportion in Vishnudev’s concert.

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan