By Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan

Akkarai Sisters Subhalakshmi and Swarnalatha are among India’s most distinguished musicians today. Their soulful music won the hearts of the music lovers on the second day of 8th Cross Ganapathi music festival. The Sisters’ rich music background and the rigorous training under renowned gurus such as Sri Janakiraman, Padma Bhushan P.S. Narayanaswamy and Chitraveena N. Ravikiran have given them the unique distinction of being the foremost musicians in the field in both vocal music and violin.

On 1st September, T.M. Krishna’s vocal concert was announced but as the artiste reportedly had a sore throat, the Akkarai Sisters performed in his place. Seasoned as they are, they needed no preparation. In each of the compositions that they played, a judicious balance of aesthetics and grammar could be discerned.

The concert began late as the inaugural ceremony was held prior to the concert yesterday. The music series was inaugurated by Shantakumar,  Director, The Printers and Publishers of Deccan Herald and Prajavani.

Ramesh Narasaiah, Assistant Commissioner, Commercial Tax, Mysuru, was honoured. Jagannath Shenoy, President, SPVGMC Trust, presided. Ex-MLA Vasu was present.

The Sisters commenced the concert with kanada Varna ‘Neranammitinayya’ by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, the pallavi and anupallavi of which were played in three speeds, followed by a brisk charana. The second composition was a salutation to Lord Rama ‘Jaya Jaya Jaya Janakikanta’ in Nata by Purandaradasaru, suffixed with crisp swaras. Tyagaraja Pancharatna in Gowla ‘Dudukugala’ was a welcome piece after which Poorvikalyani, one of the main items for the evening was taken up by Swarnalatha, the younger of the two sisters. While ‘Mariveere’ in Ananandabhairavi was rendered with melody and essence, Tyagaraja’s ‘maniviyala’ in Nalinakanti was played in spirit followed by speedy swaras.

 The main attraction of the concert was the RTP for which the sisters chose Kharaharapriya. Subhalakshmi played the alapana exhaustively, wherein the swara by swara development of the raga was meticulous. The tana, which included shanmukhapriya, was also accompanied by Jayachandra Rao’s mridanga prompted by Himamshu, which pleased the audience.  The lyrics of the Pallavi ‘Sureshwaram Ganeshwaram Maheshwaram Tamaashraye nirantaram’ was set to aditala.

Without much elaboration, the siblings speedily took to swarakalpana followed by ragamalika swaras in Ranjani, Valachi, Bindumalini and Varamu. Varieties of swaras alternated by each player led to a suitable muktaya giving way to taniyavartanam by Jayachandra Rao’s mridanga and Vazhapalli Krishnakumar’s ghata. Jayachandra Rao excelled in his playing. The listeners were thrilled when he played the arohana and avarohana swaras of Kharaharapriya in his playing.

DKP’s popular ‘Teeryada Vilayatu pillai’ of Bharateeyar in ragamalika was played post taniyavartanam on Himamshu’s request after which the concert concluded with a tillana of Lalgudi Jayaraman in Maand.