63rd Heritage Music Festival at 8th Cross Ganesha Pandal: A string of known compositions

On the fourth day of the music series at 8th Cross, VV Mohalla, Vid. Harish Sivaramakrishnan from Bengaluru gave a vocal concert with Vid. Karthik Nagaraj on violin, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Vid. Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam on mridanga and senior Kanjira artise Vid. Vyasa Vittala on kanjira.

Popularly known as Agam singer, Harish has earned a huge name in the Karnatak rock and film industry apart from his work as a Chief Design Officer at Adobe and Google first and now at CRED.

Harish had chosen popular numbers for the present concert. The vocalist opened the concert with the Adi Tala Varna in Natakuranji ‘Chalamela jese’ by Mulaivittu Rangasami Nattuvanar, attempting ‘trishra’ for the Pallavi and the Anupallavi part which did not happen. He, however, continued with the second speed changing the tala to one kalai.

While singing any varna in the second speed, the tala remains the same and the performers are not at liberty to change the tala to one kalai. The second speed has to be sung in two kalai changing only the speed and not the tala.

Harish is blessed with a very masculine and powerful voice, which reaches the top notes with no falsity. ‘VAtApi GaNapatim BhajEham’ by Muthuswami Dikshitar was marked for good sangatis, which vocalists normally woud’nt venture. Bindumalini raga, though short, was impressive.

Karthik’s version of the raga was beautiful. The confidence with which this lad plays his violin is remarkable. His bowing constantly reminds the listener of his father Nagaraj’s playing.

All the compositions chosen were enjoyable but the lower notes suffered shruti constantly, which could have been avoided, had the vocalist chosen half a shruti higher as his voice reaches the top notes easily. ‘MA ramaNan UmA ramaNan’ by Papanashanam Shivan’ was well-rendered with a detailed alapana prefixing the composition.

Tyagaraja’s ‘Bantu Reeti Kolu’ was lively and energetic, with also a speedy neraval and kalpana swaras at ‘RAma nAma mane’ keeping all the accompanists occupied, which earned good applause not only from the audience but also from the  legendary mridangist.

Abheri was extensive with a number of Brigas and gamakas which were very fluent and clear, reminding one of T.N. Seshagopalan’s (TNS) music frequently (Harish is a disciple of TNS) and Sri Tyagaraja’s ‘Nagumomu galaleni’ was thankfully a welcome piece as most musicians coming to Mysuru choose to sing ‘Bhajare MAnasa’. ‘JagamEle ParamAtma’ was the place chosen for neraval and swaras, which was satisfactory.

Harish has good breath control. At times it could be observed that he continued with a single breath for more than one and a half avartas, in the vilamba Adi, which is commendable.

After a half-an-hour taniyavartanam by the legendary percussionists Bhaktavatsalam and Vyasa Vittala, which drew huge applause from the audience again and again, Harish sang ‘Narajanma BandAga nAlige iruvAga’ by Purandara Dasaru in exactly the same manner as his Guru TNS would. Two more devaranamas by Purandara Dasaru ‘RAma RAma RAma EnnirO’ in Mishra Tillang and ‘VenkatAchala Nilayam’ in Sindhu BHairavi followed and the concert was concluded with ‘Chinnam jir kiLiye kaNNamma’ and A shloka on Sri RAma in Madhyamavati.

With just a little more attention to tala and shruti, Harish can be a big name in classical Karnatak music too.

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan