Ganesha Pandal, VV Mohalla, on the concluding day of the 63rd Heritage Music Festival, organised by SPVGMC Trust, Mysuru, yesterday. He is accompanied by Vidu. Akkarai Subhalakshmi on violin, Vid. Sumesh Narayanan on mridanga and Vidu. Sukanya Ramgopal on ghata.

On the concluding day of the music series at 8th Cross, V.V. Mohalla, popular musician Vid. T.M. Krishna performed with Vidu. Akkarai Subhalakshmi on violin, Vid. Sumesh Narayanan on mridanga and Vidu. Sukanya Ramgopal on ghata.

As we all know, Krishna does not follow the usual pattern of the concert system like other musicians and goes beyond the confines of conventional classical music circuits. Musicians and connoisseurs always wonder what they are going to witness in the concert ahead.

In the present concert too, there were quite a few surprises. He began the concert with Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Ananda naTana prakAsham’ in Kedara, which also brought a pleasing neraval at ‘Sangeeta vAdya vinOda tAnDava jAta bahutara bhEda chOdyam’ but the swaras were developed in the first speed only here and in the melkalam for the chitteswara, which is unusual. This beautiful composition is one of the few compositions of Dikshitar  with jatis in the chitteswara.

While one wondered what Krishna would take up next, he started singing a tana in kharaharapriya, with no ragalapana, which was again unexpected. While Subhalakshmi looked at him questioningly to ask if she should play the raga, the vocalist suddenly started to sing Sri Tyagaraja’s ‘Chakkani rAjamArgamu yunDaga’ hurriedly with kalpana swaras for the pallavi part.

Next came an array of ragas alternatively by the vocalist and the violinist. While Subhalakshmi played Shankarabharana, Begade and Kambhoji, Krishna sang Janaranjani, Poorvi Kalyani and Yamuna Kalyani lading onto Vyasarayaru’s  popular devaranama ‘Krishna nee bEgane bAro’, elaborating the sahity of the line ‘JagadOddhAraka  namma uDupi Sree Krishna.’

Happy faces could be seen when the vocalist next began Mukhari as they expected a grand kriti following the alapana but instead, to the astonishment of the listeners, the artiste suddenly switched over to Mohana and sang Sri Tyagaraja’s ‘Mohana RAma’ which was just a presentation with not even a preamble. This was followed by a grand taniyavartanam by Sumesh and Sukanya, which was conducive and added sheen to the concert.

The post-Tani part included four compositions on request — a shloka ‘Kara charaNa krutam vA in ragamailka with Kanada, Gowla and Valachi followed by the composition ‘SacchidAkAra’ by Sri Narayanatirtha, ‘RangapuravihAra’ in Brindavana Saranga by Dikshitar, Vachana ‘Aaseyembudu arasingallade Shivabhaktarigunte ayya’ by Aaydakki mArayya’s wife Lakkamma in Mukhari and a Tulsidas bhajan ‘kahAn ke pathik kahan’ Were marked for their lyrical fervor.

Subhalakshmi’s violin was soft and sweet throughout. The concert lacked proportion and was a bit disappointing to the musicians group as no single composition was sung in detail.

This concludes the Ganeshotsava grand music series of Sri Prasanna Vidya Ganapathi Mandali Charitable (SPVGMC) Trust, at 8th Cross, VV Mohalla.

Marked by euphonious symphony

On Sept. 17, Vidu. Akkarai  Subhalakshmi, who played violin accompaniment on the previous day, occupied the centre stage with her sister Vidu. Akkarai Sornalatha from Chennai, to present a violin duet concert with Vid. Sumesh Narayanan on mridanga and Vid. Shree Sundarkumar on kanjira.

Akkarai Sisters, Subhalakshmi and Sornalatha, are among India’s most distinguished musicians today. Hailing from a family with a rich musical background and having learnt under illustrious gurus, they are sought after worldwide for their violin and vocal duets, as well as for their violin accompaniment for many eminent artistes. Though violin duets are not rare, this concert was marked for melody.

It was Lalgudi Jayaraman’s birth anniversary on the day and so the sisters commenced the concert with a Lalgudi varna in Bowli ‘AruNOdayame anbin vadivame’ set to Adi tala.

The next was an interesting mallari, hardly heard in concerts. Incidentally, mallari is a musical form belonging to temple music played on the nadaswaram and tavil which are distinct musical instruments of temple and are customarily played during ritualistic worship. This mallari composed by Kalaimamani Selvaratinam was in Gambhira Nata followed by Sri Tyagaraja’s “GAnamurthe’ in Raga Ganamurthy wherein melodic kalpanaswaras were knitted to the starting of the charana ‘Navaneeta chOra nanda satkishora.’

Sornalatha’s unhurried  exploration of raga Charukeshi created a deep impact. The expected composition was ‘Adamodi galade Ramaiah’ by St. Tyagaraja and Sornalatha’s kalpana swaras in Trishra and Kahanda were impressive.

Kantamani is an unusual raga not frequently sung or played by musicians. Subhalakshmi chose to sing the composition ‘PAhi mAm Sri Venkataramana sadA’ on request. Surprisingly, this composition was composed by her sister Sornalatha in Mishra Chapu tala.

After acrisp ‘Brovabharama RaghurAma’ in Bahudari by Sri Tyagaraja with crisp suffixed swaras, the sisters took up the main item for the evening — an  rTp in Keeravani. The ragalapana showed abundant virtuosity that exhibited a deep insight into the raga. Tanam was played competently with continuity and the pallavi ‘Ganapate mahAmate mAm pAhi’ set to Adi talam and composed by the sisters, was simple and well executed.

Young Sumesh Narayan’s mridanga playing was very musical throughout and his taniyavartanam for the tanam in Adi Talam with Sundarkumar, who played mridanga accompaniment the previous day, was elaborate and energetic, which received huge applause from the audience.

Another special feature of the tani was konakkol by the multi-talented Sornalatha, who surprised the audience with her fluent vocal percussion syllables. While Subhalakshmi’s concert experience is richer, Sornalatha’s innovative urge to create was evident throughout the concert.

The last part of the concert brought ‘TeerAda viLayAttu piLLai’ of DKP fame in ragamalika by Bharateeyar and a Lalgudi tillana in Mand.

—Dr. Padmavathi  Narasimhan

SPVGMC Trust thanks Artistes, Kalarasikas

Sri Prasanna Vidya Ganapathi Mahotsava Charitable (SPVGMC) Trust’s  63rd year Ganesha Heritage Music Festival, which commenced  on Sept. 7, concluded last evening (Sept. 18).

C.R. Himamshu, Secretary, SPVGMC Trust, V.V. Mohalla, Mysuru, has in a press release, thanked the artistes who came all the way from various places and performed at the grand Ganesha Festival.

This year, five artistes — Vid. Harish Sivaramakrishnan,  Vid. Thiruvarur Girish, Vid. Kalyanapuram S. Aravind, Vidu. Spoorthi Rao and  Vidu. Sooryagayathri — performed for the first time at 8th Cross.

SPVGMC has expressed its gratitude to all the Kalarasikas, music-lovers, donors, patrons and each and everyone who helped directly and indirectly with their unconditional support in conducting the Festival smoothly.

Thanking the Police Department, CESC, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) authorities and media persons for their support, the Trust has also expressed gratitude to its President and Industrialist Dr. M. Jagannath Shenoy and all other Trustees for their valuable support in completing the Heritage Music Festival in a grand manner.