Ganabharathi, Mysuru, had organised a soulful veena concert in memory of Vidwan S. Balachander, the legendary veena maestro. Vidu. Shubha Santhosh from Bengaluru  presented the recital, accompanied by Vid. Tumkur Ravishankar on mridanga and Vid. Ajay on ghata.

Shubha is a vainika known for her emphasis on soft, smooth playing that brings out the divine quality of the instrument. Eschewing gimmicks, or technical jugglery, her performance displays just the natural beauty and grace of the veena, even when amplified with a contact microphone. Clarity and dexterity are the hallmarks of her style. A disciple of Vidushi Sudha Vadiraj, Shubha continues her musical journey under the guidance of Vid. H.S. Sudheendra.

Shubha began the concert with a melodious varna in raga Saranga, rendered at an appropriate tempo. This was followed by ‘Shree Maha Ganapathi,’ a composition of Muthuswamy Dikshitar in raga Gowla, enhanced with a quick and attractive kalpana swara passage. A brief sketch of Kedaragowla lead to ‘Saraguna palimpa,’ a composition by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar followed by ‘Smaraneyonde saalade’ in raga Malaya marutha by Puranadara dasa. Whether it was Kalpitha or kalpana sangeetha, the soft melody remained central throughout.

Paying homage to Seshanna,  Shubha performed his composition ‘Rama ninnu’ in raga Ananda bhairavi with elegance. The semi main piece of the concert was Lathangi. Her alapana was soulful, with the opening phrases clearly establishing the identity of the raga.

The kruti ‘Venkataramana’ by Papanasam Sivan was presented with vibrant kalpana swaras that added charm to the rendition.  The evergreen Devaranama ‘Taarakka bindige’ by Purandara dasa in raga Tilang was a delightful addition.

The main raga of the concert, was Kapi, naturally drew the audience in with its innate charm. Shubha broughtout its emotional essence beautifuly. Her gentle touches and smooth gamakas enhanced the aesthetic appeal and a well-executed taana lent a spiritual depth to the performance. Tyagaraja’s composition ‘Intha soukhyam’ followed, rendered in a sweet and mellifluous style.

The percussion accompaniment by Tumkur B. Ravishankar and Ajay was restrained and sensitive, complementing the veena beautifully. Shubha concluded the veena recital with a popular Devaranama by Vyasaraja ‘Krishna nee begane baro’ in Yamuna Kalyani, leaving the audience with a lingering sense of serenity. This memorable recital will  undoubtedly stay in the hearts of rasikas for a long time.

—Dr. Rama V. Bennur