Young Spoorti Rao from Bengaluru sang at GSSS, Mysuru, on Nov. 25. She was accompanied by H.N. Bhaskar on violin, senior mridangist K.V. Prasad on mridanga and Sharat Rao on ghata.

Even at the tender age of nine, this lass won the fourth season of the Airtel Super Singer Junior Award and as the winner, was awarded a Townhouse in Oragadam worth Rs. 70 lakh. It is a big solace to see that though this girl sings light music and playback songs, her classical music is not influenced by these, thanks to her gurus — Ranjani and Gayatri.

Spoorti commenced the concert with the popular Daru Varna of Muthiah Bhagavathar — ‘Maate Malayadhwaja Pandya Sanjaate’ in Kamas. Her music blends melody and cadence in a good proportion and this aspect sets her performance apart. Her elaborate delineation of the Raga Keeravani bore an eloquent testimony to it. ‘Innamum Sandeha Padalamo’ by Gopalakrishna Bharathi in Tamil saw a detailed neraval at the anupallavi followed by elegant swaras.

‘Ninnuvina namadi’ by Sri Tyagaraja, though more popular on instruments than in vocal music, was beautifully sung. All the expected sangatis materialised and the brigas were crystal clear even in the racing speed of the presentation.

The other main item of the day was Latangi. The raga was dealt with in detail, step by step, unhurriedly pausing in each nyasa swara, exploring and dwelling in with more possibilities. Spoorti’s voice traverses with ease in the tara sthayi and her singing in the upper notes has a striking similarity to her Guru Gayatri’s voice and singing.

Spoorti surprised the audience with a Purandaradasa devaranama taken for detailed delineation in this raga. ‘Bharathi Deviya nene’ by Sri Purandaradasa set to tune by Aravinda Hebbar in Adi Tala, which is normally sung in a different raga was very pleasant to hear in Keeravani but most of the sahitya was not heard. Spoorti can work more on sahitya.

Other inclusions in the concert were Saraswati Namostute (with swarakalpana at ‘Surasevita padayugale’, a very melodious ‘Jagadeeshwari Brahma Hrudayeshwari Shringeri Peethaste Shri Sharadamba’ in Ragesri by Ramamurthy Rao, Subramanya Bharateeyar’s ‘Chinnachiru Kiliye kannamma’ in ragamalika on audience request and the concluding abhang in chandrakauns ‘pandariche bhoota mothe’.

Having Bhaskar on violin is a blessing for any vocalist. He not only follows the main artiste faithfully but also plays in a supportive manner so as to embellish and enhance the main artiste. K.V. Prasad’s playing was very encouraging to the young artiste and brought huge applauses from the audience again and again, especially so in his Taniyavartanam with young Sharat Kaushik’s ghata.

—Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan