Sri Kartikeya Gana Sabha annual concert series: A melange of musical talents

Sri Kartikeya Gana Sabha’s tenth annual music festival celebrated the diversity of the vocalists and instrumentalists across the country

Commemorating its tenth year in fostering promising and established classical musical talents in the Telugu states, Sri Kartikeya Gana Sabha had organised an annual concert series and lec-dems over a five-day span at Kowtha Swarajya Vihar earlier this week. While the lec-dems enlightened the rasikas with the finer nuances of the ragams, the innate poetry, vaggeyakara lakshanas that embellish a composition, the concert lineup featured a distinct mix of instrumentalists and vocalists from various parts of the country.

Momentous music Annavarapu Ramaswamy being honoured; A Durga Bhavani and Hemadri Chandrakanth (right) By arrangement
 

This year saw the sabha confer the title ‘Naada Tejo Nidhi’ upon ace violinist Annavarapu Ramaswamy.

Synergy between performers

Incidentally, it was his disciples A Durga Bhavani and Hemadri Chandrakanth who opened the first day of the concert with impressive enthusiasm. In a rare violin duet organised in the city, the performers exhibited terrific coordination for a concert that lasted a little more than an hour. In spite of sticking to familiar compositions, the duo proved that the scope for improvisation could be limitless, especially with Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje and Teliyaleru Rama in Hamsadhwani and Dhenuka ragam respectively. Their brief raga sketches were deeply reflective, whereas the brisk swarakalpanas at the higher tempos (especially during the charanam of Vatapi) backed by their swift bowing, would have certainly done their guru proud.

Their main piece, Saroja Dalanetri in Sankarabharanam, preceded by a sublime ragalapana, had the violinists explore the ragam that’s best suited for manodharma sangeetham. Their swarakalpana was a ragamalika, traversing past Kaanada, Kapi, Bindumalini and Hamir Kalyani ragams imaginatively. The synergy between the violin duo, their co-musicians K Sadgurucharan (mridangam) and Srirangam Hari Kishore (kanjira) lent an additional flourish to the well-known numbers.

Vocal flexibility to the fore

S Murali  

Regardless of musical knowledge, only a handful of vocalists have the knack to bring an effortlessness to their renditions. Chennai-based A S Murali, trusting the intrinsic beauty of the compositions, breezed past the complex gamakas, his swara prasthaaras, neraval segments with envious ease on day two of the concert series. His still-faced demeanour was an antithesis to his bhava-laden singing. The choice to open with Inta Paraaka in Nadanamakriya ragam, by Anai Ayya brothers, a nearly forgotten vaggeyakara-duo was a pleasant surprise.

His performance to Panchanada Iyer’s rare kriti Birana Brova was a testimony to the musical expanse that the singer could surpass. The neraval Nee Pada Pankajamu in the latter was followed by a swarakalpana where he alternated between the vilamba and durita kala tempos with impressive precision. Tyagaraja’s Rama Neeyada in Kharaharapriya ragam, his main piece was as illustrious and the likes of Nakelara Vicharamu, Endundi Vedalithivo by the same composer sustained the vocalist’s momentum. Veteran musicians BS Narayanan on the violin, V Kamalakar Rao on the mridangam in many a moment even outshined the vocalist, with their mellifluous musical responses.

Source: Read Full Article