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Yesudas felicitated
K. J. Yesudas being felicitated at the Narayana Tirtha Jayanthi festival held at Narada Gana Sabha recently. — Pic. by M. Moorthy
Pujyasri Narayana Tirtha's 327th Jayanthi (Tharangam Music Festival) was celebrated for three days at the Narada Gana Sabha last week. Homage to the great savant was paid by several speakers and musicians who sang tharangams. Reverence was the keynote of the festival and the Managing Trustee, Thirupoonthuruthy V. Venkatesan thanked all the participants.
On the penultimate day of the festival at the end of his concert K. J. Yesudas was conferred the title, "Bhakti Sangita Geetha Sironmani" jointly by the Thirupoonthuruthy Sri Narayana Tirtha Swamigal Trust, Narada Gana Sabha Trust and Saraswathi Vaggeyakara Trust. Several speakers felicitated Yesudas, recipient of the Padma Bhushan award. The theme of the speeches was his "golden voice, simple living without any inhibition regarding caste, creed or religion and his effort to bring world brotherhood through music of different types."
In his reply Yesudas passionately pleaded with the youth not to fall a victim to the corrupt influence of western culture but imbibe only the good points in that culture. He thought music was the best vehicle to achieve this. He emphasised the need for appointing a music teacher in every school and make music compulsory in the curriculum.
Mr. Venkatesan said that the first floor of Nama Sankeertana Mani Mantapam at Thirupoonthuruthy was completed and will be opened on August 30.
Soaked in bhakti
A charming Charukesi alapana for Narayana Tirtha's Krishna Krishna Krupasamudra with brief but sweet swaras highlighted Yesudas's bhakti-soaked concert. A dedicated specialist in tharangams, the popular musician sang with fervour and perhaps because of concern for a correct rendering of the Sanskrit lines with proper diction he made repeated reference to the notes he had in front — though this might not have brought satisfaction to his rasikas.
Yesudas might have made some changes in the ragas also for the tharangams. But this liberty the audience was prepared to willingly give to the artiste who with his malleable voice was able to communicate the message of the great Krishna savant, in a telling manner.
Yesudas began the programme with "Jaya Jaya Swamin" after a comprehensive alapana in Hamsadhwani. Swaras at the Pallavi sparkled.
The Hindolam alapana and "Govardhanagiridara" was a good follow up. "Saranam Bhava Karunamayi Gurudeena Dayalo" in Pantuvarali, "Jaya Jaya Ramanatha", "Govindaghataya", a Khamboji piece, "Pahi Pahi Jaganmohana Krishna Paramananda Sri Krishna" (Nadanama Kriya) and "Mangalani Thanothu Madhusudhana" in Madhyamavati proved a fitting finale — Yesudas prefaced this tharangam with a spicy alapana — to a glorious exhibition of bhakti - saturated music that sent the audience home in a prayerful mood.
The accompaniments, Delhi P. Sundarrajan (violin) Vellore Ramabhadran (mridangam) and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam) played their roles perfectly.
Sundarrajan while showing his prowess in alapanas (his answers in swara duels were quite equal) followed the vocalist faithfully without flourishes. Ramabhadran, as usual, adapted his beats according to the main artiste's style of rendering. On the whole it was an elevating soulful concert.
K.S.R
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