Elevating patantara purity

IN THE 12-30 to 2 p.m. bracket, the performance of the Malladi brothers, Sreeram Prasad and Ravi Kumar for the Music Academy, was outstanding in more than one respect. The patantara purity of kirtanas was elevating; the sense of proportion in alapanas and kalpanaswaras was well observed.

There was akala suddha in the use of their voices. These continued to help them give a good account of their abilities well gathered from proper training.

The Durbar kirtana ``Endundi Vedalithioo'' lifted the standard of the performance even at the very start followed by the choice selection of ``Seshachala Nayakam'' (Varali), ``Padavini'' (Salaka Bhairavi) and ``Lokavana Chatura'' (Begada).

Sreeram Prasad's Begada vinyasa and Ravi Kumar's Varali were heart-warming. In K. T. Siva Ganesh (violin) and R. Babu Rajasekharan (mridangam), the vocalists had able accompanists.

Bhooshani Kalyanaraman's recital was built on the two major ragas, Kambhoji (``Kailasanathena'') and Bhairavi (``Balagopala'').

Her raga alapanas were technically correct, but nothing in them to excite. The kirtanas too were of the same quality. A.G.A. Gnanasundaram and Kallaidaikurichi S. Sivakumar were the accompanists.

Varalakshmi Anandkumar gave a prosaic performance, that included the kirtanas ``Mooladhara Moorthe'' (Hamsadhwani), ``Neelayadakshi'' (Paraz), ``Bhajana Seya ve'' (Kalyani) ``Enujesithenenu'' (Todi). Kalyani and Todi were taken up for alapana with familiar sancharas. Jayant Kesav lent violin support. Tiruvidaimarudur Sankaran (mridangam) took charge of the percussive part.

S. P. Ramh paid sustained attention to his alapanas and kirtana rendering in such a way as to proclaim the nature and lines of training he has received. Without unnecessary, adventurous attempts in the performing style, he laid before the audience neat versions of Poorvikalyani in which he presented the beautiful kirtana ``Parama Pavana Rama''.

He built the raga edifice methodically emphasising on the rich and varied shades of Poorvikalyani. ``Venuganaloluni'' (Kedaragowla), ``Subramanyena'' (Suddha Dhanyasi) and ``Palayamani'' (Nayaki) in the kirtana session were rendered observing traditional propriety.

Dorai Swaminathan (violin) shared his equipment with the vocalist in creating an atmosphere of unhurried music. Neyveli Skanda Subramaniam handled the mridangam marked by firmness and gentleness.

Abhishek Raghuraman is ahead of his age in stylised presentation of ragas, kirtanas, neravals and swaras. More than the youngster, the responsible elders have to be watched on what lines they are going to direct his progress.

He exhibited textile manodharma and sometimes in giving expression to it he seemed to bite more than he could chew. No doubt, he is gifted, but his talent has to be carefully nurtured. He took on the monumental kirtana ``Akshayalinga Vibho'' with confidence. Together with neraval and swaras, it was a worthwhile attempt to test his musical calibre.

Nishant Chandran (violin) though well trained, was not quite familiar with the vocalist's terrain. Master Anand (mridangam) on the other hand seemed to be well informed about the vocalist's techniques. He played a good tani avartanam.

Good training in patantara of songs and in adhering to tradition in the exposition of ragas were in ample evidence in the cutcheri of Bangalore V.N. Padmini. (See Picture)

But there is another potent factor - cutcheri pantha - which alone helps the artiste rivet the attention of rasikas. The cutcheri pantha ensures the liveliness of a performance. Padmini has to get trained in the feel of this performing technique to market her waves of goods songs and raga lines. ``Appa Rama Bhakti'' (Pantuvarali), ``Sauraja Varagamana'' (Hindolam) and ``Evarimeta'' (Kambhoji) and a Purandaradasa piece formed her programme list.

Roopa Natesan (violin) and Papanasam Kumar (mridangam) were co- operative accompanists.

The tempo of Geetha Krishnamurthy's veena recital picked up from the Bahudari song ``Bravo Bhatawa'' and stressed pursuit of quality in the following items - ``Marivere'' (Ananda Bhairavi), ``Sri Kantimatim'' (Hemavathi) and ``Annapoorne'' (Sama). Earlier the Sahana varnam, ``Sariseemha'' (Nattai) and ``Gurulekha'' (Gowrimanohari) were in the nature of a warming-up exercise. The Hemavathi raga alapana and the song were clothed with respectability.

Kalakkad Srinivasan handling the mridangam lent tuneful percussive support. With A.S. Shankar (ghatam) he played an attractive tani avartanam.

SVK

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