|
Entertainment
Impact with rare raga
Sudha Raghunathan... admirable professionalism.
What can you say that is new about the much heard much reviewed Sudha Ragunathan? The recital at the Narada Gana Sabha was not her season's best. For that very reason there was something to learn from the artiste. Here was admirable professionalism in the flick of the wrist as it kept the beat, and the commitment to give unreserved, fullfledged ``cutcheri'' music in every performance. For once rasikas protested to get the mike volume down and Sudha benefited by being able to impact with the rare but limited Chayaranjani, where the modulations brought variety to repetitions in voice (the madhyama shimmered) and violin (Vittal Ramamurthy). The composition ``Nivalaninche'' was by Sudha's ``grand guru'' G.N.Balasubramaniam. The RTP in Shanmukhapriya (Khanda Jhampa) had a non-organic evolution, splendid karvais between the brika blitz. The tanam with rhythm frills from mridangam and ghatam (Palladam R. Ravi, S.V.Ramani), topped with brikas and sangatis, was unremarkable. It was left to Bhairavi (with``Koluvaiyunnade") to realise sowkhyam in the alapana, with upper and lower sancharas on a large canvas. The tensile swaras had the contouring and mellifluousness missing in the brika-struck neraval. On the whole the evening's music was for easy ears, not lasting for the mind, and that includes the tani avartanam.
Aruna Sairam's recital at the Narada gana sabha left you dazed by the change in her style. Little for the old world rasika to recognise in raga structuring here. Brindavanasaranga assumed exotic colours in the nouveau treatment (the royal "Soundararajam''was unrecognisable in glossy costume). What you got was not the Hindustani style either, but the singer's original grid, where phrases of multilevel modulations, in accelarating speeds, are hung upon lengthy karvais. These phrases are sliced to make repetitive yatis in ascending/descending scales. For effect you have inflections in differing volume and pace. Jaru is a major device in the Sairam arsenal. More confusingly, swaraprastara has alapana tags but the alapana is conceptualised as a collage of swara possibilities. This approach makes all ragas appear the same, coated with the same glitz. Vocalisation is the worst causalty, the akaram is almost entirely replaced by ukaram. The RTP in Hemavati (Khanda Triputa) had singular virtuosity and sense of rhythm; the tanam (with percussive banking) was an extension of the alapana. Oothukadu Venkatasubbier's sollukattu-packed tillana recitation had standing ovation almost. In the Marathi song ``Ramache bhaja'' all the singer's tools and mannerisms jelled to evoke bhakti.
Violinist B. Raghavandra Rao toed a more traditional line and sweetly. K. Arun Prakash (mridangam) and S. Karthick (ghatam) underlined the vocalist every inch of the way, heightening the effect of her charged swaras and karvais. A pity that their tani was too short for satisfaction.
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
|
