Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
Notes in the air
VENKATESAN SRIKANTH
|
AIR continues to provide a great platform for Indian music.
|
Photo: S.S. Kumar
Impressive Duo The Hyderabad brothers put up a fine show
With the advent of cable channels, radio as such was dubbed as outdated, a few years ago. But thanks to the introduction of a number of FM radio channels, listening to the radio has revived. Amidst other odds and stiff competition, not only from it
own brethren (FM radio channels and satellite radio), but also from various television channels, the national broadcaster of India, All India Radio (AIR), has been playing an important role in reaching out to people with information, education and entertainment.
In particular, AIR has been providing, even today, a platform to musicians of the country. And the recordings of concerts of these artistes can be heard all over the country. It was therefore heartening to attend AIR’s concert organised in the Capital recently, as part of Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan, 2007.
Different venues
Dedicating this year’s festival to Swami Haridas of the 16th Century, both Carnatic and Hindustani music concerts were organised almost simultaneously in as many as 23 venues, including Kurukshetra (Haryana), Dibrugarh (Assam), Bhavnagar (Gujarat) and Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu). In the Capital, N. Rajam presented a violin concert in Hindustani style, while D. Seshachary and D. Raghavachary, popularly know as the Hyderabad Brothers, presented a vocal concert in Carnatic style.
The Hyderabad Brothers, in their recital of about 90 minutes, enthralled the rasikas with their synchronised voices and skilful presentation. The duo began their concert impressively with Tyagaraja’s “Nenarunchera Napaini”, in raga Simhavahini, bringing to the fore the emotive aspects of the sahityam. Muthuswami Dikshatar’s “Pamarajanapalini” in raga Simhendra Madhyamam (known as Seemantini in Dikshatar’s school) received fine treatment. Earlier, a scintillating alap of the raga was presented. Towards the end, the duo presented a niraval of the phrase “Kamitarthaphaladayini karunyamritavahini” which was rich in creativity. The duo presented this song again with rich and creative swaraprastaras.
As their main song, the duo took up yet another Tyagaraja composition, “Dasarathi ni Runamu” in raga Todi, bringing out both the raga bhava as well as the sahitya bhava. The duo also presented a composition of Annamacharya, a padam and a javali, before concluding the recital.
The duo was ably assisted by Peri Sriramamurthy on the violin, Arjun Kumar on the mridangam, Nemani Somayajulu on the ghatam and Srirangam S. Kannan on the morsunkh . Sriramamurthy’s delineations of the ragas Simhendra Madhyamam and Todi as well as the percussionists’ tani avartanam in Adi tala were enjoyable.
AIR has been conducting these Sangeet Sammelanams since 1954.
The broadcasts of these recordings have already begun.
The Hyderabad Brothers’ concert has already been on, but other concerts will be broadcast till early January. The efforts of the national broadcaster aimed at educating listeners, spreading and preserving our classical music even in the drastically changing scenario are laudable.
It is time for AIR to think of starting 24-hour FM channels dedicated solely to classical music.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
