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SRI KRISHNA GANA SABHA

Traditional: Sowmya and T.N.Seshagopalan.

This technique could be seen in the alapana of Pantuvarali, Sankarabharanam and Ritigowla. The sancharas were basically traditional and meticulously placed, but the impact was minimal. It lacked vocal vitality and the ragas looked not well nourished by depth.

The accuracy of the rendering of kirtanas, ‘Vadera’ (Pantuvarali), ‘Nannu Brochutaku’ (Sankarabharanam) and ‘Nannu Vidachi’ (Ritigowla), revealed the training she had received in early years from an experienced vidwan. But her instincts were not dynamic. It was her well-trained musical equipment that frittered away in ease and casualness. Seemingly effortless elaboration and kirtana rendition became tentative without deep involvement.

The shift in her understanding of music and singing style were unmistakable. It would do her much good if she turned her attention to the deeper domains of giving weightage to raga elaboration and kirtanas. Her smooth flowing voice is her asset. Let it not be wasted on the trivialities of softness.

The violinist T.Rukmini brought to her play restrained approach to Carnatic music’s conformity. The tuneful beats of mridangist Neyveli Narayanan and ghatam artist Kovai Suresh chimed well with Sowmya’s caressing style.

What makes Seshagopalan an outstanding vidwan is the way he startlingly wraps up dynamism to enrich performing standard. His single-minded aim is to sing Carnatic music beyond the confines of ragas, kirtanas and swaras – just sheer vocal impressiveness. His raga sancharas take on punitive direction. He is always exhibitionistic-conscious packing his interpretations of ragas and songs with scorching pace and ostentations leaps to the tara sthayi regions.

Though these characteristics are born with his music, the concert was comparatively subdued, but he felt uneasy all the same. Perhaps the very thin audience could not enthuse him to his normal self.

The ragas Sri (‘Karuna Juda Ninnu Nammi Na,’ a Shyamasastri piece), Varali (‘Kana Kana Ruchira, the pancharatna that needed no alapana prefix) and Saveri (Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi) were unfathomed in intensity. The pancharatna after three kirtanas seemed to defy established practice, a new trend discernible in another top-ranking vocalist. ‘Etavunra’ (Kalyani) was the main item.

The songs were rendered with the tight structure tampered with and clarity of sahitya lacking. In both ragas and kirtanas, his creative excitement of the better of aesthetic restraint. Kalyani raga and song spoke of his propensities to some extent.

M.Chandrasekaran on the violin had his say in the way that pleased him combining raga essence and bowing fervour. K.V. Prasad (mridangam) and Amrith (kanjira) provided support that reflected truthfully Seshagopalan’s colourless presentation.

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