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Scholarship comes through
S. SIVAKUMAR
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Prema Rangarajan presented rare songs with an aesthetic touch.
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Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Pleasing: Prema Rangarajan
Prema Rangarajan seems to be adding to her rich folder of rare songs. She is a person of high aesthetics, honed with profound scholarship and her concert hinges on this virtue of hers.
Prema’s line-up of songs had ‘Pahimam Sri Rajarajeshwari’ (Nattai-Syama Sastri) with niraval and swaram at Syama Krishna Sodhari, followed by ‘Isai Padi Magizha’ (Charukesi-N.S.Chidambaram) sung with a cajoling note conveying all that is available for us mortals to follow noble ways. ‘Kayarohanesam Bhajare’ (Devagandharam-Dikshitar set to two kalais in Roopakam) came next and Veda-p-porule-Charanam (Devamanohari-Thiruvarutpa), that followed, revealed how chaste Tamil poetry (cheyyul) could be elevated to the concert platform by an expert.
Hamsanandi (Neethu Mahima Pogada-Harikesanallur) had an alapana with distinct phrases and niraval at the swarakshara point - Neethu - with an effect that was both desirable and telling. The heavy raga content had a Thodi (‘Jesinadhella’-Tyagaraja) presented with all its regal elements and niraval at ‘Rama Sri Tyagaraja Premavathara.’
‘Poompozhil Meviya Isaikkuyile,’ a ragamalika and a Tillana completed the impressive list. One was, however, nettled by the of-and-on misalignment of the upper shadjam with the sruti.
Padma Shankar (violin) seemed to welcome the change in the range and variety of songs and gave pleasing alapanas of Hamsanandhi and Thodi. Mannarkoil Balaji (mridangam) and Anirudh Athreya (ganjira) showed their mettle in accompanying, shining especially in the sangatis for the Thodi kriti. Their thani was of a high calibre.
The concert was held at the Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya, which had an audio system, well-tested with the decibel levels falling pleasantly on the ear.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
