Delightful AIR package

Distinct yet lively: Visalakshi Nithyanand

The All India Radio Sangeeth Sammelan recordings held recently at Chennai provided a delightful combo of concerts — vocal, harmonium and laya vinyasam — in that order, on a single day.

Visalakshi Nithyanand (vocal) has a voice of distinct hue that brings forth bhava. This and patanthara combine to make her concert a lively experience.

She presented an RTP in Nattakurinji (Khanda Jathi Thriputa Thalam) and showed that her creativity and her inclination to explore always take her into newer avenues in the alapanas. The concluding number, ‘Kani Nilam Vendum,’ was the best with a gripping allegiance to the lyric, that at once invoked the dreamy ambience with which poet Bharati vested the lyric.

Visalakshi was ably accompanied by V.L.Kumar (violin), Thanjavur Kumar (mridangam) and Ravichandran (ghatam).

Slowly but surely the harmonium of Palladam Venkatramana Rao wove a web over the audience with the artist enjoying himself.

The raga moorchana phrases for Ritigowla and Khambodi and the judicious and intentional use of the adjacent reeds to bring in to play anuswaras and the use of the bellows were done with care and precision to maintain continuity in the notes.

Guruvayur Dorai.

Venkatramana Rao was accompanied by V.V.Ravi (violin), K.V.Prasad (mridangam) and Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam).

Guruvayur Dorai chose Adi thalam (thisra nadai) and misra jampai for his thani avarthanam.

The multifarious time measure variations, korvais, arudhis and the periodic meshing of the soft and submissive left side (Idadhu Prayogam) were conveyed with a brilliance derived from years of experience.

Support was provided by M.A.Sundareswaran (violin) and T.V.Vasan (ghatam).

Chithra Gautham and Soundranayaki anchored the programme with a professional touch. It was announced that Visalakshi’s concert would be broadcast on September 13, the harmonium concert by Venkatramana Rao and Laya Vinyasam by Durai on July 12.

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