Rendered with perfection

quality: Mala Chandrasekhar

Purandaradasar Kritis

Gitaa Cassettes

Giri Trading Agency

Mala Chandrasekhar (flute)

Audio CD (Price Rs. 75)

The number of quality flautists among the fair sex in the Carnatic music world has not been appreciable in the past.

Out of the few, the Sikkil sisters stand out as probably the only female duo to have taken up playing of the flute as a pair in the Carnatic mode. They have had phenomenal success as performers and the mantle has now been passed on to Sikkil Mala Chandrasekhar. Mala is known to strive for perfection in her chosen art form and has been growing in her musical stature steadily.

The compact disc features exclusive compositions of Purandaradasa, the Pitamaha of Carnatic music, rendered by Mala on flute.

Mala has wisely chosen compositions of Dasa which are popular in vocal concerts. The opening kriti offers salutations to the elephant God and is the oft-heard ‘Gajavadana Beduve’ in Hamsadhwani (Adi). It is a bright opening to the disc with solfa passages played for the pallavi. The violinist comes out with a good porutham during the swara exchanges. ‘Yare Rangana’ ( Hindolam, Adi ) is a smooth version by Mala and evokes nostalgic memories of the delectable rendering of this song by the late M.L. Vasanthakumari.

Bhairavi is the raga chosen for the first melodic essay. It is refreshing that the artist begins the alapana from the madya sthayi daivatha with the phrase DNSRS. This registers well. The alapana is a crisp version. ‘Odi Barayya’ is the composition played in Bhairavi and is a convincing portrayal of the song.

‘Rama Rama’ (Vasantha, Adi Tisra nadai) comes as a filler before the main piece in this disc. Kalpanaswaras at two matrais after samam are played fluently for the Vasantha number by the flautist as well as the violinist.

Kalyani is the crowning raga in this recording and the vinyasa by Mala is pregnant with time tested weighty phrases and sancharas. The lingering at the top shadja is in total unison with the sruti. The violinist plays a classy Kalyani matching the quality of the main artist.

‘Nambi Kettavar’ succeeds the alapana which has the appendages of niraval and swaras for the sahitya point ‘Garudagamana.’ These are executed with ease and skill.

The mridangist and ghatam player play a few avarthas of ‘Farans’ before a Mohra Korvai at the close of the Kalyani composition.

The tail-enders are ‘Innudayabarade’ (Kalyanavasantham), ‘Jagadodharana’ (Kaapi), ‘Thamburi Meetidhava’ (Sindhubhairavi ) and ‘Bagyada Lakshmi’ (Madyamavathi).

Mala puts in a lot of bhava in her rendering of ‘Innudayabarade.’

The bhava-laden rendition of this pada arises as a result of the full understanding of the lyrics. It is creditable that the grammar of the raga does not get distorted in Mala’s version. The names of the accompanists do not find a mention in the inlay card which is a pity.

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