Musical treat

The 46th annual celebrations of Sri Rama Gana Sabha (SRGS) titled Sri Saduguru Thyagaraja Aradhanotsavalu started on Friday at New Nallakunta Sri Ramalayam with the tradition recital of Nadaswaram. The festival would be on till February 9. iprasiromani, vedic scholar and industrialist Kowtha Lalitha Manohar hosted the celebrations on the first day and honourd the musicians for their contributions.

In his address, he appreciated the efforts of the SRGS and the team under the leadership of Konki Sathyanarayana Rao for over three decades in organising the festival and providing opportunities to young and senior musicians to pay tribute to Thyagaraja by rendering krithis as part of continuing the Carnatic music tradition set out by Thyagaraja.

A splendid veena recital

Achala Sankaranth, a veena musician with over three decades of experience and training from veterans like Ayyaagari Syamasundar, Bandi Sayamala and others started the veena recital mellifluously. Achala is a graded artist of AIR. She started her recital with a Navaragamalika varnam. She then presented Bahudari krithi “Brova Bharama” and “Swaraswathi Namosthuthey” with little swarakalpana.

She also played “Gnanamosga Radaa” (Poorvikalyani), “Bantureethi” (Hasanadam) and the main item in Bhairavi “Yenaati Nomu Phalamo” with ragalapana and swarakalpana. The instrtumental support by K Saikumar on violin, I Renuka Prasad on mridangam and Sreedharacharya on ghatam complimented the veena artiste in enhancing the tempo of the recital.

However, Anchla Sankaranath could not evoke any enthusiasm. This was perhaps because of the lack of practice despite having years of experience. But the little commentary about Thyagara lyrics enunciated by Konki Satyanaryana Rao pleased the audience.

He said “Samajavaragamana” relieves muscular pains while Gnanamosagaradaa krithi gives the importance of nama japam, the solace rendered to Thyagaraja when he completed one crore Ramanama Japa Yagna. He added that Hindola and Poorvi Kalyani are the melodious ragas which the artiste took for the recital. All in all the accompanying musicians as well as vivid commentary by Satyanarayana Rao made the programme enjoyable.

Musical extravaganza by “Clarinet” Wizard “Kota’ Atchibabu

True to the name and fame Kota Atchibabu’s clarinet recital proved to be a vivid musical extravaganza on the second day of SRGS Thyagaraja Festival. He was the only star clarinet wizard of the erstwhile AP, A grade artist of AIR and staff artist of AIR, Hyderabad. Narsipatnam born Kota Atchibabu started his energising recital with a pleasing “Raghunayaka” Hamsadhwani of Thyagaraja with a seasoned ragalapana and swarakalpana.

A young band of musicians with Oruganti Rajasekhar on violin, K Syamkuar on mridangam, Marthi Raghava Sarma on ghatam made the show lively and attractive by their scintillating follow up while also showcasing their hidden talents into fore. Kota took another alluring raga “Anadabhairavi” of Thyagaraja “Nee Key Theliyakapothey” with good elaboration.

Rajasekhar gave a good instrumental support on violin. It was in the rendering of “Sobhilli Saptaswara” (Jangamohini) and “Nee Valla Guna Dhosha Memi” (Kapi) of Thyagaraja krithis that Kota took the audience to great heights of emotive feeling. He took the main item of the evening in Hindola raga krithi “Samajavara Gamana” of Thyagaraja with a scintillating ragalapana and a majestic swarakalpana. His display of neraval in Anupallavi charanam was also good.

He took Ragamalika and touched ragas sahana, behag, kalyani, sindhubhairavi, revathi, and at the end with Hindola, he switched over to other ragas with ease. Syamkumar showed his inimitable style of display in Thaniavarthan along with Ragahava Sarma who fallowed Syamkumar in tune with Mridanga Vinyasam. R Chakrapani, secretary, SICA, appreciated the musicians for the good instrumental support.

By:Chivukula Rama Mohan