When ragas fused

South Indian Cultural Association, which is conducting its 57th art festival as a birth centenary tribute to the musical legend MS Subbulakshmi. Performances by Rajhesh Vaidhya, fusion musician as well as OS Thyagaraja, vocalist were seen on November 3 and 4 respectively at Ravindra Bharathi.

Vaidya’s fusion orchestra was a thrilling experience while OS Thyagaraja’s vocals added an orthodox flavour. Vaidhya, the sought after fusion wizard, has composed various music albums and gave many demonstrative performances worldwide. He has performed alongside world renowned musicians and composers like Elton John. He has also received a Tamil Nadu government award “Kalaimamani” in the year 2010.

The ongoing 57th SICA art festival’s second and third day programmes thrilled the audience and gave them memorable experience. The fusion music by Rajhesh Vaidhya was enchanting as was OS Thyagaraja’s vocal performance

On the second day of the SICA art festival, Vadhya’s fusion team presented a concert with a pleasing Mohana Raga Varnam dealing with superb team blend full of rhythmic structure of Carnatic flavour. He then moved onto an invocatory item “Vaataapi Ganapathim Bhajeham” (Hamsadhwani) of Muthuswamy Deekshitulu, with a touchy swarakalpna in all the three scales. Then the main item, Amruthavarshini Raga krithi “Sudhamayi” penned by his guru was performed.

Here he decorated the Ragamalika in Kapi and Sahana, highlighting Amrithavarshini with all the embellishments of raga delineation. The instrumental crew included Mohan Raman (Mridangam), Chandrajith (Tabla), Parama Sivam (Kanjira) and Sai Hari (Ghatam), who gave a splendid display with unified beats on the relative instruments throwing an energised experience to one and all in the auditorium.

The hallmark of the third day’s programme was a dedicated concert to Saint Thyagaraja by OS Thyagarajan. An ardent devotee of the saint, and a person who credits him as the pioneer of Carnatic classical music, OS Thyagarajan rendered soulfully in his impeccable orthodox style. The audience too seemed pleased with his krithi selection/rendition and the presentation was true to Bhakthi Bhava. OS Thyagarajan took a rare raga “Bhavapriya” krithi “Sree Kantha Nee yeda”. He rendered different works of Thyagaraja wherein the faults of the individual vivified in candid terms.

He took Kalyani Raga krithi “Eatavunaraa Nilakada neeku?” as the main item of the evening and thrilled the audience with an enjoyable ragalapana and an astute swarakalpana, accompanied by others. In a nutshell, the concert showered the essence of Thyagaraja Sahityam into the fore, giving an everlasting feeling, while Vaidhya’s fusion concert the previous day gave instantaneous enjoyment.

By Chivukula Rama Mohan