Performances galore

Splendid classical concerts created ripples among the audience over the first three days of the 6th annual music festival of Kartheeka Sangeetotsavam

The 6th annual music festival as part of Kartheeka Sangeetotsavam 2015 by Sri Karthikeya Gana Sabha (SKGS) was held at Kowtha Kalyana Mandapam, Padmaraonagar. The five-day celebrations were held from November 12 to 17. The first three days saw performances by Amritha Murali (vocals), followed by Sriram Parasuram’s violin concert on day two, and then the prides of the Telugu land, Malladi brothers.

The inaugural vocal concert by artiste Amritha Murali from Chennai, Amritha Murali started her concert with Muthuswamy Deekshitulu’s Kamalamanohari raga krithi “Sankaramabhirami”. Following that was the gem by Thyagaraja, “Neevanti Dyvamuna shadanana! Neynendugaanaraa”, which showcased her in-built talent in ragalapana.

She then moved onto Syama Sastri’s work, “Nannu Brovu Lalitha” delivered very pleasingly. With a straight rendition of Papanasam Sivan “Saravana Bhava Guhaney” in Kannada, she moved onto the main piece of the evening, Kambhoji raga krithi “Sri Subramnyaya Namasthe Namasthe” by Deekshitulu. Hers was a praise-worthy performance, which she concluded with “Joh Atchutananda’ by Annamacharya, touching all the charanams with lucid rendering. Amritha gave much space for ragalapana, without limiting to one or two. This caused her audience to pay heed all through.

On the second day of the SKGS festival, it was the turn of Hindustani Classical Voco-Violinist Sriram Parasuram, who gave a stupendous play. The versatile artiste was at his best on the strings. He performed many jugalbandis with his wife, Carnatic classical musician Anuradha Sriram. A child prodigy, Sriram Parasuram started with Hamsadhwani raga krithi “Gam Ganapthe Namoh” penned by Harikesanallur Muttaiah Bhagavathar in Thisra Gathi Adi Talam.

He handled the violin as if it were a child’s play. He presented another krithi of Koteswara Ayyer in the raga “Ganaroopini” with perfect bow technique and with an astounding ragalapana chiseling melody on the strings. Parasuram dealt with all the ragas one by one, displaying raga flavour in ample measure, which enabled the audience to enjoy the raga madhuryam. He concluded with tail-ending items with a bhajan in Madhuvanthi and a Desh Raga Thillana of Lalgudi Jayaraman.

The third day programme had a Carnatic vocal concert by the Malladi brothers from Vijayawada. The Malladi Brothers started their vocal concert with “Varasikha Vaahanaa” which was followed by “Entharani Tanakenthaponi”, “Syamasundrangaa!”, “Ora Joopu Joochedi Nyayamaa” and others. “Ora Joopu” was attempted by them one after another with apt neravals.

They took the sub-main piece “Bhajarey Rey Chitta Baalaambika” and the main piece “Sri Viswanatham Bhajey” both by Muthuswamy Deekshitar, and dwelled with an extensive ragalapana, coupled with a melodious swarakalpana. Listeners were not bored at any point of time and in fact intended to hear some more krithis

Dwaram Satyanarayana Rao, son of Late Dwaram Narasingarao Naidu (retired AIR artist) also showed his expertise following the duo’s performance. DSR Murthy (mridangam) and Nemani Somayajulu (ghantam), veteran instrumentalists superbly decorated the concert. S Chakravarthi, retd. IAS officer and president South Indian Cultural Association felicitated DSR Murthy with Sangeetha Pragna Puraskaram and Brahmasri Kollegal R Subramanyam with Duddu Seetharmiah Memorial Award on behalf of the organisation.

By:Chivukula Rama Mohan