An ode to the saint composer

Thyagaraja’s 248th Jayanthi celebrations were organised by Vignana Samithi, SICA and other organisations at Anandanagar Community Hall, Khiaratabad on Monday. It is a coincidence that two grade artists of AIR Tulasi Viswanath (vocal) and P Nanda Kumar (violin) participated in the Thyagarja festival which was a good opportunity for them to showcase their progress in music.

Thulasi Viswanath was accompanied by musicians Ch Rama Krishna on mridangam and B Janardhan on ghatam, who gave good instrumental support. Tulasi Viswanath started his rendition with “NinneBhjana Seyuvaanu” (nata) with a brief ragalapana and rendered it with decorative phrases in Anu Pallavi and “Snana Japa Tapamul”. She then moved on to “Sadhincheney Oh! Manasa” (arabhi). “She later took to Tulasee Dalamulachey” (mayamalava goula) with good swarakalpana.

She touched krithis of Thyagaraja “Dayarani Dayarani Dasasradhi Rama” (mohana), “Bantureethi Koluviya Vayya Rama” (hamsanadam) and concluded her vocal recital with some more numbers. The instrumental support was good in all respects while the vocalist could not evoke much response from the thin audience on this festive day. Vageeyakara Thyagarja’s Jayanthi celebrations conducted with a suggestion to form a forum with the first names of the participating organisations and conducting good musical festive programmes in a befitting manner.

Speaking at the occasion sangita vidwan Kollegal R Subramanyam quoted keerthanas “Nee Daya Radaa Raama Nee Daya Radaa” (vasantha bhairavi), “Rama Bhaktahi Samrajyam” (suddha bangala), “Nagu Momu Ganaleni” (abheri) and detailed the emotive spell of Thyagaraja with all the intrinsic, meaning much to the enlightenment of the listeners. K Ganapathiram, Kollegal’s grandson gave instrumental support while Kollegal gave a vocal touch of the above krithis.

By:Chivukula Rama Mohan