A few minutes into Ragavan Manian’s vocal recital, you realised that rasikas of the late vidwan Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, who had turned up in appreciable numbers, were in clover, as his disciple succeeded in invoking the distinctive BMK muse through an approach combining discipline with dedication. These elements distinguished both the kalpita and kalpana tropes in the Bahulapanchami concert organised by Sri Tyagaraja Seva Samithi at Vani Mahal. Raghavan was accompanied by V.L. Kumar (violin) and Arun Prakash (mridangam).
Positioned second in the list, the Kanakangi alapana came as an unexpected choice; yet perhaps not entirely unusual, given BMK’s predilection for vivadi melas. Pleasant and unhurried, the exposition benefited from sowkhyam as the guiding principle. No strain evident in visage or voice, the artist established serenity through long-drawn karvais and pure notes, communicating his thorough involvement via concise sancharas. Voice dipped easily down to the mandra sthayi shadja. It was a pleasure to experience the clearly enunciated sahitya in ‘Sri Gananatham.’
Insight showcased
‘Kanukonu Sowkhyamu’ (Nayaki), which followed, and ‘Ksheera Sagara’ (Devagandari) that came later were stand-alone kritis showcasing the insightfulness of all the three artists who highlighted the value of pause juxtaposed with articulation. A relaxed portrait of Hindolam gained heft in the madhya sthayi through well-sculpted prayogas. Mirroring the vocalist’s approach, Kumar eschewed fireworks and opted for fluid jarus. Engaging touches such as the swarakshara play on ‘Sa da’ in the charanam of ‘Manasuloni’ were constant reminders of BMK.
The main alapana in Sankarabharanam was built on firm constructs. Solid pidis formed a bulwark around manodharma flights. A calming ‘Swara Raga Sudha’ supported kalpanaswaras sporting catchy janta permutations and a concluding poruttam which added drama. The thread of subtlety continued to run through the compact, insightful tani avartanam.
Arun Prakash’s percussion was a study in sensitive anticipation, the artiste achieving that golden mean between playing for the composition and playing the composition itself.
V.L. Kumar’s ‘tread softly’ approach paid rich dividends, particularly in the dulcet tone of his Sankarabharanam delineation. Often, in instances where the disciple sounds remarkably like his/her guru, there is a probability of more than a hint of artifice colouring the presentation. However, Ragavan steered clear of this hazard. His articulation projected his guru’s tonality tempered by his own vision and conviction.