On the sixth day of the 48th anniversary concerts of Ragapriya in Madurai on Thursday, S. Saketharaman wooed the audience with his high-pitched emotive singing. He started off with the varnam, ‘Angayarkanni,’ on the presiding deity of Madurai. It is a composition of his guru Lalgudi Jayaraman, in which he used nine distinct ragas (Navarasa Pada Varnam) — Bilahari, Huseni, Valaj, Saaranga, Sucharitra, Atana, Rasikapriya, Sahana and Nadanamakriya — to bring out Devi’s navarasas (nine emotions).
After a brief alapana, his second rendering was “Ati nirupama sundharaakara” in Pantuvaraali, a composition of Oottukadu Venkata Kavi on Lord Krishna, the unparalleled personification of beauty and is like the moon. He followed it up with “Kamalapthakula” by Saint Tyagaraja in Brindavana Saranga set to Deshaadi talam, where Tyagaraja pleads with Lord Rama to show him mercy and assure him freedom from fear.
“Cittam irangadenaiyya” in Sahana gagam by Papanasam Sivan on Lord Muruga of Tiruchendur was rendered next.
He then presented in a quick pace “Saravanabhava” in Pasupathipriya, by H. N. Muthiah Bhagavatar on the Lord of Harikesapura in Tirunelveli. The pace at which it was rendered showed how fast the composer wanted the Lord to fulfil his wishes.
With Kalpana swaras, he brought his fertile imagination to the forefront in the song “Thaye Yasodha” by Oottukadu Venkata Kavi in Todi ragam. The rendition of sharanam, “Kalinil silambu konjak-kaivakai kulunga muttu malaigal asaiya-teru vasalil vandaan,” was well received by the audience with unabated applause. Violinist H. N. Bhaskar brought out the entire nuances of the raga to make the song more melodious. The Tani by Neyveli Narayanan on the mrudangam and Tiruchi S. Krishnaswamy on ghatam, created an aura of soft and sound touches in the precise tani avardhanam.
He rounded off his concert with “Kakkai chiraginile nandalala” by Bharath in Yadhukula Khambhoji; a lullaby with sweetness by Pavendar Bharathidasan, “Thunbam nergayil;” a Tiruvaimozhi on the Vaitamanidi Perumal of Tirukollur “Unnum choru parugum neer” and a ragamalika song “Sonnathai seithida” of Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri gave the singer thunderous applause. Charged with energy till the end, his concert made one feel worthy of listening.
S. Padmanabhan