The noises emanating from the low flying aircrafts, the constantly ringing of temple bells and the playful children joyfully running around the length and breadth of the venue did not seem to disturb neither the performing artistes nor the music lovers. Such was the strong bonding that was established between them, no sooner than the recital began. The Chennai based Vasudha Ravi was giving a Carnatic vocal concert recently as part of the Skanda Shasti festival at the Uttara Swamimalai temple, popularly known as the Malai Mandir, regaling the music lovers in her recital of about two and a half hours. The concert was organised by Sree Swaminatha Swami Seva Samajam, which manages the temple.
Vasudha started her concert with the popular Adi taal varnam “Sarasuda” in the Saveri raga and flawlessly presented this in two speeds as well as in Tisra gati. For the invocation song on Lord Ganesha, she seemed to have carefully chosen Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar’s composition “Gam Ganapate” suffixing detailed and creatively crafted kalpanaswaras, which not only added liveliness to her recital but was also indicated the depth of her creative talents at the initial stages of her recital.
Scintillating alapana
Vasudha also handled well the composition of Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer “Sri Sankara Guruvaram” in the raga Nagaswarali (a janya raga of Harikhambhoji the 28th mela), besides singing a scintillating alapana of this raga. She took up the not so frequently heard Muthuswami Dikshitar’s composition “Dhandayudhapanim dandita” in the raga Ananda Bhairavi. Yet another composition on Lord Karthikeya, this time Mazhavi Chidambara Bharati’s fast paced “Ma Mayoora Meedil Eriva” in the raga Bilahari, enlivened the atmosphere.
Vasudha moved to take up the main item, which was Shyama Sastri’s “Sari evaramma” in the raga Bhairavi. She sang a detailed and unhurried alapana of this raga bringing out its features in stages and in a delightful manner. In addition, the neraval of the phrase “Madava Sodari Gowri” from the charanam portion of the composition and the detailed swaraprastharas that she once again presented in a delightful manner brought out the depth of her creative talents. However, one felt that the concert being organised as part of the Skanda Sasthi festival, Vasudha could have taken up a song on Lord Karthikeya instead of Lordess Kamakshi as the main item.
In her brief yet scintillating concluding session, Vasudha included a Thillana composed by Lalgudi G. Jayaraman in the raga Revati which was preceded by an emotive Virutham.
Youngster Akkarai S. Sornalatha from Chennai on the violin provided a matured support. Her befitting takes of the ragas Nagaswarali and Bhairavi, besides the kalpanaswaras on her instruments was enjoyable. N.C. Bharadwaj on the mridangam and Trichy S. Krishnaswamy on the ghatam, from Chennai, shared a good rapport between themselves and with the vocalist. They rose to the occasion by providing a riveting percussion support. Besides, they also played the tani avartanam in Kanda jati Jampa taal in a brilliant manner engaging the music lovers in rapt attention.