The rigours of her craft were amply visible — the feather-touch plucking with the right hand, and the glide of the left hand fingers on the strings interpreting the notes, through a movement here and a stress there. Jayanthi Kumaresh is a master of the Saraswati veena, the sounds emanating being nothing but pleasant. She struck a chord with the Chennai audience with her music that was soft and soothing and showed her ingenuity.
It was heart-warming to see youngsters enjoy every bit of her music. Her style and friendly approach have earned her fans across the globe. She also connects with her admirers through facebook, talking about music and sharing valuable tips.
Steeped in the melodious Lalgudi and S. Balachander styles, Jayanthi arrested the listeners’ attention with her Pantuvarali raga sketch, signalling the start with the Nattaikurinji varnam. Mridangam artiste, Arjun Kumar, and ghatam player Udupi Sridhar engaged themselves in a swara exchange after the kriti ‘Aparama Bhakti.’ Similarly, Jayanthi’s able handling of the Tyagaraja kriti elevated the presentation to a higher plane.
In the RTP, Kapi found new dimensions. The phrases rose to a sublime level as she struck up the ragamalika tanam section. The Kapi raga pallavi in Adi tala flowed in a soft-stroked cascading manner. The finish was an aesthetically strung ragamalika in swaraprasthara leading back to Kapi. She ended the concert with ‘Muralidhara Gopala’ in Maund and a Behag tillana.