Music and dance review
Cultural festivals in connection with Aradhana of Sri Raghavendra Swamy are being held all over the city.
Aradhana concerts
Sri Raghavendra Seva Samithy, Sudhindra Nagar, organised religious and cultural programmes till Wednesday (August 17). Vocal, veena, devotional music, bhajan and discourses are organised.
Puttur Narasimha Nayak, who gave a concert exclusively of Kannada Devaranamas, here, last week, is one of our most sought after artistes.
He is equally reputed in sugam sangeeth and folk songs and has sung for a large number of music albums. He presented a number of compositions on Raghavendra Swamy, also to suit the occasion.
Thunga Theera Viharam, Raya Baro, Karedare Barabarade etc – the lyrical appeal in the deveranama accented its instant likeability. With his melodious voice, he sang with good feeling popular songs like – Pavamana, Rajabeediyolaginda, Kaagada Bandide, Dasanagu Visheshanagu. He touched ‘Thara Panchama’ easily in “Nanena Madideno”, which proved that his voice can traverse in three octaves, easily.
Vasanth Kumar, Raghavendra and Venkatesh Purohit gave sustained support on keyboard, tabla and ‘Thala’ respectively. Devotees immersed in the devotional music, rendered gracefully by Puttur Narasimha Nayak.
Pleasing vocal
The other organisation celebrating the Aradhana with a week long programme is Sri Raghavendra Swamy Brindavana Sannidhi Trust, Prakash Nagar. Ananth Kulakarni, who performed here on Friday, is not a stranger to Bangaloreans. He was accompanied on harmonium by Venkatesh Alkod, on Tabla by Rajgopal Kallurkar and on Thala by Venkatesh Purohit.
Ananth Kulakarni’s opening slokas of Harikathamritha sara, helped to bring a good devotional atmosphere. Compositions of different Haridasas sounded refreshing. A cascading variety of ‘Sangathies’ enhanced the aural elegance of the devaranamas.
Meaningful songs like Danavakuladali, Rathavanerida, Teekarayara Paada – were pleasing. Indeed he can reach great heights with some more experience.
