Impressive harmonium recital

Purandara and Tyagaraja Aradhana are being celebrated by many organisations in the City. One such Institution — Nadajyothi Sri Tyagaraja Swamy Bhajan Sabha — is conducting the music festival in connection with the Aradhana, for the past 42 years. In collaboration with the Malleswaram Arya Vysya Sangha, the Sabha had organised Gosti Gayana lecture (Kallapura Pavamanachar), felicitation to artistes such as T S Vasantha Madhavi (vocal), C Ramdas (Harmonium), M Kodandaram (Nagaswara) and H S Sudhindra (Mridanga) and of course music concerts (both Carantic and Hindustani).

C Ramdas, a senior artiste, gave a solo harmonium recital recently. An instrument that is not heard of much in the Carnatic classical music scene as much as the veena, flute and violin. Which is why this performance received much appreciation from music lovers. Arunachalappa, H Bhima Rao, Palladam Venkata Ramana Rao, R Paramashivan are some of the popular harmonium players in the Carnatic music fraternity. 

Ramdas has developed a professional elan that invests every composition with the popular appeal. He chose well-known compositions mostly of Tyagaraja and Purandara Dasaru.

Ramdas's recital started on a vibrant note with Siddi Vinayakam. Sarasa Samadana is an ever-popular keerthane and Ramabhi Rama is a soulful composition. Entha muddo entha sogaso of Tyagaraja is known for its graceful melody and Vandanamu is always appreciated for its bhava.

Devaranama — Nambi Kettavarillavo was chosen for a detailed elaboration. The performance had Basavanagudi Nataraj on violin, B K Chandra Mouli on mridanga and Kartik S Mani on rhythm pad accompanied by Abhijith.

Evocative vocal

The Karnataka College of Percussion Trust, in association with the Ananya GML Cultural Academy, celebrated the 43rd annual music festival recently. T N Ramesh, who gave a vocal concert in the City, is an artiste with the  Akashvani, Mumbai. The dignified compositions Palinchu Kamakshi reverberated with glowing cadences of the melody. He gave a clean picture of the raga, testified for sustained practice and aesthetic perception.
Earlier he sang Narasimha Mamava with Chitteswara. Bhajana Seya was enriched with some scintillating swara and meaningful nerval. The Maganinda gathi unte was a welcome change from the routine Devaranamas. The accompanists C N Chandrasekhar (violin), Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma (mridanga), T N Ramesh (ghata) and M V Sampth Kumar Sharma (morching), rose to great heights in their supporting roles.

A cultured concert

The vocal concert of Hyderabad Brothers — D Raghavachari and D Seshachari — as always was a cultured concert. With their chiseled style and selection, they always succeed in receiving appreciation from connoisseurs. Recently, at the Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha, their choice of Dinamanivamsha was well appreciated.
The alapana nerval and swara for Dinamani Vamsha was well received by the gathering. It was impactful with a vintage touch. Dandamu Bettadanura in the raga Balahamsa was melodious. Two Kannada Devaranamal — Smarane Onde Saalade and Dharma Shravana Videthake were redolent with lyrical charm. They added a touch of grace to Sree Ranganathude and Durmargachara was inspiring.
The support by accompanists Akkarai Subbalakshmi, Arjun Kumar and M A Krishna Murthy, complemented the performance.