Harmonium captivates-Music and dance reviews

Harmonium captivates

Though harmonium is a popular accompanying instrument in Hindustani music concerts, solo recitals of harmonium are not held frequently these days.

Vittal Rao Koregaunkar, Rambhau Bijapure, Govind Rao Tembe, Vasanth Kanakapur, Seshadri Gavai – are some of the great harmonium players of yesteryears and
Dr Ravindra Katoti is one of the senior most harmonium players of today who has accompanied great vocalists. He is also an able teacher, who is training a number of young aspirants.

Dr Ravindra Katoti gave a harmonium solo concert for the Bangalore Lalithakala Parishat on Friday. Rag Marva gave him a bright start.

Developing in vilambith ek thal and drut teen thal, the raga was embellished with lovely phrases. The Behag was marked for its melodic aplomb. There was crushing sonority and clarity of expression in his playing and classical stature in his music was unmistakable. He also presented three devotionals with a good feeling.

“Thoredu Jeevisabahude” is a well known composition and he gave the Hindustani interpretation of the Karnatic devaranama “Jagadoddarana,” which was a pleasant surprise. His mastery over the instrument, mellow tone and melody throughout the concert made for a delightful listening.

Udayraj Karpoor on tabala readily responded to enhance the enjoyment and Madhusudhan Bhat accompanied on the harmonium.

Yuva Puraskar winners

Both the recipients of the “Yuva Puraskara” gave brief concerts at the Ananya Awards presentation function. Both of them are young vocalists, talented and promising artistes. B K Raghu, B S Prashanth and Bharadwaj Sathavalli accompanied both the parties on violin, mridanga and morching, respectively.

All the three compositions chosen by Vighnaraja S Sampagodu were his own compositions. Opening with a varna in Mohana raga (Kamala Lochani), he gave a brief alapana of the raga Manoranjani. It is a Audava Sampurna raga and “Janya” of Maanavati, the 5th mela. Tyajaraja and Dikshitar, both have composed keertanas in Manoranjani raga. Swara was also added to the composition “Aadi Shakthi Swarupini” and concluded with a thillana in Hamsanandi. Vrinda Acharya commenced her concert with “Ambaparadevathe” of Krishnaswamy Ayya in the raga Rudrapriya. A brief alapana of Chandrajyothi was neatly rendered. It is a “Krama Shadava” raga and Tyagaraja’s composition “Baagayanayya” which is popular in this raga, was sung with swara.

Melody deficiency

The Haridasa Sampada Trust conducted the annual Haridasa Habba with music (Karnatic, Hindustani), dance, bhajane and discourses.

Dr Anupama (Gudi) Mangalavedi, who gave a vocal recital here, is the daughter of Madhava Gudi, senior vocalist of yesteryears. In the “Dasavani,” she reeled off a number of devaranamas like – “Nambide Ninna Paadava,” “Neene Anatha Bandhu,” “Dadava Seriso,” “Chinna Kadagola Tharenna,” “Ollano Hari Thanollano,” “Bidano Ninna” – etc, etc.

Her voice reaches “Thaara Sthayee” easily. But there is no justification in going to Thara Sthayee soon after commencing a composition, and ignoring the “Mandra Sthayee!”
She failed to enthuse the audience who had come with expectations and anticipation.

Singing with a good feeling and adding musical value to her rendering may help her to hold the audience. Shravan Pothdar on harmonium, Rajgopal Kallurkar and Rupak Kallurkar on thabala and Venkatesh Purohit on thaala – accompanied her.