Music and dance reviews

Youth music festival

It is holding music concerts every month in the divine atmosphere of Sri Mahaganapathi Temple, Vinayaka Nagara, Devasandra, K R Puram. The Sabha also conducts music festivals, lecture demonstrations and music appreciation sessions every year.

In the “Yuva Sangeethothsava”, 15 young and upcoming artists performed through four concerts. Vocalist B R Sanjay Nag, violinist Ashwin Kalyan and mrindangist Vishnuvardhan established their credentials individually and collectively in their concerts on Friday.

Sanjay Nag is a disciple of Dr K Varada Rangan, senior vocalist and is also learning mridanga, now. Ashwin Kalyan is a student of both vocal (under Dr K Varadarangan) and violin (A Kanya Kumari) and Vishnuvardhan is a disciple of T S Chandrasekhar.

Familiar Varna ‘Karunimpa’ gave Sanjay Nag a bright start. To make an impact he sang the varna in different speeds also. He saluted to the invocatory God through “Sri Mahaganapathe Surapathe”. “Ranjani Niranjani” with brief raga and swara was pleasing, but not without its shortfalls. It was followed by two good compositions – “Sri Ramam Sada Bhajeham” in good ‘vilamba kaala’ and “Naadupai”. A raga, thana, pallavi – was planned as a major item of the concert, which suited a “Sabha Kacheri’, very well.

Elaboration of Raga Bhairavi and swara prasthara was tidy enough to sustain patient listening. Sanjay Nag is young enough to learn and receive higher training and with good home work and some more concert experience can reach great heights.The accompanists – Ashwin and Vishnuvardhan – have good future in the years to come.

Dignified, divine

Ammanni Iyengar served the society in a significant way in the fields of culture, education and religious. Specially her services in women’s education, working women’s problems – will be remembered always. Her birth centenary was celebrated by the MES Kalavedi last week, with a special programme.

Vyjayanthimala Bali, veteran dancer, choreographer presented a lecture demonstration on ‘Abhinaya’.

Aptly called as ‘Abhinayam – Anubhavam’, she presented several beautiful compositions. Sitting on a dias comfortably, she opened the programme with a Todi raga composition in Tamil. It was followed by a rare pada “Maaname Bhushanamu” in the raga Shankarabharana. By using the ‘Drishti’ and ‘Shirobhedas’ in a distinct way and gracefully she was equally impressive in the varna ‘Mohamainen’ (Kharaharapriya – Dandayudhapani Pillai). She also chose a devaranama (Aadi Podalle) and the legendary “Sakhi Prana” and concluded with a popular thillana in Dhanashri raga. It was a sparkling display of Abhinaya, which was dignified with divinity though her voice was not obeying her always.

But Anahitha Raveendra (vocal), Gayathri Shashidhar (natuvanga), Shakthivel (mridanga), and Chaitanya Kumar (flute) gave good support.