JOIN USIn footsteps of MS
Sony Music has brought out a new CD of Dr M S Subbulakshmi from the National Centre for Performing Arts archives. After its release, there was a vocal recital by S A Aishwarya, great granddaughter of MS. She was introduced to music by her grandmother Dr Radha Viswanathan and is continuing her training under Jambu Kannan.
Opening with the familiar varna “Eranapai”, Aishwarya continued with another well known composition “Siddivinayakam” with a brief raga and swara. Then she chose “Raghuvamsha”, which is mainly popular for the instrumental music. Shankarabharana, the stately raga was well narrated and she sung the majestic kruthi of Saint Tyagaraja “Enduku Peddala” like a professional musician!
The centre of attraction at the concert was the mridanga support by veteran T K Murthy, who had accompanied M S for several decades. In fact, there were two mridanga players, with young B C Manjunath being the other. The percussionists gave a lively support and the tani was also memorable. In the post “thani’ session, Aishwarya presented few devotionals like – Entha Bhagyamunu, Jagadoddarana and Shiva Shiva Bho. The 19-year-old girl has a good voice and music is in her blood. No doubt, soon she will reach great heights with more training and stage experience. Violin support was provided by senior C N Chandrashekhar.
Nrithyollasa
Ananya presented two dance recitals in this month’s “Nrithyollasa” – a Bharathanatya and a Kathak recital. Both the artistes were from foreign countries. Moritz Zavan Stoeckle started his bharathanatya training with at Venice and attended many workshops conducted by well known dancers and has worked with many dance companies. He is a lighting designer at the Teatro Fondamenta Nuove in Venice. He has won the Gd’A Veneto dance competition and has performed in several organisations, including the Europa Festival, Rome.
Moritz opened his dance recital straight away with a varna of Papanasam Sivan in the raga Natakuranji. He performed with practised ease, with simple but beautiful Adavus. Without overdoing anything, he danced with simple costumes. Well known Astapadi “Priye Charusheele” was a good selection for Abhinaya. But seasoned connoisseurs felt it was bit slow and he has to improve his Abhinaya skills for a better impact. He concluded with another fine thillana in the raga Shankarabharana, of Tanjore quartette.
Not wholesome
Bharkha Patel, hailing from New York, is a student of Rachna Sarang and has performed both in the USA and India. In her Kathak recital, the first item was on Ganapathy, customarily. It was in Ek thaal.
Pakhawaj was also used along with tabla, with flamenco beats and Mexican cajan in the background music. She also performed a Thumri (Bolat Sham) and a Tharana (Bageshree). She has good stage presence but it was very brief a recital to make an impact.
Dance festival
Sadhana Sangama Dance Centre conducts not only dance classes but also music and yoga classes. Apart from the annual dance festival (Mukula, Yugala and Bahula), the centre conducts monthly dance programmes called “Nrutya Nirantara”, under the direction of Jyothi Pattabhiraman.
There were three dance programmes on Monday, as part of this year’s dance festival. Students of Nrityantar Dance Ensemble presented three items beautifully in the Odissi style.
They paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath and the ‘Panchabhuta’ – Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (air) and Akash (sky). The Odia poetry was on Radha and Krishna’s eternal love, where Sakhi warns Radha that people on the streets, bazaar and everywhere of Braja are talking about her (Radha) and Krishna. The concluding dance “Varsha Avisar” was a celebration of the arrival of rain. It was beautiful and a proof of their good training.
Bharatha Natya
Under the direction of K Brinda, students of Ananya Kalanikethan gave a Bharathanatya recital. Opening with Pushpanjali and Ganesha stuthi (raga Naata), they chose a piece on Dashavathara in ragamalike. Swaravali and Devistuthi was also in ragamalike – and all the six young students performed changing the roles in quick succession and assurance.
Curtains came down on this year’s dance festival with a duet by Sumana and M Puja. Both are the students of Jyothi Pattabhiraman and are preparing for the proficiency examination also. The opening Malhari (raga Gambheera Naata) is a traditional item, but appeared too “Vilamba” which marred the impact. The second one was a Abhinaya piece from the well known “Antahpura Geethe” of Dr D V Gundappa. They performed the “Dangurav Poydavane” with ease and smiling faces. With some more training and watching seniors’ programmes they can improve their performances.