JOIN USA Carnatic music recital on saxophone, which was presented by G Ramanathan at the Bangalore International Centre recently, was full of surprises.
Ably accompanied by Pradesh Acharya on violin and Vaidraj Bhatt on mridangam, he played many ragas and innovated the geets a lot.
The performance started with a raga-based composition Dev Adi Sev. The beautiful manner in which he portrayed the intricate taans was appreciated by the audience.
The packed house was mesmerised by his recital and wanted him to go on performing.
His presentation of raga Brindavani Sarang was excellent and he did justice to it with a beautiful composition.
There was ample amount of breathers in between and the recital was crisp. The audience were completely enthralled by his constant innovation on the saxophone.
The support given by his team was equally appreciated. The jugalbandi sessions were interesting and spontaneous. The musicians took turns to play with each other and concluded it with a beautiful session of jugalbandi between the three of them.
The solo performance on the mridangam was noteworthy as he showcased various elements in his performance. Starting it in a mysterious fashion, he went on to play in an ascending order (from slow to fast), adding his own bit to the solo recital.
“The team is lovely and the recital is so absorbing that one does not want to leave the show. A recital of Carnatic music on the saxophone is very unique and usually, it is associated with stalwarts like Kadri Gopalnath.
However, G Ramanathan is very talented and I thoroughly enjoyed the show,” said Lokesh, who had come to watch the performance.
Every aspect of the show had a unique factor in it. Even the fillers were planned well, while Ramanathan was taking a break, the violin and mridangam duo were outwitting each other with excellent innovation and seamless performance. The audience had a mixed group, including many young professionals.
“Music is the best way to relax, the artistes are extremely talented. After a long day, when I get to be a part of such a brilliant performance, it feels like my stress has vanished. It is a great way to start the weekend and I really hope that BIC continues to arrange great performances such as this.
I often come to watch the performances here and feel rejuvenated when I leave for home,” said Girish, a professional. The show concluded with a couple of bhav geet by the team.