JOIN USSwara Bhushini
B S Chandrakala was a violinist, vocalist, teacher, author and philanthropist. In her memory, Bangalore Gayana Samaja presents two awards every year. This year’s award was presented to Geetha Ramanand (Swara Bhushini) and Dr G V Jaya Rajashekhar on Sunday.
On the occasion, Geetha Ramanand gave a veena recital, accompanied by Adamya Ramanand on mridanga and G Omkar Rao on ghata. Geetha is a disciple of C Krishnamurthy and a postgraduate in music. She retired from the All India Radio as a producer after serving for several decades and is known as a senior veena player of “Mysore Baani” and a ‘A-Top grade’ artiste of Akashavani.
Geetha opened her concert with a rare varna of Prof T R S Subramanyam, in the raga Behag. Arabhi kruthi “Sri Saraswathi” of Deekshitar is also a welcome change from the routine invocatory pieces. Then she sprang a surprise by selecting another infrequent raga. Megharanjini, the ‘audava’ raga belongs to Mayamalavagowla varga and is also known as a ‘Rakti Raga’ A known kruthi in this raga ‘Venkateshwara Yadava’ was evocative. So also raga ‘Prabhu Priya’ is not known much and she chose a composition of Veena Venkatagiriyappa in that raga. While Kaapi raga was rendered with good emotion, Shankarabharana was enjoyable. Durbari Kaanada thillana was also refreshing.
Successful Sangeethotsava
The Bharatiya Saamagaana Sabha had chosen “Samaya Raga Sangeethotsava” as its theme for the seventh Annual Music Festival.
Apart from young musicians’ concerts, Thyagaraja and Purandaradasa Aradhana were also held and Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia received the Saamagana Mathanga National Award. Padma Shri Aruna Sairam, who sang here last week, is one of our popular vocalists and a crowd-puller.
“Evaribodha,” the familiar varna gave her a bright start. The “Teliyaleru Rama Bhakthi Margamu,” the meaningful keerthana of saint Tyagaraja was successful in bringing out the “raga bhava” creditably. Raga and swara for “Subrmanyena Rakshito Hum” was brief but impactful. The next composition was different but interesting.
Flute Venkatarama Iyer has composed different ‘Sahitya’ (lyrics) for the “Raghuvamsha Sudham Budhi,” raga Kadankuthushala. While she presented Shubha Pantuvarali briefly, she chose Kambodhi for a detailed elaboration, which had their lively spell, throughout, and glowed with good raga bhava.
As expected, she also sang a Abhang “Maje Maje Pandari” and pleased the gathering. The accompanists - Vittala Ramamurthy, Neyveli Skanda Subramanyan and S V Ramani on violin mridanga and ghata respectively - rose to great heights in their supporting roles.