HKN honored with ‘Dhanurvainika Brahma’ title

In memory of Sangeeta Ratna T.Chowdiah, Nadabrahma Sangeeta Sabha felicitates a senior violinist on the 19^th of January every year. This is the day Chowdiah beathed his last and on his death anniversary his family in collaboration with the sabha honors a senior Violin vidwan with the title ‘Dhanurvainika Brahma’ every year and a concert by the honored is arranged following the felicitation.

This year senior violinist of the city Mysore H.K.Narasimha Murthy is the recipient of this award. It can be remembered here that Narasimha Murthy, fondly known as HKN, was also the recipient of the ‘Nadabrahma’ title of the same sabha in January 2014.

Contributing with their expert skills:

HKN is not only a top ranking violinist but is also a great teacher who has produced several first rate violinists. This day his soul searching violin recital with Sindhu and his granddaughter Pruthvi featured rare and popular ragas keeping the audience intact. The trio were supported on the mrdangam by Ramanujam and on the ghatam by Sharat Kaushik. That all the performers on the stage were Mysoreans was a pleasure indeed.

Rising to the occasion, the trio played Chowdiah’s ‘Prasanna Ganapate Pahi’ in Bahudari set to Rupaka tala. Lively swaras were knit for the pallavi. A brief sketch of Kanada led to Swati Tirunal’s ‘Mamava Sada janani’ in Kanada. HKN magnanimously let the girls play more and when Pruthvi developed Kumudakriya beautifully, his face was seen lighting up with pride. ‘Deekshitar’s ‘Ardha Nareeshwaram’ was played with all grandeur. The raga is attractive and the composition absorbing and the rendition was so synchronized that the audience swayed in delight.

The other highlight of the evening was Kambhoji, which Sindhu was allowed to play. Sindhu essayed the raga exhibiting aesthetic nuances. ‘Shri Raghuvara Aprameya mamava’ by Sri Tyagaraja in Adi Vilamba was rightly presented in an unhurried manner, enhancing the beauty of the composition with swaras to the pallavi. Each of the artistes contributed with their expert skills. Ramanujam’s proficiency on mrdangam along with Sharat’s ghatam made the concert appealing. The lighter pieces towards the end of the concert included Purandara Devara nama ‘Hari Chitta Sathya’ of Bombay sisters fame in Jonpuri and the very popular  ragamalika ‘Baro Krishnayya’ by Kanaka Dasa.

Through the concert, the three artistes enjoyed each other's music. More important, each adapted seamlessly to meld with the other's genre.

                                                                                                                                                Dr Padmavathi Narasimhan.

Brimming with ideas

In memory of Parur Gopala Kishnan, Nadabrahma Sangeeta Sabha organized Abhishek Raghuram’s vocal concert on the 10^th of January. He was accompanied by MSG’s disciple H.N. Bhaskar on violin,  Arjun kumar on mrdangam and  Ramanujam on ghatam.

Abhishek is known to be an unusually cerebral singer for one so young. He has a grand name attached to him- that of his grandfather Palghat Raghu. Abhishek’s  training under him and P.S.Narayanaswamy have enabled him to imbibe the intricacies of rhythm and  vocal skills. His uncompromising hard work and brilliant talent have shaped him into a top ranking musician today.

Abhishek is a versatile musician. No two concerts of Abhishek are the same. This is why we always hear  a totally different version of the same raga though we have heard him render the same raga in his other concerts. He always gives us a new insight into the raga. Take for example, his Hameer Kalyani, which he chose as the main piece of the evening. Singing this raga for more than fifteen minutes is not everybody’s cup of tea.  Abhishek chose to sing Tyagraja’s “Manamu leda Tanavadani abhimanamu leda’ with elaborate swara patterns for the pallavi, followed by Taniyavartanam by Arjun kumar and Ramanujam.

Abhishek also explores ragas with limited material. He expanded Tyagaraja’s ‘shobhillu saptaswara’ and offered such kalpana swaras to ‘Saptaswara’ in the pallavi that were a proof of his imaginary skills.

Even common ragas find a new dimension in the hands of Abhishek. Mohana was aesthetic with TYagraja’s ‘Bhavanuta’ and ‘Vandanamu Raghunandana’ in Shahana was glorified with never-heard-before sangatis.

Bhaskar was faithful in reproducing all the birgas and intricacies of the vocalist and the percussionists had a full-time job throughout.

A slower tempo, bhava and clarity in Sahitya could elevate the concert to greater heights. A study of the kritis that he presents will perhaps help this brilliant musician to do more justice to the compositions.

                                                                                                                Dr Padmavathi Narasimhan.

Sangeeta Dileep sang for Nadabrahma Sangeeta sabha on the 19^th of October. She was accompanied by her husband Dileep on the violin, Sachin prakash on the mrdangam and Sharat kaushik on the ghatam.

Sangeeta has a good reputation as a musician.  Her training under Chitraveena Ravikiran has moulded her into a good vocalist and her violin  performances with Dileep have enriched her music.

Starting the concert with the ‘Sarasuda’ varna in Saveri, Sangeeta presented ‘Gam GaNapate’ by Harikeshanellur Muttiah Bhagavatar In Hamsadhwani. Niroshta is a a raga without the swaras ‘p’ and ‘m’ (and hence called niroshta- meaning without the lips). Muttiah Bhagavatar is credited with creating the scale of this raga.His melodious composition ‘Raja Raja Radhite’suited both for singing and for instruments was sung by Sangeeta with clarity.

Hamsanada was chosen as the sub-main item item for the evening. Tyagaraja’s ‘Bantu reeti kolu’ was decorated with a neraval and swaras at ‘Raama naama mane vara’ Deekshitar’s ‘Saraswati vidhi yuvati’ in Hindola and ‘Nee kela dayaa’ in Sarasangi by Ramaswami shivan were lively fillers. ‘Vandanamu Raghunandana’ in Shahana came as asurprise in the mid of the concert.

The RTP in Shanmukhapriya was a neat presentation. Dilip added enough resources to the expansive presentation of Shanmukhapriya with his experience and elegant responses on the violin. The pallavi was set to Khanda Triputa tALa the lyrics of which were-‘Matangi Sri Raja Rajeshwari’, which is also the pallavi part of Muttuswami Deekshitar’s composition in Ramapriya. Intelligent swaras were woven to various parts of the pallavi with also ragamalika swaras in  Mohana and Kharaharapriya.

The not-much-heard mrdangist Sachin Prakash and Sharat Kaushik were boisterous from the start to the end. Programme was sponsored by Kuskoor Brothers

Strictly adhering to Classisism

Nadabrahma Sangeeta Sabha has the practice of honoring a senior veena player with the title “Vainika Brahma’ every year in memory of Sangeeta Kalanidhi late Veena Doreswamy Iyengar. This year Dr Vijayaraghavan from Mysore was honored with this title in the presence of Modamani, Senior art patron K.V.Murthy and D. Balakrishna, son of Doreswami Iyengar. A veena based program ‘Vainika Vaibhava’ was also arranged as part of this program.

On the occasion, Dr Vijayaraghavan gave a veena concert with Tumkur B.Ravishankar on mrdanga and Sharat Kaushik on ghata.

Vijayaraghavan has a traditional and chaste way of playing veena with no gimmicks, adhering to strict classicism. In the two-hour concert he included compositions from The Trimurtys,  Mysuru Vasudevacharya and an RTP .

The concert began with the ‘Vanajaksha’ varna by Venkatagiriyappa that was tagged on to ‘Gajananayutam Ganeshwaram’ by Muttuswami Deekshitar in Chakravaka. The dexterity of swaras to the pallavi portion was delightful.

’Terateeyagarada’ by GauLipantu and Bagayanayya’ in Chandrajyoti by Tyagaraja were good choice. 

The alapana of Dharmavati stood out for is modulations in the gamakas that conveyed the raga bhava and the clarity of the phrases. ’Bhajana seya rAda’ by Mysuru VAsudevachar was a treat that was heightened by the support from Tumkur Ravishankar who filled the gaps wonderfully well.

The RTP in Sarasangi flowed smoothly and the nuances of the raga and the tana were captivating. Vijayaraghavan sang the pallavi before the rendition. Taniyavartanam followed with Ravishankar on the mrdangam and Sharat Kaushik on the ghatam, which regaled the audience.

The post-tani part included ‘Narayana Te Namo Namo’ by Annamacharya in Behag(wrongly announced as Purandara Dasa’s), ‘Narayana Ninna Naamada smaraneya’ in Shuddha Dhanyasi by Purandara Dasa and a tillana by Kannaswami in Purnachandrika.

                                                                        Dr Padmavathi Narasimhan.