Rama Ravi, Hamsadhwani & Rukmini Arts & Music Trust

Rama Ravi, Nanditha Ravi - Usha Rajagopalan - Thanjavur Kumar - Ganesan

Hamsadhwani and Rukmini Arts & Music Trust. Parampara Series
31st August 2007. 6:30pm

sarasija nAbha - nATTai - Adi - Parameswara Bhagavathar (varNam)
nI bhajana gAna - nAyaki - Adi - T
sudha mAdhurya - sindhurAmakriyA - Adi - T (S)
gajavadanA - tODi - Adi - Kumara Ettendra (RS)
pAlayamAm pArvatIshA - kannaDa - rUpakam - MD
sATilEni guruguha - pUrvikalyANi - misra cApu - Ponnaiah Pillai (N)
saundara rAjam - brindAvana sArangA - tisra Ekam - MD
taruNam IdammA - gauLipantu - Adi - SS
tuLasi bilva - kEdAragauLa - Adi - T (RS)
tani Avarththanam
vA murugA vA - bEgaDa - rUpakam - Spencer Venugopal
iththanai tulAmbaramAi - danyAsi - cycles of 8 aksharams - MT (padam)
vANipondu - kAnaDA - rUpakam (jAvaLi)
valapU dAtsa - varALi - misra cApu (padam)
arumarundoru tani marundu - mOhanam - tisra Adi - MT
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

This was the fourth pair of concerts in the Parampara Series that is being organised. Smt Rama Ravi gave a very classical concert with music that touched the heart and soul of all those present.

The recital began with a neat rendition of the varNam and the nAyaki kriti. The quick sindurAmakriyA kriti had a nice round of svarams to follow. The tODi AlApanai was done elaborately. Smt Rama announced that, she is presenting a piece, she learnt from her mother, Smt Tulasi Subramanian, whose rendition of 'gajavadanA' was revered by the stalwarts of yesteryears. The kriti was rendered very nicely with all its grandeur and the amazing cittai svaram was rendered. An elaborate round of well structured one Avarthana svarams followed. The rare kannADa piece was nice as well.

The pUrvikalyANi piece was rendered well with neraval at 'kOTi manmada rUpuDE'. 'saundara rAjam' was rendered in a moving fashion. The way each line was sung with bhavam and the intricate gamakams. The gauLipantu piece was nice also.

The main kEdAragauLa AlApanai was quite crispy and yet elaborate. The kriti was rendered with all the sangatis and an elaborte round of svarams. The bEgaDa kriti was nice. The danyAsi and varALi padams showed the high quality music and all the intricate gamakkams incorporated in to simple looking sangatis were rendered very nicely. The jAvaLi and the mOhanam pieces were good also.

Smt Rama Ravi gave a concert that moved every soul that was present. When one closed one's eyes, some of the places made one wonder if Brindamma was singing there.

Smt Nandita provided able support to her mother covering much of the tAra sthAyi parts and also singing in the higher octave, for some otherwise lower octave lines, thus adding a different flavour to the concert.

Smt Usha Rajagopalan was good in all parts of the concert. Her AlApanais, svarams were all good. Her accompanying of kritis also deserves a mention her.

Sri Kumar on the mridangam was his usual self, making the concert a lot more enjoyable with his accompaniment, fitting to the kritis and sangatis. His tani was nice also.