R K Srikantan, R K Venkatarama Sastry Birth Centenary Celebrations

R K Srikantan - M Chandrasekharan - Umayalpuram Sivaraman - B S Purushottaman

R K Venkatarama Sastry Birth Centenary Celebrations.
Raga Sudha Hall.
13 Nov 2007. 6:30 pm

sarasija nAbha - kAmbhOji - aTa tALam (R)
srI mUlAdhAra - srI rAgam - Adi - MD (RS)
jaya mahishAsura mardini - hamsadvani - rUpakam - HMB (RS)
harihara putram - vasantA - kaNDa Ekam - MD (R)
rAmA ika nannu - sahAnA - rUpakam - PSI (RS)
jEsinadella - tODi - Adi - T (RNS)
tani Avarththanam
smarisuva janakella - suruTTi - Adi - Pd
mangaLam kOsalEndrAya
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

The concert was good. All the AlApanais of Sri Srikantan were very classical and ripe with innovative phrases. The svarams in srI rAgam and hamsadvani and sahAnA were all done very beautifully. The kriti renditions were nice also.

Sri Ramakanth was far from impressive. His versions of the AlApanais had a lot of flimsy phrases and the svarams not upto the mark at all. Though there were some good phrases, his style of singing and the lack of 'azhuttham' made them a little less enjoyable.

Sri Chandrasekaran was good in all respects. His AlApanais, svarams, kriti renditions were all very good.

Sri Sivaraman was good thro' the concert and played very well, though one felt he could have given more space for the kanjIra. Sri Purushottaman was enjoying the mrudangam playing of Sri Sivaraman more than playing the kanjIra.

I left after the tODi AlApanai.