Suguna Mamis duet and SAFE Inauguration

The Music Fest of SAFE was inaugurated on Saturday at 4:30 pm at Sastri Hall. The chief guest was Sri N Murali, MD The hindu and President, Music Academy. It was presided over by Smt. Geetha Rajagopal, Director of Sampradaya. Sri Nadopasana Srinivasan, Trustee, welcomed the gathering. Smt Varalakshmi Anandakumar, Executive Trustee presented the annual report highlighting SAFE's music-related and other philanthropic activities. Smt Geetha in her presidential address hailed SAFE for all its activities and also highlighted the contributions of SAFE and its founder, Sri Ramabadran, towards the maintainence of Sampradaya. Sri Murali also appreciated the efforts of SAFE in helping the society. The Vidushis, Smt Rama Ravi, Smt Suguna Purushottaman and Smt Suguna Varadachari were felicitated at the occasion. 5 young students of music were presented with instruments as part of the Founder's 80th birthday celebrations.

This was followed by a concert by Smt Suguna Purushottaman and Smt Suguna Varadachari, with Smt Usha Rajagopalan on the violin, Sri Poongulam Subramanian on the mrudangam and Sri Guru Prasad on the ghatam. The concert began with Tyagaraja's 'samugana nilva' in Kokilavarali with kalpanai svarams. Smt Varadachari sang a very nice elaboration of suddha saveri. Swathi thirunal's navaratri kriti 'janani pahi' was rendered with beautiful neraval and svarams. Smt Purushottaman sang a crisp alapanai of bhavapriya with tyagaraja's 'srikanta neeyada' to follow. There were kalpanai svarams for this also. The main was bhairavi. Both the main artists shared the alapanai. The accopanists played well and added to the enjoyment of the concert.