R Vedavalli, Saraswati Vaggeyakkara Trust

R Vedavalli, V Sumitra - R K Shriramkumar - K Arun Prakash

Saraswati Vaggeyakkara Trust and Tambaram Asthika Samajam
Sitadevi Garodia School, East Tambaram
23 July 09. 6:45 pm

praNatAtiharAya - sAmanta - Adi - MD
nI pada pankajamula - bEgaDa - Adi - T (S)
sarasIruhAnanA - mukhAri - Adi - T (RNS)
mATi mATiki - mOhanam - misra cApu - T (NS)
nenarunchinAnu - mALavi - Adi - T
jnAnamosagarAdA - shadvidamArgiNi - tisra Ekam - T (RNS)
tani
ninnaruLAla - pAsuram in shanmukhapriyA, sAvEri, sindubhairavi
anRu ivvulagam - sindhubhairavi - Adi - ANDAL
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was an extraordinary concert. I was totally satisfied for the ordeal that it took me to reach tambaram. I was planning to go by train, however in the last moment chose to take a direct bus and reached East Tambaram around 7 pm. And a 10 minute walk to the venue, it was still the first song that was being wrapped up. The concert had started late.

The bEgaDA was just building up the mood for a grand concert. The svarams were very nice. The mukhAri AlApanai was very classical affair, including all the touching phrases. The kriti was rendered very soulfully with an elaborate round of neraval and svarams at the pallavi line.

The highest point of the full concert, to me, was the mOhanam kriti. What a grandeur of a piece! It was a stunning rendition to make the kriti all the more majestic. There were neraval and svarams at 'mangaLAkAra rUpa jita ratirAja' to add-up as jewels to the crown. The fast mALavi piece was a contrasting fast piece to follow.

The main AlApanai was quite elaborate and showed all the delicate nuances of the rare rAgam. The kriti rendition was very moving and bhavaladen. There were neraval and svarams at 'paripUrNa niSkaLanka niravadhi sukha dAyaka'. The rAgamAlikA pAsuram and the tiruppAvai were great too.

The accompanists were very good. Smt. Sumitra shared neraval, svarams and did a very good job in trying to match upto her guru. Sri Shriram Kumar was very good all thro' the concert. His playing for the kritis was absolutely faithful and the replies in the manOdarmam parts were all very fitting and thoroughly classical. Sri Arun Prakash was embellishing the full concert with his subtle strokes. He played in perfect match and the tani was very nice also.

Overall it was a wonderful concert.