Thamarakkadu Govindan Namboodri, Nada Inbam

Thamarakkadu Govindan Namboodri - S Varadarajan - Trichur C Narendran - Udupi Sridhar

18 Dec 2018. 6:15 pm
Nada Inbam. Ragasudha hall.

Anandabhairavi aTa tALa varNam - VK
srI mahagaNapati - gauLa - cApu - MD (S)
gurumUrtE - shankarAbaraNam - rUpakam - MD (rAga sketch, S)
AdiparAshakti - AbhOgi - Adi (R)
srI kamalAmbA jayati - Ahiri - tisra Ekam - MD (RS)
sAmOdam paripAlayamam
EmAninnE - mUkhAri - Adi (RNST)
srI rAma jayarAma - yadukula kAmbhOji - T
angArakam - suruTTi - rUpakam - MD

A truly wonderful concert. Each item was just too good. A fantastic concert. Awesomeness.

When a musician lives his music and sings for music's sake, the output is much different and better than when it is presented for someone else. This concert was one of its kind. The choice of pieces and the presentation was not done for the audience or for a concert to be a hit. It appeared that the artist wanted to sing for the music and that brought out a very beautiful approach and a refreshing outlook to how a concert is viewed. The choice of pieces deserve the first mention. A typically-considered-a-tukkada, never-sung-in-concerts, so-called-pappa-pattu, nottu-swara-esque number was taken up as one of first elaborate items. gurumUrtE was rendered in a serene pace with a quick AkshipthikA and an intricate round of svarams. Something that is unheard off. AbhOgi was beautiful and clear from the start. Neatly presented. An elaborately elaborate AlApanai of Ahiri. It was in a relaxed and intricate affair. Popular phrases to identify the rAgam were few and sparsely dispersed. The gait of the rAgam and the grandeur that needs to be associated were present in full, showcasing unknown vast greener pastures that needed to be explored. With such an AlApanai, it had to an epitome of a kriti. The navAvarNam was rendered in a measured viLamba gati. There was no hurry. It was given its due. All of 45 minutes, including the svarams in a matching pace only. This writer was left wondering, "what more to sing!" after finishing this Ahiri. The mUkhAri AlApanai was too good too. It was difficult to concentrate, but Sri Namboodri, wouldn't let you off so easily. He made sure this was even more special. In content, quality, style and presentation. Coming back to the choices, a vAra kriti to end the concert. That was un-heard-off too. 

Sri Varadarajan matched up in all departments. His AlApanais of AbhOgi, Ahiri and mUkhAri demand special mentions. It must have been difficult to give those responses impromptu. He was so well in doing it. Sri Narendran was handling the percussion department aptly. His playing much suited to the style of music presented and the patterns were intricately woven in the music as the numbers were rolling out. He was ably assisted by Sri Sridhar. As the lakshana and lakshya are inculcated together with immense sadhakam, the music that comes out has to be of the highest order. This was evident from the entire team and it was indeed a blessing to have been through this musical experience. One of its kind.