The day’s performances were courtesy of Abhishek Raghuram, Akkarai Subbulakshmi, Trichy Sankaran and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan. I got goosebumps the moment I stepped inside the Bhavan Hall after a short break; the program had already started, and a brilliant piece – Naatai (Swaminatha Paripalaya) – was harmoniously in progress.
It soon gave way to ‘Ksheenamai’, Mukari – in which Abhishek was enthusiastic to showcase the masterpieces of yesteryear stalwarts, especially Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. The Swara rendering was elite, as Sankaran guided him while keeping a decent pace. Abhishek was on a fiery form as he delivered richly layered, intense music to the audience. Akarai Subbulakshmi supported him with diligence and a solid spectrum of Sangathis. Remarkably, Mukari was in its original form even when Abhishek tried to improvise.
During ‘Neekela De Daya’, Nilambari, Misra Chapu was a bit underwhelming as Abhishek went on and on with diluted Sangathis; the “cat on the wall” syndrome! I must say, Abhishek possesses a good voice and he channels a lot of creativity in his performances. Perhaps, the only noticeable hindrance was the shaky ‘Brukas’, which may not appeal well at all times and certainly not for all the Ragas (maybe because of his ‘Bruka Saareeram’). I really hope he could really overcome this by singing plain notes with more Gamakhas. Another minor squabble is that he also could have been clearer on Sahithyam.
‘Sarasa Saamadhana’ – Kaapi Narayani – Aadhi was the next catchy number, as Abishek spilled out intricate Sangathis that were both sober and mesmerizing; a fitting tribute to the day. His vinyasam of Raga was exciting as it gave us the mind space to realize the grandeur of Carnatic music in its full form. The Thala pace was in top-gear. Sankaran gave his melodious touches with a perfect blend of Gumkhis (his favourite) and mellifluous Mel Kalam. On personal note, his richness is unmatched! It’s nice to see a man of such high caliber encouraging young musicians with a heartfelt performance.
The spotlight of the day was definitely ‘Thodi’ (Koluva Maragadha). It was performance steeped in brilliance and delivered with a sort of finesse that tugged at the audience’s heartstrings. Abishek decorated the Thodi with Alaapana and the superfluous Sangathis in Aadhara Swaras such as ‘Sa’ and ‘Dha’. His stage manners are perfect and blessed with diverse vocals (‘Bruka Saareram’), he rendered to captivate everyone present at the hall. Certain ‘Nadaswara Pidis’ were also present in his Vinyasa. A great effort from Abhishek, I must say. On a side note, we always recall the ‘Rajarathnam Pillai’ whenever we hear Thodi! As Abhishek passed over the Krithi with numerous Sangathis and Neraval Swaram, it was almost 9 pm and still the audience was nonetheless excited! Just goes to show that music is beyond time and limits!
Akarai took over on Raga Vinyasa as the audience saw blessed signs of more good music to come. Her melodious strings revealed her talent and confidence to play on the big stage. The piece crescendos to Swaram and Korvai with niche expressions of Thodi with more key modulations.
Driving the Thani, Sankaran took a quick turn of Korvais that were appealing while Gopalakrishnan followed him. Sankaran’s Kanda Nadai was the cream of the Thani as he came out with more permutations and simple mathematics that were nice to hear when applied in music. He landed at the Mohara Korvai through Misra Koraipu and balanced the concert with a resounding rhythm.
The day’s performances was a breathtaking reminder to Carnatic music aficionados about that buzz which one feels long after the curtains are drawn on the concert. And along with the audience, I definitely had a memorable evening with Abhishek. I wish him the best of luck for his future endeavors.
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