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Over 5,000 seconds of scintillating, feet-tapping, soul-stirring , sheer magic.
Ninety minutes of mind-boggling, mind-blowing, mellifluous mesmerism…
Long after the last fan had left the glorified portals of the Indian Consulate in Dubai, the venue of the evening’s elevating musical extravaganza, and the shutters had been downed for the night, leaving a lone sentry holding vigil over the country’s proud presence on foreign soil, the melodious, yet arresting notes of the violin wizard, Dr Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, continued to resonate and re-echo in our ears and hearts, leaving us inexplicably elated and exuberant, as we sped, homeward bound to our destinations, fired by irrepressible excitement and eagerness…to ponder with pleasure, re-live and reminisce with renewed delight, every glorious moment spent with the master, in the congenial confines of our own homes.
‘To see and experience is to believe and endorse…’
A rather motley collection of recurring verbs which warrant no great recurring interest…yet, the wealth of meaning, the boundless possibilities inherent in them and their significance with reference to his own talent, are highlighted, brought into focus, revealed with clarity and proved beyond doubt by Dr Kunnakudi
Vaidyanathan.
Endowed with a resplendent stage presence that successfully offsets the absence of Adonis like beauty and build, Dr KV possesses the singular quality of captivating, tantalising and tempting even the most reluctant audience and transporting them to realms hitherto unknown, of blissful ecstasy and foot-tapping joy far beyond imagination, in a manner that truly defies description!
A born artiste with an intrinsic capacity to totally identify mentally, spiritually and physically, without inhibitions, with the music he presented, Dr KV has imprinted the stamp of his originality and high degree of perfection on his music, with inordinate ease and adaptability. A colourful personality; he enjoyed a pleasing rapport with his listeners and held their unwavering interest by playing TO them and FOR them. Verily, a happy person who made his audience happy too.
His facial expressions and general demeanour in the course of his concert provoked involuntary smiles of genuine amusement in the onlookers…critics and fans…He combined effortlessly an astounding ability at wielding the bow, with outstanding knowledge…, innate reverence and untainted respect for the artistic muse, and exemplary improvising skills which reflected the changing moods of the ragas with quicksilver swiftness , highlighting the nuances and subtle variations in thought, in the minutest detail. It was a spirited dialogue, not music, that flowed from his ‘magical wand’, through which medium he conveyed with mathematical precision and artistic abandon the entire gamut of earthly emotions…underlined and disciplined by his devotion to the art and to the Almighty, which seemed to pervade his whole being.
He lived the melodies that he made! While delivering plaintive and touching notes, he appeared sad and whimsical and as he pursed his lips in a pretence of agony while sorrowfully coaxing his violin to cooperate in like manner, he appeared so very humorous and comical…inviting a chuckle or two from even the most poker-faced humans in the crowd! Likewise, his joyous numbers had the packed hall clapping and keeping rhythm with his beats, including two little cherubs in the front row, laughing and shaking with merriment…literally dancing to the master’s tune! The joy that he experienced was transmitted as it were, undiluted, to the entire audience.
On a couple of occasions he played the notes of ‘petulance’, with mischievous intent, revealing his extraordinary wit and sense of comedy, his vast repertoire and musical prowess, eliciting spontaneous applause and unprecedented ovation from the audience!
The maestro was well on to the fourth song of the evening, when his percussionist developed a very natural desire to quench his thirst. Perfectly justifiable…but arising at an inappropriate moment! Oblivious to the music seeping out of the violin, he meticulously set about the task of catering to his need! A second’s silence…then an avalanche of notes uncannily resembling a human tone of protest, complaint, pique , grumble…unbelievably querulous, rained out of the maestro’s violin, jolting the accompanist and the onlookers! This was followed by a dramatic vociferous musical reprimand…short staccato notes resembling a treble tone, that only served to accentuate the hilarity of the situation! To give the accompanist his due, the wisdom and experience of years left him totally unfazed. He waded through this faux paus with admirable panache and an instant rejoinder, by tapping out conciliatory notes on his drum, in no way inferior to that of the master, much to the latter’s energetic appreciation! An approbation that manifested itself in a string of notes in rapid tempo, coming to an abrupt halt! Truly marvellous…and sensational! An awesome contest between two greats! A veritable feast for the fans.
Whilst adhering to the basic tenets and principles of the art, Dr KV is sufficiently unorthodox in his thinking and has not been averse to introducing elements of novelty in his presentations. For some part of his concert, he laid aside his bow and converted his violin into a string instrument of a different kind. By plucking at the strings with great adeptness, he produced his very own brand of haunting music, not dissimilar to the deep tones of the veena with amazing verve and dexterity. An innovatory move that had his spectators sitting up in their seats!
The signature look of the genius…off-white silk dhoti bordered in red or green with elaborate gold finish, loose silk shirt fashioned on the ethnic kurta, numerous chains bearing extra large lockets or talismans, a rudraksha mala…believed to be a vital ingredient, providing the right mindset for spiritual undertakings, besides possessing health-giving properties, a chain of pearls shaped in gold, a wide band of sacred ash impeccably drawn across his forehead in his own inimitable style, a gigantic vermillion spot above his brows - perhaps the secret of his éclat - brilliant success , as bright and bewitching as the golden orb (sun), lending an aura of charm, charisma, luminosity, chutzpah and character to his countenance, rendered affable and friendly by his broad spontaneous smile, eyes….strangely powerful, unusual and enigmatic…that probed the soul and substance of the ragas that he dwelt on, drowning in their divinity, while revering the profundity of thought content in them…thereby infusing fresh life and vigour, a rare beauty and sensitivity, the quintessence of perfect harmony to his music.
The immensely popular hymn of invocation ‘Vatapi Ganapathim Bhajeham’ in the ragam ‘Hamsadwani’, lively and pleasantly familiar even to the layman, set the cadence for the evening’s awe-inspiring programme. This was followed by ‘Samajavaragamana’, in the ragam ‘Hindolam’, an enchanting and elaborate rendition of one of the rare Sanskrit compositions of Saint Tyagaraja. The classical highlight of the evening in the ragam ‘Shankmughapriya’ was delivered with phenomenal mastery and alacrity, inviting waves of applause.
It was a thrilling evening for listeners not particularly enamoured by classical fare. The maestro, with unbelievable virtuosity, proved his mettle time and again, delighting his audience by spinning out semi-classical tunes and unforgettable melodies from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films like ‘Kannodu Kaanbadhellam’ from ‘Jeans’ ‘Marudha Malai Mamaniye’ from ‘Deivam’, ‘Sankara’ from ‘Sankarabharanam’, ‘Mannil Indha Kadal’ from ‘Keladi Kanmani’ ‘Manasa Maine Varoo’ from ‘Chemeen’ ‘Aajare ‘ from ‘Madhumati’, the vintage favourites ‘Theerathadha Vilaiyattu Pillai’, ‘Singara Velane’ and ‘Kaatrinile Varum Geetham’, including the catchy number, ‘Roopu Tera Mastana’ from the seventies hit ‘Aradhana’ with a bonhomie and joie de vivre .
His Ragamalika, which originated in pure classicism and wound its way through the myriad pathways of popular music, reflecting his artistic audacity and unbeatable aplomb, leaving his listeners spellbound at every juncture and finally meandering with lilting undertones back to his own forte, Carnatic music, pure and pristine, deserves special mention. It was truly ‘instrumental fusion’ as the placards proudly proclaimed.
Kalaimamani, Violin Samrat, Padmashri Dr Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan is and will forever remain a musical presence larger than life, on the artistic firmament, a colossus in the world of fine arts, a vibrant star nonpareil, splendid and lustrous, ‘ad infinitum’ on the musical horizon.
Parvati Ganapathi
Dubai
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