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 To
be favoured by the Musical Muse is undeniably a singular and
rare boon, but when 4 of a family are thus blessed, it is
irrefutably the generous hand of Providence! Cases in point are
the Mambalam Sisters…..Vijayalakshmi and Chitra, two gifted
vocalists, Hemalatha, a consummate violinist and their grand
sire, Sri Rangachari whose performance on the kanjira revealed
his mind boggling dexterity and expertise, all of which was
evident from the outset at the concert held on Saturday 12
January 2007 under the auspices of the Indian Fine Arts at the
Indian Consulate Auditorium in Dubai.
Displaying wonderful fluency, knowledge and
control over the ragas and beats and an incredible capacity to
touch the highest notes with relative ease, Vijayalakshmi and
Chitra presented an interesting collection of vintage favourites
and classic hits like ‘Mokshamu Galadha’ in Saramathi, ‘Murahara
Nandana’, a Dikshitar composition in ‘Hameerkalyani’ and
‘Venkatachalanilayam’ in ‘Sindhubhairavi’, preceded by a soul
stirring hymn on the ‘Lord of the 7 Hills’, including some
popular and well - appreciated numbers.
Beginning with varnam in ‘Saveri’, the
following kriti, ‘Maha Ganapathim’ in the majestic raga,
‘Nattai’ was rendered in style.
‘Yenna kavi paadinaalum,’ a song which evokes
memories of that doyen of devotional classical music, Madurai
Somasundaram was presented with perfect feeling and
comprehension. Likewise, ‘Sai avathara Kaliyuga avathara’, and
‘Bho Shambho’, two poignant and moving numbers were beautifully
rendered in a manner which made explicit the fine quality and
timbre of their voices. A few compositions, of the contemporary
musician, Smt. Mangalam Ganapathy, ‘Narayana Hari’ in ‘Ananda
Bhairavi’ and ‘Kotisoorya Prakasham’ on Lord Ayyappa, were well
presented.
Yet, nothing could have delighted the
listeners more than that amazing song, ‘Sammandhi Saapidave
Mataal’, the lyrics witty and hilarious, an entertaining,
sarcastic, tongue in cheek commentary and a good humoured dig at
that lovely person (sammandhi ), eternally painted as a dragon
in our culture!!!! The naughty, mischievous, smiles on some
faces in the audience served to heighten the level of amusement
amongst the listeners!
The highlight of the evening which showcased
the immense talent of the sisters was the kriti in ‘Aberi,’ ‘Nagumomu’,
and the ‘thaniavarthanam’, which brought into focus the supreme
contribution of mridangam and kanjira to the success of a
concert, embellishing it with that touch of ‘class’. As the
sisters wove their way through the tantalizing combinations of
swaras and their permutations, they carried the audience along
with them with their skill and mastery.
But the highpoint of the evening was yet to
come……….. And as ‘Jambavan’, the title conferred on the
mridangist by the senior, Sri Rangachari, in recognition of his
matchless proficiency and superior skill entered the fray, it
was majesty and magnificence at its peak!! Sri K.M.S. Mani, a
mridangist of high caliber together with the indomitable Sri
Rangachari on the kanjira verily cast a spell on the audience.
The stimulating contest between the two artistes was marked by
dynamism and joie de vivre that was truly infectious and had a
large section of the audience keeping time with their beats! The
conclusion of this piece was greeted by rounds of applause. It
was a tribute not merely to the musicians…… but to the very soul
of music and to all that it encompasses…
If the sounds of the percussion instruments
and the geniuses behind them brought the listeners to the edge
of their seats, charming Hemalatha won the hearts of the
audience with her skill and competence in wielding the bow.
Infusing great clarity and perfection into the notes that she
produced on the violin and imbuing them with an indescribable
sweetness and appeal, she elicited appreciation from all
sections of the audience.
It leaves me with little doubt that the final
number of the evening, ‘Neenaama memaaku’, the 26 names of the
Lord, a composition of Annamacharya, was THE fitting finale to
the day’s programme, for, as the crowds dispersed and a silence
gradually descended on the auditorium, my less than sharp ears
managed to overhear a couple of satisfied souls enthusiastically
trying to recapitulate the lyrics of this wonderful song……………and
thoroughly enjoying every moment of it…..!!! God bless them!
Indian Fine Arts took this occasion to
felicitate Smt. Mangalam Ganapathy, a well known composer of our
times, with over 5000 compositions to her credit in Tamil and
Malayalam who was present at this concert. Couched in simple
language and in her distinctive style, her creations, a few of
which were rendered by the artistes were well received by the
audience.
Parvati Ganapathi
ganpap@hotmail.com
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