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She sang as sweet as the cuckoo, her notes revealing the depth of maturity in her voice that lent a tangible beauty to her music and her extensive knowledge, both of which proclaimed a fine proficiency and fluency in the art!
That was Visalakshi Shanker in concert at the Indian Consulate auditorium on May 10, 2007, under the auspices of the Indian Fine Arts, Dubai.
With her pleasing, mellifluous voice and choice of exceedingly exquisite and popular compositions, Visalakshi Shanker held the audience in her sway, charming and captivating, with aplomb and assurance the hard core critics of this superb art and also the average music lovers. Pleasant and petite, Visalakshi packed considerable punch in her rendition infusing life and vigour into her recital.
This was apparent from the very outset, from the opening number, an elaborate Varnam, ‘Viriboni’ in the ragam Bhairavi, that set the trend for a rather absorbing and riveting three hours of divine music.
‘Maha Ganapathe’ in the stately ragam Nattai was rendered in a vibrant mode followed by a much loved kriti of Saint Tyagaraja ‘Manavyalakam’ in ragam Nalinakanthi which proved to be an obvious crowd puller with its catchy metre and superb rendition.
The difference between the ragams, Lalitha Panchamum and Lalitha was presented with clarity and competence by the artiste in a composition of Swati Thirunal, ‘Parama Purusha’, and conveyed to the audience in a truly cogent manner.
A highly poignant and endearing kriti on the Divine Mother, ‘Akilandeshwari’, in ragam Dwijavanthi, coloured by varying shades of supplication and surrender woven into every atom of the song, was delivered with feeling, finesse and flair.
The stimulating piece of the evening in ‘Thodi’, with ragam neraval and graha bedham in Varali, was rendered with astounding ability and extraordinary imagination. Visalakshi efficiently traversed the entire scale of swaras and their equations and rose to exceptional heights, leaving all segments of the audience in awe and appreciation.
‘Venkataramana’ in Lathangi and ragam, tanam, pallavi in Keeravani, in similar vein, were well received and imparted an aura of class to Visalakshi’s recital! These were succeeded by a brilliant rendition of ‘Guru Para Guha’ in Kuntalavarali and ‘Koluva Maragada’ a composition of Saint
Tygaraja.
The magnificence of the thaniavarthanam by veteran mridangist K M S Mani and the ghatam player Kovai K. Kumar, can best be described in one powerful phrase...it was a veritable deluge! An experience that transported one from the sombre boundaries of reality to the expansive, uncontrolled, realm of imagination! The following imagery conveys the writer’s perception of this majestic performance…verily, an ode to creativity; and speaks volumes for the dexterity and dedication of these talented artistes!
Beginning with gentle and enticing beats, reminiscent of falling raindrops, it quickly morphed into a steady spatter of dripping rain, that rapidly increased in intensity, punctuated by occasional rumblings and the intimidating wail of strong winds, indicative of restless Nature, the churning of the waves in response to the growing fury of the elements, the thunderous roar and the fiery, deafening, interjections of lightning, as the Heavens opened up and rained down column after column of irresistible, magical notes and beats in quick succession and in diverse combinations, raising the audience to a level of sheer ecstasy and animated expectation!
‘Thukdas’ have never failed to delight either the musically literate or those with an insatiable inclination for popular or light music. The remaining half hour of the concert was witness to a stream of evergreen favourites, ‘Koovi Azhaithal’ in Valachi, ‘Krishna Nee Begane’, in Yamunakalyani, ‘Engirunthu Varguvathu’ in Ragamalika and the intensely devotional and uplifting, Sri Sabareesha Deena Dayala, all of which left the listeners in a mellow and satisfied mood.
Musical excellence attains a superior dimension when it goes hand in hand with professional expertise in other fields and helps in popularising and promoting our rich classical heritage, imbuing it with a greater degree of permanence, a lasting appeal. Cases in point are the three accompanying artistes who provided exemplary support to the vocalist:
On the violin it was Parasuram who exhibited marvellous glimpses of remarkable talent and skill. A gifted violinist who continues to undergo advanced training, Parasuram is a chartered accountant by profession and is employed with a reputed bank in Dubai. He demonstrates great promise and there is no doubt that the best is yet to come from this young artiste.
The subdued beauty of the tinkling tones of the ghatam rendered by Kovai K. Kumar, who performed with great aptitude and adeptness, had the auditorium echoing with the rhythmic response of an enthusiastic and spirited audience. He has accompanied senior vidwans in numerous concerts and is again a chartered accountant and an MBA in finance working with a multinational firm in Dubai.
Last but not the least, veteran mridangist K M S Mani has been an unchallenged institution in this expressive art in the Gulf region for nearly three decades. He has provided sparkling accompaniment to the cream of the Carnatic music world like Dr M Balamuralikrishna, Prof T N Krishnan, Kadri Gopalnath, Neyveli Santhangopalan, Nityashri, Bombay sisters, Bombay Jayashree and the Malladi brothers in addition to several other eminent musicians, both at home and abroad.
During his concert in Dubai last year, Prof T N Krishnan, while complimenting Mani who accompanied him in the concert, said that Mani today displays the same richness and purity of nadam that were the hallmarks of Mani’s great guru, late Sri Appu Iyer of Trichur. Prof Krishnan authoritatively opined that the intrinsic quality of the guru’s art today shines through his disciple’s performance! A priceless tribute to a great guru and to a great shishya by a great maestro of our times! One cannot ask for more.
Mani is an ‘A’ grade artiste of All India Radio and is a senior banker by profession. One of the founder members of the Indian Fine Arts, Dubai, he has since 1979 been active in promoting various classical music concerts in this country and in other parts of the Gulf, besides imparting training to young aspiring
mridangists.
With artistes of such calibre taking centrestage that eventful evening, the grand Carnatic vocal concert by Visalakshi Shanker and the accompanying artistes will be remembered for a long time to come.
Parvati Ganapathi
Dubai
ganpap@hotmail.com
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