My mind, which has a lot of things to say all the time, and is forever distracted, even while attending concerts, says only this at a Ranjani-Gayatri concert – “Wow”. “How Beautiful”. “What a marvel”. And it stays constantly distracted, but only by the present moment!
Malahari began the concert in a beautiful rendition of Panchamaatangamukha- with swarams poured to different places artfully.
Next came a beautiful Sriranjani alapana by Ranjani ma’am. A little kriti glimpse. By now, I’ve learnt to recognise kriti glimpses even if I don’t know the kriti that’s coming up! Sigh, such palpable expression. The raga’s rich flavours were brought out in phrases packed with ornamentation. Those runs! After a sweet alapana on the violin by the amazing Vid. L Ramakrishnan came the Papanasam Sivan kriti Maatha Innum. How this composer makes every word emote so perfectly! Like that drop for taazha and rise for melum! Garlands of swaras were woven for the Goddess. I remembered that when I went to the temple today morning, the Goddess was decked in the same colours as these two – That subtle green and a black! What a coincidence. But the green she wore was actually a hint for something else to come too –
Dhanyasi. Shyama Shastri. Meena Lochana. One of his nine gems on Meenakshi, and you could see and hear why it’s one, in their priceless rendition! Anchored by the fantastic percussion team of Vid. Delhi Sairam and Vid. Chandrasekhara Sharma, the kriti soared in jaw-dropping tightness and perfection. The composition’s intricate laya unlocked magnificently. And their rendition, in unison… Listening to them is truly a blessing. Kaamapaalini Bhavaani Chandrakalaadhari. Their music truly makes words and language attain their highest emotional peaks. In their neraval, each occurrence of Kaamapaalini, Bhavani, Chandrakalaadhari brought forth a newer, different form of the Goddess! What can you do when She comes in front of you, with such sweet compassion, in such beautiful Dhanyasi? Just bow down, experience. And stop even trying to write about such divinity.
Aha, how long it’s been since someone took up this raga to drench us in! The most dense form of soukhyam, bliss, with the most adorable name – Sama. The alapana by Gayatri ma’am that our blessed ears devoured is one of the sweetest things to exist in the realm of sound. How many colours she made those few notes take! How delicate yet powerful! What a beyond beautiful blend of the endearing and familiar with new twists and trails! How her pristine akaaram captivates, binds, intensifies and drowns, in all the octaves without any semblance of limits! An ocean of hearts swayed and danced to her will and burst into thunderous applause. Acho, that kriti. Shaantamu leka. Every phrase, every charanam soaked in love. Every time returning to the pallavi and adding that little improvisation. Every thing done to keep the feel and flow of the composition unhindered… A few rounds of evocative swarams in slow speed, a few rounds in fast speed flowed, no koraippu. Because masters of proportion. And then the most delightful and sensitive Tani Avartanam. These musicians truly bring the very spirit of a composition to life.
Before the RTP came the favourite Ira Beku with its delectable sangathis, in Bahudari.
Ranjani ma’am began. Some phrases full of suspense. A reveal. Even that, nothing dramatic. So seamless, subtle, but unmistakable. A gorgeous Vivadi raga. And then pouring the notes in different degrees of weight, but in uncompromising classicism all through, to weave patterns, to showcase glides, create a mesmerizing portrait. Isn’t this the way to explore a Vivadi raga! Haunting, but never spooky! Something to be admired and revered, certainly not feared or irked by! Then Gayatri ma’am began her outpouring. My God what an endlessly brilliant aesthete. She made each note gleam iridescent depending on the context. Once plain, once heavy and gamaka-laden. Once standing out and ethereal, once just part of a larger idea. The Vivadi-ness concealed and revealed over and over. In those higher notes the ears couldn’t even handle how nectar-sweet she made it all sound. A Ga-Ga to make you GaGa. Jyothiswaroopini in all her blazing glory. Gosh, what were those rounds of Taanam! Dumbfounded with awe.
Irule Illaadha Arul Thaa
Amma Jyothiswaroopini Agathil
In the neraval, the words came to such an elevated intensity that I wondered if we were even listening to a ragam tanam pallavi in Chatushra Rupakam, Tishra Nadai or a spontaneous, unrestrained outburst of raga and words in Viruttham. Of course, the gripping tala came alive as they embellished with swarams and moved on to the second speed pallavi. That last round of swarams to every single word was just too much awesomeness to enjoy without the loudest gasping and applauding. As if they were aware how extra sweet this concert was, Karnaranjani came as the first ragamalika swaram before yet another grahabhedam triad. Gambheeranaattai, Hamsanadam, Neela. When someone treats you to the most delicious halwa you’ve ever eaten, are you going to ask if it’s Ashoka, or Thirunelveli or Kasi Halwa? You just gobble it up and gush over its sweetness. And the way she moved between them too, like eating halwa only.
Even in a short Viruttham how her Vasantha took flight! Sparkling Arabhi came next, and then… Sindubhairavi! Oh God how those words gave it away so delightfully.. Of course it was Venkatachala Nilayam! In purity I’ve never heard before. And then, as if the heart hadn’t been submerged in joy already, came the Abhang! Those minutes of music. Only those who were there will know it. We weren’t at Narada Gana Sabha.
They must have broken the skies when they brought the heavens to earth, because the skies poured, for long after the concert.
No wonder my mind has nothing to say or want after such a concert. When there’s such music, created from the choicest of raga ratnas, with nectar-sweet words, in perfect shruti and layam, when there is such gaana amudha paanam, how can the manam have abhimaanam over anything else!!!
Notes on Ra-Ga 