Vaagadheeshwari’s at Kalaalaya – 7 January 2023

Every Ranjani-Gayatri concert is a sacred space for the arts – Kalaalaya. Once they begin their music, the soul has no option but to quieten and listen. To behold RaGa after RaGa.

The listening began with the beautiful Kalyani kriti Ganapathe Mahamathe, with swarams for Ganapathe and Maam Paahi. When I visited the temple a while ago, I couldn’t see Kapaleeshwarar, because of the crowds, but no worries, he came for us in the favourite Papanasam Sivan’s kriti in sweet Valachi – Paadame Thunai Paramashiva!

RaGa Sudhaarasa Paanamu – 1 January 2023

Happy New Year!

What better beginning than music, and what better music than Ranjani-Gayatri’s!

New Year fireworks began with the raga of auspiciousness, Mangalam – the super duper favourite Ninnu Joochi, in Saurashtram. Sigh, how much we can trust these musicians to enthrall us, every single time! A burst of grip-max swarams fell in place.

Unwaning RaGa Rasana – 27 December 2022

This year, this Margazhi, Ranjani-Gayatri have been singing such maddeningly awesome music. But the concert for Madrasana… Sigh, what a grand finale for RaGa’s 2022. A concert that makes a rasika just impossibly excited to see what’s in store next year! How they raise the level of the game so much, every time! And win, so spectacularly!!

Eppadi Paadinaro – 25 December 2022

After the Ranjani-Gayatri concert at Music Academy, I was sitting with a friend. After gushing over the music, the conversation moved to other topics but every ten minutes or so, I’d zone out and exclaim – “Oh God, how they sang this thing!” “How can anybody sing like this!” And more than once – “Basant in two minutes! TWO minutes!” When they give us such a PHENOMENAL kutcheri, the joy is impossible to contain – it keeps hitting, in waves of bliss and beauty. Ananda Lahari. Soundarya Lahari. How beautiful, to be distracted by joy itself!

Gaana Amudha Paanam – 24 December 2022

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!