Inai Ila Oli Nirai RaGa Deepam – 22 October 2022

You know the feeling when you wait with a sparkler near a deepam and you don’t know when it’s going to catch a spark, but when it does, it’s instant celebration! Ranjani-Gayatri’s concert burst into life the same way, with a sparkling Suddha Saveri and an explosion of swarams for Saamaja Varadha. Happy Deepavali!

After a beautiful rendition of Madhava Manohari in that matchless, perfect kalapramanam came Madhava himself. Ranjani ma’am beckoned the Venu-Gaanamoorthi with such a poignant, rich alapana with that characteristic balance of peaceful karvais for the half notes to flow into each other and chiseled phrases for the notes to pour forth. Trust Vivadi ragas like this to unsettle and turn you to the divine so naturally. After the forever amazing Vid Vittal Rangan played a wonderful alapana, the iconic Thyagaraja composition was rendered in all its majesty, followed by some swarams to adorn. Those Fitting Poruttams! Gaanamoorthe.

RaGa Deepa Prakashini! – 15 November 2020

As the dawn breaks on Deepavali morning, there’s always that one first burst of crackers that wakes the entire neighbourhood, that announces emphatically, that the festival is finally here! That’s how Ranjani-Gayatri’s concert began today, with Oothukkadu Venkatakavi’s fire-work of a composition, in Vasantha. To hear his beautiful Tamizh play in their perfect voices as they launched the brilliantly coloured RaGa rocket, complete with crisp swarams, was infinitely delightful. The celebrations had begun! The evergreen “O Rajeevaksha”in Arabhi was next, with all its beautifully constructed sangathis rendered with marvellous purity and synchronicity.