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.

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!

Krishna Gana Sabha – 18 December 2022

The starting piece of a Ranjani-Gayatri decisively places the concert at that higher plane of energy, music, joy. How can anyone go wrong with Rama Bhakti Samrajyam! A cascade of swarams in the beautiful Suddha Bangala followed.

Pantuvarali. Ranjani ma’am. One more fantastic alapana to substantiate this match made in heaven. Perfect “sub-main” ragam. With her rich voice she made us pensive, sit upright in attention, and soak in the bliss of her journey to discover anew those glides, runs, gripping turns and twists. After a wonderful alapana by Vid Vittal Rangan came the most favourite Ninne Nera Namminaanura. Their absolute marvel of a rendition is to be adored, worshipped in all its detail. That bang-on kalapramaana all through kalpita and kalpana. That evocative, emotive slow neraval at Veda Shaastra Puraana that belied the power that was going to be packed in the second speed. That transition that Gayatri ma’am does, to keep our very hearts on edge (and break any necks trying to keep up). A raga-cloud-burst of 1 avartanam swarams, each with something different to showcase. A gripping long round of swarams. Just Carnatic music gold.