I was so helplessly busy with the non-musical parts of life (read corporate drudgery) but every now and then a snippet of Ranjani-Gayatri’s Fort High School concert would show up in my social media feed and I would sigh in awe. The ocean of people that show up to the concert every year – at least 90% of the audience doesn’t even get a good view of the artistes on stage but yet they commit to show up in person, to experience the brilliant, divine music as and when it happens.
Ranjani-Gayatri’s “Sapta Puri” concert that happened at Chowdiah Memorial Hall was only around two hours long yet it was a journey across so many beautiful Kshetras all over India!
First, we were taken to the most powerful Kanchipuram, as Dikshitar’s composition came to us in the uniquely charming Kamala Manohari, with swarams choosing to celebrate her lotus eyes, Kanchadalayatakshi, instead of the usual Raaka Shashi Vadane, her radiant full-moon face, because every part of Her, every part of this Krithi demands being adorned by swarams!
Sometimes, a Ranjani-Gayatri concert is an experience which you can’t even know to wish for, from the universe. Who could have foreseen the change of dates, who could have made it all align so perfectly. It was simply destined to happen, before the momentous occasion of the Pran Pratishta. Their music was the bestest way to elevate our energies so that when we saw Rama yesterday, we burst into tears of such intense joy.
Dharmavathi took the entire audience and instantly placed us right in front of him with folded hands. Rama Raksha stotram. He is everything. Na Anyam Jaane! Naiva Jaane! Na Jaane! Ramachandrasya Dasoham! Heart, it’s okay. Feel. Cry. Every syllable rang sweeter, more poignant. Sriranjani came with her rich beauty in Ranjani ma’am’s voice and then more in that irreplaceable violinist’s strings. Sadguru Thyagaraja’s grand, grand masterpiece, each sangathi gem shining in all its glory, in such marvelous power-packed akaaram. Marubalka. Darinerigi Santasillinatti. What an iconic line. Taken up at that tempo for some brilliant neraval, those flourishes in the slower neraval as words floated, and that gripping faster neraval, with swarams to that fun edam.
As I gobbled down the sweet Pongal that I ordered from a restaurant which had three varieties of it, all with the same jaggery but just different spellings, my mind drifted to the time my ears last experienced unbearable sweetness. Why of course, it was Ranjani Gayatri’s final Margazhi concert at Nada Sudha, Velachery.
My new year began with the raga of beginnings, in Ponnaiah Pillai’s exquisite Mayamalavagowla composition, with a brilliant burst of swarams adorning the Mayaatheetha Swaroopini. The beauty of Hamir Kalyani as captured in the lilt of Thumani Madathu was on full display next, every single Ma – the syllable and/or swaram, is an absolute delight in this! Ariyakudi is ❤️
The menacing clouds of the storm parted, as the curtains went up, to reveal the beings of light. A dancing Krishna emerged, celebrating his favourite Margazhi in the joyous jantai’s of Arabhi and the jathis and swarams and words of Purandaradasa. Aadidano Ranga! That burst of swarams to Mudaati Shri Krishnana! Ranjani-Gayatri, what a start to the music season!
The rising sun with its soft rays, the calm beyond all storms, an envelope of evocative Bowli that had us marvelling at the piercing beauty of each note. Melukovayya. Stirring.
Ranjani ma’am then treated us to a beautiful alapana of Shuddha Dhanyasi. The contrasts the plain notes and the gamakas create! Five become Infinite! With chiselled phrases and poised long notes, the different hues were brought out. After a lovely and melodious alapana by Vid L Ramakrishnan was presented Dikshitar’s masterpiece, Subrahmanyena Rakshitoham with fiery swarams poured at the gripping madhyama kala sahityam.
Notes on Ra-Ga 