The RaGa-yaan Experience – 3 September 2023

In any art form there are a few very special artistes who are constantly shooting for the moon, and the audiences and the art itself are all the better for it. And then there are Ranjani-Gayatri who not only aim for the moon but also land there, while taking hundreds along with them for the journey!

The RaGa-yaan arose with the poignant Bhoopalam, its notes of dawn a fitting tribute for a precious soul, in Dikshitar’s Sadaachaleshwaram Bhaavayeham, and brisk swarams adorned the Kamala-Vijayakara for a successful take-off. This was followed by the beautiful Ikonamma Swami in Manirangu anchored in the lovely gait of Mishra Chapu.

RaGa! RaGa! – 11 December 2022

Repetition. Repetition.

Such a simple yet powerful device. The joy of repetition was revealed in Ranjani-Gayatri’s first piece itself – the Hindolam varnam by TM Thyagarajan – how the second speed shows the same lines in a totally different colour, varnam! And what a fun charanam! The second piece was the ever-beloved Janaranjaka “Paahim Sri Rajarajeswari” With those fire-cracker fast swarams after some rounds of majestic slow ones.

“Nee Sari Evvaro” – 14 January 2020

Yesterday, after the concert, I and my friend began to discuss things we love about Carnatic music, what makes music so wonderful, what makes for great music, and inevitably, much of that conversation revolved around Ranjani-Gayatri. And before we knew it, it was 4 am! I thought that that was enough re-living and celebrating the concert. I thought I got over it without writing about it, until today when I found myself in an auto, alone with my thoughts. And I ended up hearing the second-speed pallavi line, and discovering the concert all over again, in my head. And I knew I still had things to write.