Tamil Isai Sangam
Rich fare of Tamil music
M.S. Viswanathan with his orchestra.
TAMIL ISAI Sangam had come forward to honour `Mellisai Mannar' M. S. Viswanathan with the coveted `Isai Perarignar' title this year. If one analyses rationally keeping the petty debates apart, the fact remains that Viswanathan's contribution to music is undoubtedly something extraordinary. Since his area of expertise turned out to be film music he reached a larger section of audience. But then has cinema not become an integral part of our life? The fully packed Raja Annamalai Mandram on the first day programme of MSV was the attestation of his name, fame and his long innings in popular music. One cannot expect MSV to sit and perform a Carnatic music concert with violin, mridangam and ghatam. But with his full contingent of orchestra, MSV presented some of the vintage melodies tuned purely on classical base.
As a music lover and movie buff who keeps listening to both classical and film music for years, I was amazed the way MSV handled several classical ragas so pleasing to senses. His two different ways of handling Kalyani (`Isai kettal puvi asaindadum'-Thavappudalvan and `Mugathil mukam parkalam'-Thangapadumai), the competence to manage a flexible and catchy melody of Mahati with just three swaras (`Adisaya raagam'-`Apoorva Raagangal'), classically composed Latangi (`Aadatha manamum undo'-Mannathi Mannan), a finely tuned `Parakkum em killaigal' (Thiruvachagam), touchingly set in Sindhubhairavi `Enda madavam seidanai' (Thevaram), exclusively improvised Mayamalavagowla for `Thayagi thandaiyumagi' (Thiruvasagam) and the way Viswanathan seamlessly slipped into `Kallellam manikka kallaguma' (Aalayamani) were just sample sof the genius who has worked for 1,750 films with at least six songs in each! MSV also included many of the songs of his contemporary music directors without bias. MSV's songs were rendered by Raghavender, Ananthakrishnan, Kalpana, Prasanna and Deepan Chakravarty. Only the inescapable bane of high decibel noise level acted as a damper. Tamil Isai Sangam and its audience function on an entirely different plane. Here, Tamil music, like Thevaram, Thiruvachagam and Divya Prabandam, take precedence over music. For them, the music is only a vehicle to transport the poignant verses of the Tamil poets. It is not the occasion to indulge in the elaborate exercise on ragas and their nuances. The saintly looking Isai Perarignar Kalaimamani Thevara Sangeetha Booshanam Pa Saminathan presented `Thirumurai Isai Arangu' to the packed audience in the hall. He could hardly sing a single note in its swarasthana of the ragas such as Kamboji, Kamas, Pantuvarali or Kedaragowla. Never mind. The age and stamina would have withered his once musical prowess. That did not prevent him from conveying the lyrics in his strong luminous voice. When he sang `Attuvithal aaroruvar adathare,' `Ponnar meniyane,' `Namachchivaya vazhga,' the audience was spell bound. The harmonium (T. S. Chittibabu) was sharply going most of the time just on the ascending and descending notes of the chosen ragas. Mridangam support was by N. Shakthivel.
Enticing recital
N. Ramani's flute recital opened with ``Arul purivai" in Hamsadhwani and followed by `Thiruvadi charanam" in Latangi. Ramani extensively elaborated Mohanam and played a song, which this reviewer was not familiar with. In spite of several requests, musicians do not announce the details of the item they play. In fact, it should be made mandatory for the instrumentalists. It will not in any way be an insult to the knowledge of the listener. Nevertheless, Ramani enticed the audience with all his special effects exclusively applicable to flute.
Mysore Manjunath was equally enthusiastic and reproduced the racy frills, vortex brigas, spiralling swaras, parabolic jumps, etc. When the magnification of sound goes beyond a point, the music becomes something else; the pleasing notes of the flute turned piercing shrills in the upper regions. Additionally, the overpowering smell of a mosquito repellent within the air-conditioned hall became positively repulsive. Further, should a veteran like Ramani go on a swara spree for each and every item closing with the same `ga ri sa ni da' etc? Prapancham Ravindran and V Suresh were on percussion support.
Balanced concert
S. Sundar, a lesser-known veena artiste with commendable repertoire, gave a balanced concert with well-known Tamil compositions. Opening with Papanasam Sivan's ``Tatvamariya tarama" in Ritigowla and G. N. Balasubramaniam's `Unnadiye gadhi endru' in Bahudari, Sundar chose to essay Keeravani. He could bring out the full rounded and ripe phrases of the raga with sufficient melody.
``Devi neeye thunai" and the swara korvai on the pallavi made an enjoyable pair. Mohanam and Sivan's ``Kapali" was the core item. But for the slightly clipped kalpanaswaras, the raga essay and the kriti rendition were impeccable. The percussionists impressed with an effective thani avartanam after Mohanam.
S.P. Ramh
String of songs
With an enviable voice and excellent pataanthara S. P. Ramh extended a rather confused fare. There were no alapanas or long swara trails. Ramh was just reeling out one song after another.
In place of alapana, there were viruttam like ``Kulam tharum selvam" Azhwar pasuram followed by ``Oorellam thunji ulagellam" (Bowli or Revagupti?) and Thevaram ``Paal ninainthuttum thayin" followed by ``Enna punniyam seidanai" in Pantuvarali. In between, he included songs like ``Gana rasamudan" (Begada), ``Innamum thamathamen" (Devamanohari) and ``Nadamadi thirinda" (Yadukulakambodi), etc. The format neither charged the audience with intensity like their ``Thirumurai Isai" nor was captivating like that of a classical concert. The silver lining was Ramh's voice that was in fine fettle. The accompanists on the violin and the mridangam were humble and efficient.
G. SWAMINATHAN
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