An all-Tamil concert by Varalakshmi Anandkumar

Proportion and restraint marked Varalakshmi Anandkumar’s concert

The all-Tamil concert hosted by Naada Inbam recently was a refreshing experience. The thematic concert was by vocalist Varalakshmi Anandkumar, whose Karaharapriya delineation still lingers in my mind. She painted an inspiring portrait of the majestic raga. Listening to this disciple of the legendary D.K. Jayaraman, the virtual audience must have guessed that she would take up Papanasam Sivan’s masterpiece ‘Senthil andavan’ (Rupakam), in praise of the deity of Tiruchendur. She certainly didn’t disappoint. Melakaveri Thyagarajan lent able support on the violin.

Proportion and restraint marked her music , especially in this composition. At the niraval of ‘Vadivelan valli deyvanai lolan,’ her creative visualisation found absolute manifestation in the phrasings. The swaras at atheetham brought out the essence of Karaharapriya. Thyagarajan’s swara statements were swift.

The piece de resistance of the recital was the evergreen ‘Kapali’ (Mohanam) by the same composer. The alapana in all three octaves was so comprehensive that not a single aspect of the raga seemed omitted. The response on the violin was also splendid. In the swaraprastara, Varalakshmi impressed listeners with her creativity by bringing to the fore the raga’s nuances. The thani by Neyveli Skandasubramanian (mridangam) and Madipakkam Murali (ghatam) was enjoyable, with many hints of their laya finesse. Their able support enhanced the concert’s appeal.