‘Shubhada’, a The live performance to mark M.S. Subbulakshmi’s delivery anniversary, was a celebration of her artwork and persona
A quintessential ‘M.S.’ live performance was recreated on her 116th delivery anniversary on the uniquely designed auditorium (with out digital amplification) named after her, within the Asian School of Journalism campus, Chennai. Senior violinist R.Okay. Shriramkumar, who had accompanied M.S. Subbulakshmi at a number of live shows, shared his recollections and experiences. Vocalist Amritha Murali sang a couple of compositions popularised by the illustrious musician.
The session opened with an invocation to Dakshinamurthy, fairly like the best way M.S. would start her live shows. Annamacharya’s ‘Namo namo raghukula nayaka’ (Nattai) that adopted set the tone for a grand night.
Remembering her persona and musical method, Shriramkumar stated although music got here to her naturally, M.S. by no means missed her day by day sadakam, as she was not the one to take her voice with no consideration.
Shubhada – remembering M.S. Subbulakshmi delivery anniversary, carnatic vocal live performance, by Amritha Murali, with R.Okay.Shriramkumar (violin), Okay. Arunprakash (Mrindangam), Anirudh Athreya (kanjira), N. Guruprasad (ghatam) at Asian School of Journalism Campus in Chennai on Friday.
| Photograph Credit score: VELANKANNI RAJ
From M.S.’s repertoire
A composition in Yamuna Kalyani ‘Dhava vibho kaurunakara Madhava’, from M.S.’s repertoire, and a favorite of her husband T. Sadasivam, was introduced by Amritha with a quick niraval at ‘Janana marana bhaya.’ Percussionists Okay. Arunprakash on the mridangam, N. Guruprasad on the ghatam, and Anirudh Athreya on the kanjira alternated with their delicate strokes all through the music, lastly becoming a member of to intensify the ending line.
Shriramkumar and Amritha subsequent demonstrated a couple of vocal workouts that M.S. adopted in her day by day follow routine. Mentioning how the late musician was specific about patantara (the best way a composition is taught), Shriramkumar introduced a line in ‘Sri Ganapathini’ (Sowrashtram) with a singular prayoga that M.S. had learnt from T. Brinda.
Although Tamil was her mom tongue, she learnt find out how to pronounce phrases in different languages when she needed to render songs in them. She was additionally specific about understanding the which means of the lyrics. Amritha introduced the Thevaram ‘Siraiyarum’ (Suddha Saveri) in a approach that linked a phrase from the earlier line.
To throw mild on M.S.’s well-structured and pleasant raga alapanas, Amritha introduced Kamboji, constructing round panchama area with lengthy karvais and shifting exactly to tara sthayi shadja (higher ‘sa’) together with Shriramkumar on the violin.
Difficult compositions
M.S. carried out some difficult compositions such because the Melaragamalika of Mahavaidyanatha Sivan. “Elements of this difficult composition with ragas shut to one another in each different line turned a staple at her live shows. She sang two chakras yearly at The Music Academy,” stated Shriramkumar and the staff introduced the Bana chakra from the raga Mararanjani to Sankarabharanam.
Singing from a collection of niraval strains: ‘Eeduleni malayamaruthamuche’ from ‘Muripemu’ (Mukhari, Tyagaraja), ‘O jagajjanani’ from ‘Needu charana’ (Kalyani, Pallavi Gopalayyar) and ‘Viyadaadi bhoota kirane’ from ‘Kamalambike’ (Thodi, Muthuswami Dikshitar), the staff confirmed how M.S. structured the niravals in sluggish, medium and fast-paced phrases in response to the kritis and ragas.
The pallavi ‘Vara sangita layaananda pradam vande shubhadam’ composed by Shriramkumar in Purvikalyani was the spotlight of the night, Amritha briefly prefixed it with tanam and with swaras in elongated phrases to carry out the fantastic thing about the raga.
Recognized for infusing bhakti into her music, M.S. turned synonymous with Meera bhajans, notably after she was featured in a movie on the saint-poet. The staff introduced ‘Pyare darsan dijo aaj’.
Annamacharya’s compositions had been additionally her forte and the composition ‘Enta maatramuna’ the primary half set in Brindavani and the second in Mayamalavagowla garnered appreciation for the staff. The live performance ended with the evergreen ‘Maitreem bhajata’, a composition M.S. sang in benediction for world peace on the United Nations live performance in 1966. Throughout an interactive session with the viewers after the live performance, the staff sang on request one other well-liked M.S. music, ‘Kurai onrum illai’.
The reviewer writes on Carnatic music.