https://youtu.be/hIDelxibI9k
Sriranjani - Sai Rakshith - Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar
Another extremely enticing concert in the honeyed voice of Sriranjani Santhanagopalan. I dare say that her voice and manodharma and stage presence make us completely lost and we forget the headstart she would have got being the daughter and disciple of Neyveli sir.
Here she sings a few songs I won't list. But surely I mention that her Shanmukhapriya is mesmerising and haunting and showcases the raaga such that I HAD to fall in love with it.
Shanmukha as a deity is a sufficiently complex concept. Imagine a war hero who is irresistible to women but goes and holes himself up in a cave and gives spiritual instruction to... Shiva!
So this raaga also attempts too much.
Often I find SMP to be done in a very gimmicky way. Sometimes it seems to be a freak spin bowler brought in to win a match who ends up conceding 50 runs in 4 overs without taking a wicket.
Not here. The way Sriranjani sings it, Shanmukhapriya transports us to a cave temple high in the mist-covered hill full of king cobras and makes us fall into a trance.
And this Sai Rakshith on the violin! My god! What sweetness and lower octave play! A star is born.
Mridangam is very classy.
Enjoy!