KALYANAPURAM ARAVIND IN ARKAY- 14 MARCH 2020

[CRama]

Accompanists- B.Ananthakrishnan- Violin
Vijay Natesan- Mridangam
B.S.Purushothaman- Ganjira
List of songs.
• Varnam- Kanada- Ata talam
• Girirajasudha tanaya- Bangala- T (S)
• Evarikai avatarame- Devamanohari- T (R)
• Bhavasagaram- Shanmugapriya- GKB (R,N,S)
• Amba Neelayadakshi- Neelambari- MD
• Nepogadakune- Varali- T
• Devi nee pada saarasa- Kambodi- SS (R,N,S)
• Tani avartanam
• Ragamalika Virutham- Tirandezhuthazhai-
• Kannaa Vaa- Ragamalika- Ambujam Krishna
• Erumayileri- Tirupugazh- Ragamalika
• Mangalam

Kalyanapuram Aravind, disciple of Maestro Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan presented a very impressive recital under the aegis of Parampara in Arkay Convention Centre. Vedanth Ramanujam of Parampara and Ramakrishnan of Arkay are doing immense service for the cause of music turning Arkay Convention Centre into a well sought after music centre in Mylapore area.

I have been following Aravind for the past three- four years and noticing the steady maturity in his music. His Academy concert was very nicely packaged and presented and I had published the review of the concert in Sruti magazine of March 2020.

After warming up with the Kanada varnam, the kalpana swaras for the song Giriraja tanaya were very intelligently crafted and rendered with gusto. His alapanas of Devamanohari, Shanmugapriya and Kambodi revealed the characteristic pidis of the ragam in abundance. His well sruti aligned voice, open throated singing, rich in gamakams, long kaarvais and abundance of flashy brighas brought to mind the alapanas of his Guru TNS which I had enjoyed a lot. For the song Bhavasagaram, elaborate neraval on the lines Bhakti panni paadi Balakrishanan potrum and the following kalpana swaras rich in laya complexities were greeted with cheer by the audience. Amba Neelayadakshi provided the required contrast in terms of vishranti and melting raga bhavam.

The main kriti - Devi nee pada saarasa of Syama Sastry is one of the Meenakshi Navarathnamalika kritis and is popularised by Vidwan TNS. The sahithyam is pretty long and this kriti has got many swarakshara prayogams. The kriti was rendered in an unhurried kalaparamanam. Neraval on the lines Sree Velayu madhura nela konna and the sumptuous kalpana swaras had abundant raga bhavam, variety and laya challenges.

After the tani avartanam, he rendered Kannaa Vaa of Ambuja Krishna which was tuned by Madurai TNS. Before the song, he intelligently sang the virutham in the reverse order of the ragas in this song. That was a very nice exercise- again the original architect is TNS himself.

B.Ananthakrishnan on the violin enriched the raga alapanas and swara returns by his sweet melody and bowing skills. Vijay Natesan with his controlled volume, dexterity, variety and clarity of strokes accompanied in an unobtrusive manner and B.S. Purushothaman with his long experience added colour and grip to the concert. The tani was well appreciated by the audience.

An excellent concert for two and half hours.

[K Nagarajan]

Thanks for the review.
I too felt the same about his music when I listened to him on 13.03.2020 in the Thyagaraja Aradhana Mahotsavam held from 08.03.2020 to 15.03.2020 in the 'Goratha Moolai' the corner between the north and east chithirai veethis in Srirangam. It was for seven days featuring two concerts each evening by both the young and upcoming and the veterans.

I want to highlight two compositions which Sri Kalyanapuram Aravind elaborated in his two hours concert which was noted for his sruthi aligned voice and open throated singing.
1.Raju vedala - Thodi in which the following lines in the keerthana was most apt in the venue where he was singing.
'kAveri theeramunu pAvanamigu rangapurini shrI velayu chitra veethilO vETgaka ....'
The other song he took up for detailed singing was another Sriranga pancharatna krithi of Sri Thyagaraja 'O ranga sAyee...' in kAmbOdhi.
His way of singing and voice modulation was like his great Guru Sri TNS.
He was accompanied by Sri NC Madhav on the violin, by Sri Srirangam Madhusuthanan on the mrudangam and by Sri Ravikrishnan on the ghatam for this concert.

[shankarank]

I am impressed by Vijay Natesan's playing. Nalla kai Shuddham. SamyOjitham! As you say he brings a lot of variety and makes it stick!