Mridangam: Arun Prakash
Morrisville, NC
List of Songs:
- Virutham in Sankarabharanam on Ganesha
- Srivaralakshmi, Sri, rUpakam, (S), MD
- Nenendu vedakudura, karanAtaka behAg, Adi, T
- Devadeva, poorvI kalyAni, Adi, ST, (R, S@ pAvanAnupama)
- Janani ninnuvina, rItigOula, SS, (R, S@ tAmasamu sEyagane brOvumu)
- Tamil composition in Yadukula kambhoji (couldn't decipher composition and composer)
- vara nArada, vijayasrI, Adi, T
- sarOjadaLa nEtri, sankarAbharaNam, Adi, SS (R, N&S@ sAma gAna vinOdhini, Tani)
- srI guruguhAsya dAsoham, poorvI, Adi, MD
I left right when Sri guruguhAsya started, and I am told she did a RTP (in RTP area:-) in keeravANI. Not sure of the pallavi, but in rAgamAlika (kApi, dwijAvanthi, behAg and dEsh) followed by Thirumangai azhwAr pasurams and a purandaradAsa composition. If any one in this group attended, please fill in the rest of the details.
Although initially there were some hiccups or noisy audio levels, eventually things settled down reasonably well during or a little after sri varalakshmi piece, perhaps Srivaralakshmi took care of it:-)
Coming to the concert, Amritha has a good range of voice reaching all the octaves effortlessly, and what makes her unique is that she is also a good violinist having accompanied her guru Smt. T. Rukmini several times and that definitely works to her advantage as a vocalist as well. I have heard live in the december music season last year and she has amazing repertoire of songs apart from possessing clear diction in her renderings. And, perhaps for this concert coming freshly from a mother's day weekend, she chose popular krithis on Goddess Mother such as janani, saroja dala netri and Sri varalakshmi. Probably she wanted to make this as a mother's day gift to all the mothers in this area. She is quite at ease be it the fast paced ones such as the vara nArada or the soothing slow paced one as in the yadukula kambhoji song. The alapanas especially the one in reetigoula and poorvi kalyani were a treat to listen with a variety of beautiful catchy sangathis. RKS is a genius when it comes to accompanying on violin especially for krithis for he is quite rich as well in his songs repertoire. There were some squeaky sounds especially in poorvi kalyani alapana, for I don't know if the audio hiccups I mentioned before have disturbed his flow, or if he is using brand new strings, could not make it out really. Otherwise, RKS was just phoenomenal in his accompaniment support to Amritha. Arun prakash's tani was short, but sweet. At times, you can't tell whether he is really playing at all or not
, with those deft touches on mridangam. He definitely brings in a different class and touch to mridangam playing.Although I missed out on RTP (in RTP), an enjoyable evening by Amritha Murali and Party with essentially song list that demonstrates more or less paying her tribute to the trinity.
Last but not the least, it is indeed pleasing to see reasonably good crowd showing up even though another event was taking place at the same time, and also heartening to see tiny little younger ones putting thalam especially during Tani, and I am sure Arun Prakash would have been very pleased with it as well.
Thanks to SIFAA for bringing such a versatile young artist along with team of accomplished accompaniments to the area.
