Vidu Shyamala Venkatesan-Alatoor Day-NGS mini hall

[satyabalu]

* Every time when we hear a memorial concert the listeners are taken to the memories of yore be it sangathi laden kriti ,clarity of diction, tempo and not the least laya gnana of the doyens.
*Is it because the performers are chosen (need not be popular) who will adhere to their tradition including complicated pallavis &popular RTPs.?
*Is it due the dedication of a few disciples from the tough school who religiously pay homage to their gurus(ABS).
*Or is it the ambience of NGS minihall or the presence of vibrations (blessings)in the hall "triggering the artists to import the true contents"?
*Mrs.Shyamala Venkatesan "s prog this evening is no exception .
*I was there only for the last one hour of the concert.
*She was elaborating Sal'aka Bhairavi in all the nuances .V.L.Kumar gave more than a satisfactory return of this alapana &brief swaras employed by her.No surprise ,she took up the kriti
"Padavini satbhakthi"Thiagaraja is equating Bhakthi&Padavi(In Sudda Bangala kriti he says Rama bhakthi samrajyam-By merging the two equations we get (Rama)Bhakthi leads to Padavi which is samrajyam .Any improvement in this intrepretation is welcome for my novice approach)
Please excuse me for the digression.
Then was Thodi alapana followed by Shyama Shastri kriti Ninne namminanura
She took up the famous Nattaikurunchi pallavi for which ABS were famous for .
Then a thillana in Behag of Muthiah Bhagavather.
She signed off with a Tirupughal in kundala varali.
At the end of the prog. I felt her age had not deterred her firm voice and determination to deliver a wholesome memorial concert .I also wondered why she is not recognised as much she deserves(I am listening to her for the first time!?

[kmrasika]

Vidu Shyamala Venkatesan

I think her name is śyāmaḷā vēnkaṭēśvaran.

[satyabalu]

I will stand corrected if confirmed.