Smt Suguna Varadachari @ Rasikalaya, London, Apr 20th, 2013

[Ajit Ramachandran]

Rasikalaya Concert - London, 20th April 2013
Sangeetha Kala Acharya Smt Suguna Varadachari - vocal
Sri AGA Gnanasundaram - violin
Sri RN Prakash - mridangam

1. ViribOni - Bhairavi varnam - Khandajati Ata - Pacchimiriyam Adiyappa
2. Jaya jaya jaya jAnaki kAnta - Nattai - Khanda chapu - Purandara Dasa
3. Muddu mOmu - Suryakantam - Adi - Thyagaraja
4. Marivere gati - Anandabhairavi - Misra chapu - Shyama Sastry
5. Dharmasamvardhani - Madhyamavati - Rupakam - Dikshitar
6. Mahima tagginchuko - Rishabhapriya - Adi - Thyagaraja
7. enraikku Siva kRipai - Mukhari - Misra chapu - Neelakanta Sivan
8. bhOgIndra Shayinam - Kuntalavarali - Khanda chapu - Swati Thirunal
9. rAma bAna - Saveri - Adi - Thyagaraja
Thani avartanam
10. RTP - Kedaragowla - Misra chapu - eduppu after 6 aksharas - Arudi karvai 13 aksharas
Pallavi: "Ananda naTanam ADinAr... tathAm tathAm"
Ragas: Poorvi kalyani, Vasanta
11. Viruttam - BhajAmi nArAyana pAda pankajam - Valaji, Sahana, Kapi
12. Bhaja mAdhavam anisham - Kapi - Adi - Mysore Vasudevacharya
13. Thillana - Gambheeravani - Adi - TK Govinda Rao
Mangalam


Last month, Smt Suguna Varadachari presented a concert to our audience here in London that truly represented the highest ideals of Rasikalaya - to showcase madi sampradaya sangeetham. In a concert that exceeded 3 hours in duration, the vidushi excelled in her presentations of madhyamavati with the Muthuswami Dikshitar composition Dharmasamvardhani, and a rare Thyagaraja composition in a Rishabhapriya (prati madhyama equivalent of charukesi). Words cannot do enough justice to applaud the phenomenal performance of the supporting artistes - Sri AGA Gnanasundaram on the violin and RN Prakash on the mrudangam throughout the concert.

The detailed and delightful flourishes during the main item in Saveri for rama bana, and there on for Kedaragowla in the RTP were simply spectacular and belied the age of this outstanding vidushi - truly one of carnatic music's finest and most respected today. All through the concert, the sangatis were so perfect, so well etched and yet innovative. All along, Sri RN Prakash's anticipation and the way in every sangati or swarakalpana phrase landed on the supportive beats of his mrudangam truly added to the enjoyment of the concert.

Smt Suguna's pallavis always bear a stamp of creativity and she did not disappoint us - during her switch from Kedaragowla to purvi kalyani, she smoothly transformed the pallavi lyrics from 'ananda natam adinar' to 'ananda natam aduvar' paying homage to the Neelakanta sivan tamil composition - delighting audience members in the know. The transition there on to Vasanta was an interesting choice. All through the alapanas and ensuring neraval, Sri AGA Gnanasundaram's violin support was simply phenomenal, at once paying due respect to the main artiste and the Lalgudi bani, and at the same time bringing out additional contours of the ragam or compositions.

As with all our Rasikalaya events, our core and knowledgeable audience members were present to support us enjoying the concert as much as enhancing the experience for the artistes with their sincere appreciation, making the experience truly gratifying for all of us.

[rajeshnat]

Ajit
Smt suguna V is indeed a very versatile artist in picking numbers where it brings a significant dose of sampradayam.Looking forward to hear ur next review of Kunnakkudi BMK which you have indicated in another thread. kudos for giving atleast a minimum of 3 hours for the artists.