Bhavadhaarini Anantaraman at BRAHMA GANA SABHA - 26/12

[Vocalist]

Bhavadhaarini Anantaraman - Neela - VR Jayakumar
Dec 26th, 2:15pm

(missed first 12 minutes or so)
Kamakshi - Bilahari - Adi (2 kalai) - MD (S)
Paripoorna Kama - Poorvikalyani - Rupakam - T (R,N,S)
Dhehi Thava - Sahana - Adi - T (r)
Dhyaname - Amruthavarshini - Adi - Ambujam Krishna
Chakkani Raja - Kharaharapriya - Adi (2 kalai) - T (R,N,S,T)
Hari Kunidha Namma - Kuntalavarali - Adi - PD


Was thoroughly enjoying BA's pitch-perfect and open throat style of singing at the start of the concert. I've heard her sing a while ago, but her shruthi seems to have lowered since then. Still, even at the lower pitch, her voice actually sounded like a younger DKP during the Bilahari swaras and Poorvikalyani alapana. Some of the phrases she sung in these portions were too good. Wasn't expecting Paripoorna Kama but it was rendered competently. She took up niraval and swaras at the first line of the charanam, "Saaketha Dheepa". Swaras were in two speeds for both the Bilahari and Poorvikalyani krithis. Violinist Neela was playing flawlessly during the Poorvikalyani, that a couple of times I questioned myself as to whether I heard MLV and A. Kanyakumari live today. With just a few minutes left until 3pm, she went onto Sahana - the opening part of her short alapana was wonderful. It didn't sound anything like DKP's Sahana, but more like Bombay Jayashri when she handled the raga in her younger years! As she approached the end of the alapana, it sounded as if there was some uncertainty. I felt there was room for improvement in how she sang the Sahana krithi too; some of the sangathis could have been rendered with more clarity. Violinist Neela's response for the Sahana alapana again deserves special mention who rendered a "ma pa dha" phrase in a series of repetitions very effectively.

BA changed the pace of the concert with a faster number in Amruthavarshini which was rendered very well. She then changed the pace again taking up a Kharaharapriya alapana. She started the alapana in a way which indicated a main was to come, and brought out some interesting sancharas fairly early on; everyone was enjoying it. Her voice seemed to be in top form until she went into the higher octave portions of the alapana. Imperfections continued even during her rendition of the popular evergreen krithi selected for the main. Several sangathis again lacked clarity, and it did seem as if the grandeur found in renditions of such a known krithi by yesteryear artists (including her guru DKP) was lacking. There was at least a couple of shruthi lapses (for example, in between the return to the pallavi from the anupallavi and the return to the anupallavi again). Overall though,it was not a bad rendition of the krithi. Niraval and swaras were taken up at "Kantiki Sundhara", but this was average overall, with more shruthi lapses in the swaras. A short but average thani avarthanam by mridangist VR Jayakumar followed. To his credit, he accompanied the artists well through the duration of the concert. A very fast pasted Kuntalavarali Devaranama was selected to conclude the 1.5 hour concert. The artists handled the speed of this composition very well, and BA's voice did seem to be back in shape at this point. It left me with a view that in spite of the issues, the concert came to an end too soon.

[Vocalist]

Turns out I only missed the opening varnam in the list, so the complete songlist should read:

Sami Daya (Varnam) - Kedaragowla - Adi - TT
Kamakshi - Bilahari - Adi (2 kalai) - MD (o,S)
Paripoorna Kama - Poorvikalyani - Rupakam - T (R,N,S)
Dhehi Thava - Sahana - Adi - T (r)
Dhyaname - Amruthavarshini - Adi - Ambujam Krishna
Chakkani Raja - Kharaharapriya - Adi (2 kalai) - T (R,N,S,T)
Hari Kunidha Namma - Kuntalavarali - Adi - PD