Crowds and rains didn't deter me from going to the Abhishek concert y'day at Gayana Samaja. I couldn't stay till the end but got a beautiful typical Abhishek treat in a lovely Kamavardhini composition of Mysore Vasudevachar :
---
shankari ninnE (medieval.org)
shankari ninnE. rAgA: kAmavardhini. cApu tALA.
P: shankari ninnE ika cAla nammitini shankari ninnE ika cAla nammitini
A: pankajAkSi nIdu mahima pogaDuTa nA taramA
pankajAnanE praNatajana shankari shrI tripurasundari
C: kAma janaka vAsudEva sahOdari shyAmaLAngai shiva hrdayOllAsini
kAmitArtta dAyini kAtyAyani gaurI gAciyunna nannu vEga kAvavE janani dEvi
Lyrics provided by Lakshman Ragde.
---
This composition is masterly in my layman opinion, as it fully harnesses the "mystical" potential of the Kamavardhini raga and gives plentiful scope for improvisation (niraval, swaras) at every turn. The words have great musicality, too. There are a few recordings of TMT, OST, etc. In S'Priya.
Abhishek's raga alapana was a combination of highly effective pure notes, sharply alternating notes, glides and curvy endings all the time. Even his laya-oriented phrases in niraval and swaras were majestic and made a deep impact on me. His voice was robust and he covered from Mandara Ri to Tara Ma!
This raga has a mystical effect on me and KVN used to sing many Thyagaraja songs in his concerts. Even Ramanatham Bhajeham and Sarasaksha have been sung very well by yesteryear greats. This Vasudevachar composition is a gem of a song, in my understanding.
Wanted to share these thoughts as y'day's music is still lingering in me