Master Pranav Kikkeri for IGMAA - A Review by Dallas Rasika

[PRnath]

The DFW area on weekends feels pretty close to Chennai during the December Music season when it comes to Indian classical music and dance.
Yesterday young Pranav Kikkeri gave a majestic and scholarly performance for Institute of Global Music And Arts (IGMAA) at the Frisco Discovery Center Black Box Theater.
Pranav had the privilege of being accompanied by two stalwarts, Vittal Ramamurthy on the violin and Poovalur Sriji on the mridangam.
Pranav also had the privilege to commence the concert with one of his guru Chitravina Ravikiran's most recent compositions, a varnam in tisra gati adi talam in Hamsandam, Satya santudu.
From the work of a contemporary composer, Pranav switched to works of the trinity. The first such piece was Muthuswami Dikshitar's Sri Mahaganapatiravatumam in Gowlai. Pranav performed kalpanaswaras at the line Prakashakaro.
This was followed by a beautiful varali alapana. The kriti presented was another Dikshitar kriti, Seshachalanayakam. Pranav rendered niraval at aravindapatra nayanam. Kalpanaswaras had a good mix of sarvalaghu and those with mathematical patterns
After a beautiful snatch of Bahudari that captured the essence of the raga, Pranav sang Thyagaraja's Brovabharama
The main piece was the RTP in Kalyani. Pranav set the bar high with a stellar alapana and he also made a good effort at sruti bhedam. The violinist Vittal Ramamurthy's response was very melodious. He chose not to shadow Pranav's alapana, rather he gave his own interpretation.
The Pallavi was in khanda nadai chatusra jati triputa talam. The words were Kamakshi Sivakamasundari mamava kalodhari. Pranav pulled off sancharis and the trikalam like a pro. The ragamalika included Saveri, Anandabhairavi, Vagadhiswhari and then he went back to Kalyani.
A wonderful tani followed though not right away as Sriji had to adjust the pitch of the mridangam.
The post pallavi part of the concert included an ashtapadi and Purandaradasa's Narayana in Suddhadhanyasi. Pranav came back to a work of a contemporary composer, his guru, to close the concert. The Tillana was in Ritigowla and misrachapu
Vittal Ramamurthy showered praise and blessings on Pranav, crediting Pranav's parents and guru and he mentioned about how the Dallas area has an audience that has high standards for Carnatic music.
It is wonderful for me, as someone who has known young Pranav Kikkeri since he was a baby, to see him continue to push himself with each concert to present a new difficult skill. Hope he is able to do this for many more years to come.

[arasi]

Wonderful! More strength to Pranav Any Chennai concerts?

[rajeshnat]

The post pallavi part of the concert included an ashtapadi

May I know which ashtapadi lines and the raga please ? Best wishes to young pranav.

[KVasundhara]

Namaskaram Arasi mami,
Thank you for your love and blessings. Yes, Pranav is singing in Chennai. He is in ninth grade now.

December 25 Carnatica Tiruvanmiyur 3:15-4:45 PM
December 26 Nadasudha 3:00-4:45 PM
December 29 Hamsadhwani 5:15-6:50 PM Pappu Gyandev and Shyam Kalyan
December 30 Arkay Convention Center 10:00-11:30 AM Kartik Iyer and Hariharan Sunderram
January 1 Sivan Fine Arts at Arkay Center 2:30-3:30 PM Akshay Venkatesan

[KVasundhara]

Namaskaram Rajeshnat ji,
The Ashtapadi he sang was Nijagadasa Yadunandaen in Sindhubhairavi. Thank you very much for your blessings. Please do make it to one of his concerts in Chennai.