SHERTALLAI RANGANATHA SARMA FOR PARIVADINI 23/11/18

[CRama]

It was a brilliant concert from the entire team. I am posting the following review that appeared in the Face book.

SCHOLARLY SINGING BY THE SENIOR VIDWAN DR SHERTALAI RANGANTHA SHARMA AT PARIVADINI ON 23ND NOVEMBER 2018

FROM AN ARTICLE CUM INTERVIEW IN THE HINDU OF MARCH 27, 2014 BY SHRI K GANAPATHY: “Hailing from a family of musicians, Cherthala Dr KN Ranganatha Sharma has risen to the top by sheer hard work and dedication. Blessed with a sonorous voice, he has evolved a unique style of his own – a style that retains the core values of Carnatic music – which has instant appeal. Having mastered the art over a career spanning three decades, he has emerged as a versatile vocalist and teacher. He excels in ‘Sruthi Sudha’ and ‘Sahithya Sudha’. He is one of those rare musicians who are adept both in teaching and performing”.

As a Rasika, I personally consider him to be a reference in Carnatic classical music. His forte is a powerful voice with clear and unambiguous lyrics, following the tradition, delectable ‘manodharma’ and pleasant stage manners. As Shri Semmangudi mama once mentioned about Veena Doraiswamy Iyengar, Dr Sharmaji is a perfect Gentleman both on and off the Stage. His Repertoire is rich as we can observe from the range of songs in his Concerts.

In today’s Concert he was accompanied in the Violin by Dr. Hemalatha, Shri Akshay Anand on the mridangam and Shri BS Purushottam on Kanjira.

CONCERT:

The concert started with a lovely HAMIRKALYANI Varnam “Senthil Vazh Murugayya” composed by Shri TR Subramanian. The Raga, Sahityam and the Chittaswaram were pleasing to hear. Selection of this kriti on the Karthigai Deepam day was imaginative and a beautiful start to the Concert.

Next to follow was a delectable Kriti “Gananathaya Namaste” in raga GOWLA. This is a composition of Shri Ambi Dikshitar, a descendant of Shri Muthuswamy Dikshitar. This is in Samshti Charanam. It has Madyamakalam in the Charanam phrase “maNimaya makuTa mAlAdi dharAya”.

A highly captivating DWIJAVANTI followed in the Dikshitar’s kriti, “Chetha Shree Baalakrishnam” in praise of the Mannargudi Diety “Sri Vidya Rajagopalan”. Sharmaji’s rendering the sahityams in chowka kalam followed by the Madyamakalam lines “nava Tulasi vana mAlam” was brilliant.

A brisk KEERANAVALI kriti of Thyagaraja “eTi yOcanalu cEsEvurA” was laya intensive and gave scope for some active percussion work.

A rare kriti of Koteeswara Iyer “Ka Guha Shanmukha” in the raga KOSALAM, 71ST Melakartha Ragam was refreshing. Another rare kriti by Saint Thyagaraja, “varashikhi vAhana vArija lOcana” in raga SUPRADEEPAM complimented the other renderings on the Lord Muruga.

He has chosen Raga MADYAMAVATHI for the main. A very relaxed and elaborate alapana essayed the various shades of the Raga. Dr Hemalatha, violinist’s returns were a virtual shadow of Sharmaji’s vocal phrases. He continued with the Shri Syama Shastri’s popular kriti “Palinchu Kamakshi Pavani”. Rendering of Chittaswarams in the Anupallavi and Swarasahaityams in charanam “kanaka giri sadana lalita….” were classy. The Neraval was in the charanam phrase “kAntamagu pEru ponditivi”. Very elaborate Neraval and Kalpanaswaras with laya variations were sophisticated.

THANI avarthanam by Shri Akshay Anand on mridangam and Shri BS Purushottam on Kanjira with their nimble fingers was soft and pleasant.

Shri Ranganatha Sharma concluded the concert with the kriti of Guru Surajananda, “Muraganin Maru Peyar azhagu” in raga BEHAG. He also rendered couple of Bhajan songs, “Bajedha Murali Murari” and “Sayi Bajanu Bina sukh nahi”.

ANOTHER MARVELOUS CONCERT FROM SRI RANGANATHA SHARMA. THANKS TO SHRI LALITHARAM OF PARIVADINI FOR THIS EXCELLENT CONCERT. I ALSO THANK THE ORGANISERS FOR THE GOOD WEBCAST.