AKKARAI SISTERS AT PALLAVI DARBAR- 9/8/13

[CRama]

AKKARAI SISTERS SUBHALAKSHMI AND SORNALATHA
Ranjani Ramakrishnan- Violin
Patri Sathish Kumar-Mridangam
Anirudh Athreya- Ganjira

This concert turned out to be a top notch concert. I was hearing the sisters vocal concert for the first time. So I did not have much expectation. But it gave the effect of a concert of 70s- to be more precise, like hearing a Thodi RTP of MS.

The sisters started the concert with Anandamrithakarshini- a prayer to Lord varuna to shower some rains for this part of the country when he is benovelent to all other states. After a few rounds of quick second kala swaras at the pallavi, they started the RTP. The raga chosen for the pallavi was Thodi. When most of other singers have chosen smaller ragas for pallavi, my quest for the big raga was fulfilled by them. The elder sister started the raga and sang upto dha from which the younger sibling took over and reached shadjam . Again the elder sister took over and completed the raga exploration. They were very methodical in unfolding of the raga and exploring the entire gamut of the raga which took a solid 20 minutes. During the alapana sruti bhedam to hindolam and back was done skillfully. Subbulakshmi did lot of sancharams in mandra sthayi around dha and ma which was very beautiful and her voice did not have any coarseness while negotiating the mandra sthayi sancharams. Tanam was executed by turns for 10 minutes.

The pallavi was a Arupadai veedu pallavi, coined by pallavi exponent Chengalpattu Renganathan Sir. (I have heard this pallavi from Sudha or Aruna Sayiram long time back). The sahithyam was Thirupparamgiri Thiruchendur Pazhanimalai Muruga Thiruverakam Thiruthanigai Pazhamuthircholai. It was set to Adi talam misra gathi. After an elaborate neraval, the customary anulomam and pratilomam were executed with precision after. Ragamalika swaras were in Hamsanandi, Bagesree and Behag. The Hamsananadi by Subbulakshmi was haunting with lot of Hindustani touches. Bagesree was given full justice by Swarnalatha. After Behag, it was reverse travel to Thodi and the pallavi was wound up.

It was a highly energetic exposition by the sisters. Subbulakshmi had a very gaathramana inimayaana saareeram and showed good imagination in the raga exploration. The voice modulation was appropriate to the jarus and brighas expressed. She deserved special appreciation as this concert was immediately after her providing violin accompaniment in a high voltage concert of Abhishek Raghuram. The talam itself demanded heavy concentration and it was executed well. The accompanists- Ranjani Ramakrishnan’s essays were appropriate and she provided the required support in neraval and swara returns. When Swarnalatha sang swaras in Bagesree she played swaras in Bahudari. Patri as usual lifted the concert with his sensitive accompaniment. He made attractive thoppi patterns during Hamsanandi swaras and his mridangam gave the effect of tabla during the swara exercises in Hindustani mode. The tani with Anirudh Athreya was quite engaging for 15 minutes. An excellent concert which took me to the seventees.

[semmu86]

The sahithyam was Thirupparamgiri Thiruchendur Pazhanimalai Muruga Thiruverakam Thiruthanigai Pazhamuthircholai. It was set to Adi talam 4 kalai- eduppu at samam.

It is not 4-kaLai. The pallavi was in Adhi thAlam misra gathi.

[CRama]

semmu86-Thanks for the correction. I have corrected.

[ganeshkant]

CRama,

I think in the rAgamAlika Subhalakshmi sang hamsAanndi,SornalatA sang Varamu and the violinist returned BahudAri.may be a third rasika can check in with details.

[rshankar]

Thanks for that report..I hope to hear a vocal concert of theirs soon!
By the way, as Ganeshkanth has correctly referred to her, the older of the Akkarai sisters is Subhalakskmi and not Subbulakshmi, and the younger is Sornalatha, and not Swarnalatha...

[Nick H]

I have heard both their vocal and violin-duet concerts, as well as admired the accompanying skills of both sisters.

Was on the way, but had some very important financial business to settle which wasn't through until 6.30, and such things exhausted me, so we returned home. I'm sorry I missed it.

Looking forward to Pallavi Darbar 2014