R.P. Shravan’s concert featured an interesting line-up of Tamil songs

R.P. Shravan’s concert for Chithirai Tamil Isai Vizha organised by Madhuradhwani.
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B

It was a pleasure listening to  R.P. Shravan’s vocal recital for Madhuradhwani and Aanmajothi as part of the Chitthirai Thamizh Isai Vizha. 

A disciple of Delhi P. Sunder Rajan, he made a vibrant start with ‘Aadi kondar antha vedikkai’ by Muthuthandavar in Mayamalavagowla, after a virutham. He rendered kalpanaswaras in the second of the three charanams, ‘Aara navamani maalaikal aada’. From the outset, it was easy to admire his sparkling, quick-moving passages. And, he succeeded in maintaining that liveliness through the concert. 

R.P. Shravan accompanied by Usha Rajagopalan (violin), Melakaveri Balaji (mridangam) and Adambakkam Sankar (ghatam).
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B

In keeping with the event, it was an all-Tamil concert. Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Gajavadanaa karuna sadana’ in Sriranjani on Vigneshwara  followed, with swaraprasthara at the pallavi. After an elaborate virutham in  Lathangi, Shravan chose Papanasam Sivan’s evergreen ‘Venkataramana’ (Roopakam) with niraval and swaraprastara at ‘Alarmel mangai manaala’. Gopalakrishna Bharati’s ‘Enneramum unthan sannidhiyile’ in a lovely Devagandhari was rendered well.

Next was a pasuram from Andal’s Nachiyar Thirumozhi on rain, an apt one for Chennai’s gruelling summer —  ‘Mazhaiye mazhaiye mannpuram poosi’, tuned by Shravan in Amritavarshini. Periyasami Thooran’s popular Suddha Saveri kriti, ‘Thaye tripurasundari’ (Khanda Chapu), with an enchanting inbuilt chittaswara, followed. 

For the main piece, Shravan’s extensive raga alapana in Kambhoji was not only traditional, but also profound. The kriti chosen was Gopalakrishna Bharati’s ‘Thiruvadi saranam enringu naan nambi vanthen’. The composer begs at the feet of Nataraja of Chidambaram to ensure that he is not reborn. Elaborate niraval and swaras were at ‘Aduththu vantha ennai’, a part of the charanam.

R.P. Shravan’s raga elaboration in Kamboji for the main piece stood out.
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B

‘Velum mayilum thunai’, on Muruga, composed by Lakshmi Viswanathan in Tisra nadai in Chakravakam was another beautiful song. The Tiruppugazh, ‘Iththarani meethu piravathe’ in a ragamalika was delightfully tuned by Bhavya Hari. She is the daughter and disciple of T.V. Sundaravalli, a well-known vocalist who immersed herself in the propagation of Saint Arunagirinathar’s verses. 

Shravan then rendered ‘Mavoor valam peruga vantha kaali ammane’ by Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar in Sindhu Bhairavi (tisra nadai) on goddess Kali in Mavoor,  near Thanjavur. The song is about a deity in a temple built on the lines of the famous Kolkata Kali. 

Shravan wound up his engaging concert with a rare lullaby on Ayyappa in a soothing Nilambari, ‘Pambai karaiyil Hariharasudhan avatharithaan’.

The contribution of Shravan’s senior co-artists added to the richness of the recital, deserves acclaim.  Violinist Usha Rajagopalan’s raga elaboration and swaras in Lathangi soared. She distilled the melodic sweetness of Kambhoji in the elaboration and kalpanaswaras. Melakaveri Balaji on the mridangam and Adambakkam Sankar on the ghatam followed the vocalist, concentrating on the soukhyam. Their thani after the main kriti was a beauty in rhythm.