Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 24, 2004

Entertainment

Published on Fridays

MYLAPORE FINE ARTS

A veritable feast

Savita Narasimhan

ENDOWED WITH a melodious voice, Savita Narasimhan, disciple of Chitravina Ravikiran, gave a scintillating performance, at the Mylapore Fine Arts Club auditorium. Disciplined rendition, utmost commitment to sruti and diction blended with imagination, were the highlights of Savita's concert.

She made a bright start with "Raghunayaka" (Hamsadhwani) and strung it with smooth and elegant patterns of kalpanaswaras and followed it with the rarely heard "Raka Shashi Vadana" (Dakka) and "Muruga Tirumal Maruha" (Harikamboji), which she rendered with finesse. The delineation of Poorvikalyani alapana, which came next, was packed with rich and aesthetic sancharas that brought her creativity to the fore. "Padmavati Ramanam," a masterpiece of Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi, composed as a tribute to Jayadeva, was rendered with élan. The main raga was Todi and Savita did full justice to its grandeur. Her choice of Tyagaraja's "Dachukovalena" was refreshing and she presented it with a touch of class.

Young violinist Charumathy Raghuraman's musical maturity was evident in her refined raga alapanas. Manikandan (mridangam) enriched the concert with soothing accompaniment.