Natya Tarangini Performing Arts Centre established by Raja Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy held the 23rd edition of their Parampara series in Delhi to celebrate music and dance.
In the three-day-long festival, held at Kamani Auditorium, they had the best of the musicians of the country perform for rasikas.
On the first day of this event well known versatile and popular performer, Shubha Mudgal sang to a jam-packed audience. It is not unknown that Shubha Mudgal was trained by an array of musicologists. Trained by eminent scholar-musician composer Pandit Ramashreya Jha-Ramrang, besides being guided, trained and introduced to the use of stylistic training by Pandit Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya, Pandit Vasant Thakar and Pandit Jitendra Abhiseki. With her learning of thumri from the legendary Naina Devi, she is unparalleled.
Shubha Mudgal was accompanied on the tabla by husband Aneesh Pradhan. Sudhir Nayek accompanied her on the Harmonium.
Soon after tuning of the instruments, the eager and impatient audience said ‘shabash’, when she started the alaap of Maru Bihag. Her ornamentations and melodious rhythm were gulped down silently. Clarity and confidence carried her through. Golden voiced vidushi held the audience captive. She topped it up with a Madhyalaya ki Rachna in Megh raga-‘saiyan bine lagat bund katari’. The lover’s yearning during monsoon struck a chord with Shubha’s emotion-filled rendition.
The third piece ‘Jhula Jhule Nandalal sange Radha’ was sung on request. It was a Kajari. The audience’s pleasure was heard in loud ‘wah, wahs’. She was a winner that evening.
The second evening was by the duo Carnatic vocalist brothers Krishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan accompanied on the mridangam by their father Trichur R. Mohan.
Trained by Madurai Balamani Eswar. They were guided by Thamarakkad Govindan Namboothiri. After having received advanced training of eight years under Neyyanttinkara Mohanachandran, they are presently under P.S. Narayanaswamy. They have a unique style of singing, which endeared the listeners to their renditions.
Their fame reached the pinnacle of glory with the Namami Gange anthem –a government of India project.
Ramakrishnan, Trichur R. Mohan-father of the duo vocalist- and D. V. Venkatasubramaniam accompanied them on the violin, mridangam and ghatam respectively.
Jayateerth Mevundi an accomplished Kirana Gharana vocalist. His musical gift was chiselled by Pt. Arjunsa Nakod and Pt. Shripati Paadegar, the prime disciple Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi.
The audience was in his grip by dint of his mastery over his subject and melodious voice. Adjudged by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as ‘Young maestro of music’, he is the apple of connoisseurs eyes. He has set his own standard in the Hindustani classical Santavani and Dasavani streams.
His concert was mind-blowing. Durjay Bhowmick accompanied him on the tabla, while Narendra Nayek gave him support by playing the harmonium.
One must congratulate the Reddys in their choice of the three excellent vocalists to regale the audience.
