Erudite and Energetic Show at Music Academy

It is 15 years since he got his Sangita Kalanidhi, but there seems to be no dip in his energy and quality of Music post Sangita Kalanidhi. At the age of 90 plus, RK Srikantan (RKS) gave an erudite and energetic performance at Music Academy. He was vocally supported by his son, Ramakant (My mama friend from B’lore calls Ram can’t) but RKS didn’t seem like he needed vocal support. Throat was clear and his hearing was sharp. What is your secret?

While many youngsters today are moving away from beginning the concert with a varnam, RKS started the concert with Reetigowali varnam (Vanajaksha) and sang the varnam in different kalams without a hiss and hesitation. The next item was Gajananayutham in Chakravaham by Dikshithar was rendered with right kalapramanam and pitch. RKS stayed away from singing swarams for this krithi and instead let the Sahitya artham shine.

The audience and the artist didn’t need any more starters or warm up after the varnam and Hamsadwani krithi. After due salutations to Ganesha, RKS sang the Naatai Krithi Kamalambika in Khanda jampai (a rare talam) written by Mysore Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar. By the end of this krithi both Lalgudi GJR Krishnan on the violin and Sudheendra on the mridhangam were ready to make this concert the “season’s delight”.

RKS picked up Janaranjani for alapanai and took audience to the depth of bakthi by rendering Thyagaraja’s Smarane Sukamu. While Thyagaraja says mental recitation of the name Rama is sukham, but for the audience RKS’s rendition added sukham to Thyagaraja’s composition. He decorated the krithi with delectable swarams in the right kalapramanam.

The first hour of the concert came to an end with the rendition of Shyama Sastri’s Manji krithi “Brovavamma”. He did nereval at “Shyama Krishna sahodari amba” without any unnecessary brigas to embellish the lyrical beauty. This concert looked like a learning session for both musicians and rasikas –how to structure and perform in a concert and finally how should pakkavadhyams play to the main musician.

There was no sag in the tempo or energy in the concert so far and it would not be an overstatement if I called Sri. RK Srikantan as “Yuvarajan”. He scored sixes with respect to choice of songs, composers and ragams. Execution and impeccable voice put him on the list of Sangita Kalanidhis again. Will Music Academy consider him for another time?

Simple ragas and krithis when sung rightly can lift the mood of concert and audience was so true that morning. RKS picked up Mohanam for elaboration and Lalgudi GJR’s rendition further pricked the audience with “mohana mull”. RKS presented Thyagaraja’s Mohanarama krithi praising Rama of his beauty and explaining why devas, indira, kimpurushas, etc. incarnated as animals and birds during Ramaavatar. Though the kalapramanam of this krithi was slow, but the lyrical beauty never let anyone sleep. RKS decided to wake up those who still managed to sleep with the Emani Pogaduthura in Veeravasantham, another Thyagaraja krithi popularized by GNB.

Of the five great composer photographs that were hanging on the right side wall inside the auditorium, RKS made a tick against three of them. With 50mins to spare what could be the next item? RKS took Shanmukhapriya for elaboration. The basic ingredients for rasam and sambar are the same, but what makes them different is the paste of rice flour you add at the end, such is the difference between Natabairavi and Shanmukhapriya (the only change happens in madhyamam). During the elaboration of the ragam there was a different flavor of Shanmukapriya tending towards Natabairavi, while a different fragrance emanated during the thanam exposition. RKS didn’t disappoint listeners; instead he demonstrated the difference between singing nereval for a krithi and for a pallavi. The swara exercise after the pallavi and thani avarthanam was the icing on the cake.

RKS concluded the concert with Samsara vemba sagara in Suddha Saveri (Durga?) composed by Vijaya Vittala dasa. 150 mins after the concert both audience and artist were fresh and ready for another innings.

What made this concert a breeze? What made it successful? What differentiates a cloying performance from that which lacks basic ingredients? What made it scholarly? What made it a season’s delight? RKS had answers to all those that day. The concert left me with one question – when does an artist peak in his performance (not career!) May be in the early years when an artist does have the pressure of responsibility to prove the quality of his music and understanding, and again towards the end when awards and rewards don’t matter anymore. So what happens in the between years? Well attend the 6pm concerts in the city and you will find out!