A Master In the Make

I haven't heard Saketharaman in over two years, but that hasn't impacted his singing. Like clouds that are capable of filling the lakes of Chennai and his music has potent capability to fill the auditorium with rasikas and breach their hearts. Unfortunately, I was late for his concert themed Navarasam at 2015 Markazhi Maha Utsavam. 

As I got off the car, I heard a familiar nasal voice essaying Saranga with bakthi and bhava. By the time I settled in my seat, Saketharaman forayed into the Saranga raga krithi, Neevaadanegana. His powerful voice and briga loaded singing reminds me of two doyens, GN Balasubramaniam and Tanjore S. Kalyanaraman. Both stalwarts employed appropriate brigas without going over board, and bringing out the bhava in the lyrics and rasa in the raga doing full justice to composer. 


His rendition of Yeppadi manam of Arunachala Kavirayar effusing of karunarasam made audience sway their heads is proof of what his music can do listeners. The maturity with which he handled the charana saahityam "Karumbu muritaarpole" showed his maturity to bring together the artha bhava and raga bhava. Shortly, the little master brought out the ananda rasam through the Mohana raga krithi, Narayana Divya Namam transporting listeners to Vaikuntam. He concluded the evening with an appropriate Virutham Saayam Kaaley followed by a Devarnama, Yadavaraya in Chenchu Kamboji that reminded me of the impeccable rendition by Late Smt. M.L.Vasanthakumari. 

There was a time when senior vidwans like Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Mannargudi Easwaran accompanied youngsters to encourage the budding talent. But now Saketharaman has duly earned the status of having stalwarts accompany him. And today, his manodharmam and rendition style closely resembles that of GNB and Tanjore S. Kalyanaraman.


If only Saketharaman can work on two output qualities, namely, avoid nasal singing and leave the swaying to rasikas (artist swaying from the mike produce a jarring effect from uneven sound output), his concerts are sure to be devagaanam and audience will follow him like his tanpura from venue to venue.