AIR Live

Just back from a Live program at the All India Radio 100.1 FM station Amritha Varshini from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.

Radio programs come with their own set of challenges and this one was no less.

As is customary for me, I sang at least one kriti not sung hitherto by me in any concert…and it was Giripai the sahana masterpiece of Thyagaraja.

My guru Sri RK Srikantan had taught me this kriti with great passion nearly 8 years ago and I still cherish that class….

Some kritis just require time to age and settle in one’s mind – Giripai was one such kriti.

It was also a first time that I was singing Sahana as a main piece with neraval.

Sri TG Thyagarajan was on the violin while the suswara mridanga vidwan Sri Sainath played the mridangam.

 

The list:

1.       O Jagadamba – Ananda Bhairavi – Adi – Shyama Shastry (S at ‘varasitha giri’)

2.       Parandhamavathi – Dhamavathi – Rupaka – Dikshitar (R)

3.       Giripai Nelakonna – Sahana – Adi – Thyagaraja (R,N,S) at “Gaacheydhananuchu….”

 

I was happy to have been able to sing one krithi each of the Trinity.

Mention must be made about Dhamavathi – it is a raga in the Venkatamakhin Sampradaya.

It is almost similar to present-day Dharmavathi but the main difference is that “p d n s” is never sung and neither is “s r g m”, instead “p d s”, “s g r”, etc. are preferred.

It is a pity that today, the ragas from the Venkatamakhin Sampradaya have been ignored and conveniently replaced with the Sampurna Melakartas.

It is high time all musicians revive the rich heritage of the Venkatamakhin Raga Padhathi.