Spirit of Youth: A music series dedicated to promoting young Carnatic musicians

The Music Academy platformed young musicians at heir Spirit of Youth festival

For aspiring young musicians, every concert opportunity is an acid test. When competitive spirit is the ruling theme of an event that is held under the auspices of The Music Academy, the challenge looms large. At the end of the 34th Spirit of Youth series, dedicated to the memory of Ambujam Krishna, and held recently at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall, all the 10 main artistes and their accompanists would have emerged wiser after the performance, irrespective of whether they landed the prize or not.

In a pleasant irony, the charm of the old school music came as a whiff of fresh air in Dhanush Anantharaman’s vocal recital, which began with Tyagaraja’s ‘Tulasee dalamulache’ in Mayamalavagowla. The elaborate niraval and kalpanaswaras at the customary ‘Saraseeruha punnaaga’ were a precursor to what was in store.

Dhanush aced the Kannada alapana with finesse, largely managing to eschew repetition of the characteristic vakra phrases even while keeping the raga identity intact. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Sri Mathrubhutam’ followed with brisk swara sequences at ‘Vaasita nava javanti pushpa’.

The young vocalist sped through ‘Varanarada’ in Vijayasri before plunging into the magnificence of Bhairavi, presenting an akara and gamaka-filled delineation of the raga in detail ahead of a soulful rendition of Syama Sastri’s ‘Sari evaramma’. Niraval and swaras at ‘Syamakrishna paripalini’ in two speeds in an ideal kalapramanam were the highlight of the concert. The adoption of the phrase from the mudra line of the same composer’s swarajathi in the keezh kaalam lent a delightful touch.

After ‘Jagathinai kaathidum Janardhana’ by Ambujam Krishna, the concert concluded with a Thiruppugazh tuned in Senchurutti and Nadanamakriya.

Naga Sai displayed a good measure of sensitivity on the violin, while Pranav provided enthusiastic percussion support and his thani in Khanda Jhampa was absorbing.

A sparkling swara avartanam at the pallavi opening of ‘Palimparavadelara’, a Pallavi Seshayyar composition in Arabhi, set the tone for Supriya Raja’s concert in which she was accompanied by M. Meenakshy Dev and B.N. Kasinadh on the violin and mridangam respectively.