Sunday 18 December 2011

Ethereal Abhishek Raghuram

Sri Krishna Gana Sabha reverberated with Manodharmic music on 11th December, 2011. Master Abhishek Raghuram gave a Carnatic music vocal concert dripping with innovations in presentation. The interpretations of various ragams through aalapanais, neraval and swara prastharams were quite different and made the spectators enjoy, clap and even gasp at times.

Abhishek Raghuram's vocal concert at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha on 11 December, 2011

Abhishek was accompanied by Ms. Akkarai Subbulakshmi on the violin, Mr. R Krishnan on the Mridangam and Mr. G Guruprasanna on the Kanjira. The team really enjoyed performing and worked as a good team to enthrall the spectators.

Beginning with a short Kalyani Aalapani, Abhishek sang the varnam Vanajakshiro. This was a good warm up to the pieces that were going to follow. This was followed by a good elaboration of Chakravaham ragam, Subbulakshmi followed with a good aalapanai on the violin. The piece chosen for rendition was Gajananayutham in Adi talam composed by Mutthuswami Dikshitar. Abhishek then surprised everyone by taking the brisk Biraana Brova idhi for exploration, composed by Tarangampadi Panchanada Iyer. Following the Kalyani varnam with another song in Kalyani within half an hour was a surprise, but there must be some logic to this selection, which we did not understand. In this song he explored Kalyani well, especially with Neraval and swaram.

Scintillating presentation of Dwijavanthi
Dwijavanthi ragam was next, where Manodharma was brought to the fore in full force. The detail presentation of the ragam explored nuances that many in the audience had not heard. There was very good appreciation from them for the rendition of rare korvais, which showed Abhisheks extraordinary grasp of this moving ragam. This was followed by Muthuswami Dikshitar's Chetta Sri Balakrishnam Bajeham, set to Roopaka talam, presented in an elaborate fashion as well. Nuances of Dwijavanthi were explored very well again.


Deva Devam Baje by Sri Annamacharya was taken as the faster piece to follow Chettha Sri. The style of this composition was different from what we have heard from Srimathi M S Subbulakshmi's classical rendition in Hindolam. It was beautifully composed and it added to the reasons that one should make it a point to attend his concerts and get into a different world of music altogether.

The main piece chosen for the concert was in Bilahari. The ragam exploration by Abhishek was exquisite and elaborate. He did justice to this ragam by covering the aalapanai in good detail. His neraval and swara prastharams for this main piece, Sri Chamundeswari Palayamam composed by Mysore Vasudevacharya, were superb too.  Having his laya training from his famous grandfather Palghat R Raghu, he gave variety of korvais in this song. The thani avarthanam that followed was relatively short compared to other concerts' main pieces, but well presented by Krishnan and Guruprasanna.

Concert progressing at good pace

As it was quite close to time for the next dance presentation at the hall, Abhishek sang a quick Thiruppugazh in Sindhu Bhairavi, before closing with the Mangalam.

Due to the manodharmic presentation, the accompanists were left to gape in awe & appreciation, and play a basic cycle at times. It does not mean that they were any less talented, but that Abhishek Raghuram has gone up to the next sphere. He can be considered to be in the same level as top artists in the current generation and hence had even been given a prime 4:30 PM spot in Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.

We look forward to many more scintillating performances from Abhishek in the tens of years to come.

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