Jayalakshmi Shekhar offered special offerings to the goddess for the Navratri festival. , Photo Credit: Raghunathan SR

Jayalakshmi Shekhar’s veena concert was interesting because of the selection of kritis and ragas. The performance was supported by excellent percussion support – B. Ganapathiraman and Trichy Murali on Ghatam. The concert was organized at Arche Convention Center under the aegis of Madhurdhvani.

What added to the overall impact of the performance was the careful introduction of all the pieces by Jayalakshmi. He also sang some excerpts from the compositions.

leisurely pace

Since the concert was organized during Navratri, Jayalakshmi chose songs on the goddess. He started with Tyagaraja’s ‘Tulasi Dlamulache’ in Mayamalvagoula, and chose ‘Sarasiruha Punnaga’ for details. Then came Dikshitar’s Kamalamba Navavarnam. Set in Raga Sahana, Jayalakshmi played the seventh avarnam ‘Kamalambikayam’ at a leisurely pace, which defines Dikshitar’s works. Jayalakshmi begins with a short raga treatise and tanam.

In Shyama Shastri’s timeless Swarajati ‘Raave Himgiri Kumari’ (Raaga Thodi), Vanika expressed devotional passion in the song. After such heavy compositions, Shankarabharanam, with its ability to evoke a feeling of joy, came as a relief. Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Mahalakshmi Jaganmatha’ set at Mishra Chapu was the choice here. On ‘Parakadal Tharum Kripakari’, Niraval and his vocals added sparkle to the performance. Jayalakshmi returned to a serene ballad with Shyama Sastri’s ‘Kanakashaila Viharini’ (raaga Punnagavarali), which deals with the composer’s emotional connect with Goddess Kamakshi.

happy place

A mature artist knows how to structure a concert with a sense of balance. Hence, came the lively Hemavati. Jayalakshmi’s raga treatise emphasizes on bhava, which is a perfect prelude to Muthuswami Dikshitar’s only work in the raga, ‘Sri Kanthimatim’. Dikshitar’s mastery comes through in how he brings out the intrinsic qualities of the raga in this piece. Vainika chose the line ‘Shuk Shaunkadi Sadaraddhitam’ for Niraval and the voices. Swarkalpana felt like a river that flowed seamlessly across different terrains. It culminated in the rhythm playing of Ganapathiraman and Murali. When experienced percussionists play instruments, especially the harp, they know how not to dull the sound of the strings. Nevertheless, the mridangam and ghatam engaged in a strong dialogue during the thani.

Jayalakshmi concluded the concert with Papanasam Sivan’s popular Madhyamavati song ‘Karpagame Kan Parai’.