By Asmita Padmanabhan

For his concert at the Music Academy, vidwan Sandeep Narayan was accompanied by vidwan V.V.S. Murari on the violin, Sangita Kalanidhi Trichy Sankaran on the mridangam, and vidwan K.V. Gopalakrishnan on the khanjira. A stellar Kapi and chatur-raga pallavi lingered in our minds long after the concert.

Sandeep opened with the day’s Tiruppavai, Elle Illankiliye in Begada, followed by Purandara Dasar’s Bharati Deviya Nene in Kharaharapriya. Both compositions were rendered well, though they initially lacked the settled ease that defined the rest of the concert. It was evident that Sandeep’s voice was still warming up. Trichy Sankaran’s mridangam accompaniment was exceptional from the outset, adding depth to both pieces. The Kharaharapriya swaras were particularly engaging, with Murari’s traversal through the scale standing out.

The next piece, an unhurried and elaborate Mamava Meenakshi in Varali, showcased a more comfortable Sandeep. Despite some lingering vocal issues, the niraval at Syame Sankari…gracefully meandered around the nishadam before merging beautifully with the shadjam. The mel kala niraval, however, didn’t quite align with the tempo of the composition and the raga. It lacked the depth and expression that the keezh kala neraval had successfully brought out.

He then delivered a vibrant Vandaalum Varattum in Balahamsa, with his voice fully back in form. The rendition was excellent, marked by a perfect confluence of mridangam, violin, vocal, and kanjira, all in seamless sync. Sandeep also sang a relatively unheard chittai swaram, which was both beautiful and filled with quirky, unique elements, adding a refreshing touch to the performance.

When Sandeep began his Kaapi alapana, he was truly in his element. His exploration below the panchamam and the use of gandharam were excellent, complemented by his intricate jaris and akarams. In the higher octaves, Sandeep flawlessly hit all the right notes, evoking several ‘aha’ moments from the audience. The Kapi exploration was thoroughly enjoyed, with Sandeep innovating and incorporating fast phrases, all while preserving the raga bhava and inherent beauty. A spontaneous applause erupted mid-way through the alapana for an exceptionally long akaaram phrase that traversed the scale multiple times, beautifully showcasing Kapi with jarus, varjas, brighas, dhatus, and jantais. Sandeep’s extensive alapanas of popular ragas never fail to impress. He concluded the alapana with a phrase echoing the pallavi of Intha Sowkhya, hinting at his main piece. V.V.S. Murari's slower alapana, with fewer dhatus, had a sweet tone that enhanced Kapi’s classic phrases, his violin gliding effortlessly through the raga.

The rendition of Tyagaraja’s Intha Sowkhya was warm and beautiful, with mridangam and khanjira accompaniment perfectly attuned to the composition's pace and feel. The keezh kaala swaras were unhurried, filled with gamakas and deliberate pauses, creating a serene atmosphere, though they resembled another alapana with notes instead of syllables. In contrast, the mel kala swaras were lively and dynamic, culminating in a powerful korvai. The tani avartanam was crisp and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

The ragam-tanam-pallavi began with a Kalyani raga, covering its classic phrases up to the panchamam, before transitioning to Charukesi, Darbari Kanada, and Maand, each raga introduced briefly but effectively. The tanams in these ragas, though short, encompassed their essential phrases, making the performance a delightful treat. Among the four, Maand undoubtedly stood out. The pallavi, a cleverly composed excerpt of Mysore Vasudevacharya’s Abheri composition, ingeniously incorporated all four ragas.

Gokula Nilaya Krupaalaya Balaka Govardhana Giridhara Muralidhara with Gokula Nilaya tuned to Kalyani, Krupaalaya Balaka tuned to Charukesi (reminiscent of Swati Tirunal’s Krupayaa Paalaya in Charukesi), Govardhana Giridhara tuned to Darbari Kanada (reminiscent of Narayana Theerthar’s Govardhana Giridhara in the same raga) and Muralidhara in Maand (reminiscent of Periyasaami Thooran’s composition of the same name and raga).

Each raga shift was distinct and flavourful, making the pallavi an absolute entertainer. Following the kalpana swarams, was a mini-thani avartanam, this too ending with a korvai.

Sandeep then sang Swarna Venkatesa Dikshitar’s Maanilameedile Maname in Desh, before concluding the concert with a Dwijavanthi tillana and a Tamil verse.

 (The author is a freelance writer and a student of Carnatic music)