Another duet

It was yet another excellent duet performance and this time it was Malladi Brothers singing for Mylapore Fine Arts Club yesterday evening. Ensuring that I do not miss from the first line, I found a seat for myself on a plastic(!) chair. Malladi Brothers were in great form yesterday. 

Sriram Prasad and Ravikumar began their concert with a Reethi gowlai varnam in Ata thalam, "Vanajakshi ninne" (composed by Veena Kuppaiyyar). It was a super start with a beautiful raga!. Interestingly, they chose to sing the most famous ragas and rarely heard krithis!.

The next song for the concert was in Gowli pantu, perhaps many may know the krithi "Tera deeya". Wait... It was not the song they sang.. The mama who sat next to me got confirmation from me that the ragam was Gowli pantu.They sang yet another gem from Thyagaraja, "Mosabogu" (an unusual krithi sung these days) with great feel and the brothers ventured some sweet swaras and the audiences were glued to their chairs.

The famous krithi in Arabhi, "Choota murare" came next in the series with very slowly built swaras at "aagama sancharudata". The duo went on to sing Huseni with a brief sketch followed by one of the Pancha bootha sthala linga krithi, "Sri Kalahasteesha" (on Kshetram - Kalahasti). Sriram Prasad then informed about the other 4 krithis. The brothers sang quick swaras for "Sri Kalahasteesha". Through this song, they brought Kalahasti kshetram to Mylapore. Such was the beauty in their rendition!.HN Bhaskar gave brilliant support in swara repartees.

"Ethavu" came next in Yadhukula Kambhodi. This was followed by a tamil krithi "Sivanai ninaindhavar", a Koteeswara Iyer krithi in Hindolam. Probably they wanted to sing this for Arudhra Darisanam (next day). Absolutely perfect rendition and diction!. The main piece for the evening was in Bilahari with the ever famous "Dorakuna ItuvaNti" in Adhi talam. The sangati studded krithi took the audience to another world with neraval and swaras at "Ramabrahma" was perfect for the evening. HN Bhaskar reciprocated with equal finesse and was extraordinary in his Bilahari. Trichy Sankaran sir's tani was mind blowing that lasted for 15  to 20 minutes. Tirupunithura Radhakrishnan gave equally good support in Ghatam.

The next songs in the series were from different composers. "Teilisithe pokshamu" in Hamsanadham (Annamacharya), "Tripureem Sundareem" (Karaharapriya - Ganapathi Sachidananda Swami), slokam in danyasi followed by "Taraka Mantramu" by Bhadrachalam Ramadas, and "Vaddani Nevantini" in Kapi and "Pathiki harathire" in Surutti wrapped up the performance. The hall saw a full crowd that stayed till the end!. I came back home drenched in bakthi rasa.