K.S. Vishnudev impresses with a thoughtfully curated concert

K.S. Vishnudev makes every concert of his special and memorable with his commendable repertoire and musical acumen. His vocal recital at Hamsadhwani was no exception as it provided plenty of takeaways for discerning rasikas. He was supported by Sruthi Sarathy on the violin and veterans K.V. Prasad on the mridangam and B.S. Purushotham on the kanjira.

Vishnudev opened his recital with the Malayamarutham composition by Papanasam Sivan ‘Karpaga manohara’. The extended kalpanaswara segment was packed with several permutations and combinations, with dhaivatam as the landing note. The listeners’ expectations soared with this energetic start. Next came Tyagaraja’s slow and solemn ‘Rama nee samanamevaru’ in Karaharapriya. The niraval on the line ‘Paluka palukulaku’ brimmed with raga bhava.

After Diskhitar’s ‘Shri matrubhutam’ in raga Kannada Vishnudev moved to painting an emotionally-rich and aesthetically-framed Hamsanandi alapana. He brought forth impeccable phrases in his raga exploration. The selection here was Swati Tirunal’s ‘Pahi jagajjanani’. The swaras on ‘Saarasakrutanilaye’ on the charanam were interestingly woven, landing on nishadam.

K.S. Vishnudev unleashed his creativity in his raga explorations.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

The centrepiece of the evening was Mohanam, a raga that offers ample scope for elaboration. Vishnudev explored with several brigas and karvais at the right junctures. Here, the vocalist opted for Sivan’s popular kriti ‘Kapali’, with on the pallavi.

Sruthi Sarathy, on the violin, lived up to the singer’s challenges with impressive raga explorations and swara responses. The tani avartanam was marked by a laya exchange which was pleasing on the ears. K.V. Prasad and B. Purushotham’s playing range from subtle and soft to powerful beats.

Vishnudev’s raga and song selections are among his strengths. This was evident in the final segment of his concert too. It featured some less-heard songs such ‘Siva siva bho’ in raga Naadanaamakriya by Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, ‘Ramanai bhajiththal’ in raga Maund by Papanasam Sivan and ‘Chandrachooda siva sankara parvathi’ in Darbari Kanada by Purandaradasa.