Vocalist Srinivasa Sarma and mridangam vidwan Sadgurucharan captivated the audience at Vijayawada.
The Swara Tarangini Sabha of Vijayawada presented its monthly programme at Sringeri Peetha Paripalita Sri Sivaramakrishna Kshetramin two parts — the first was a vocal concert by Ganduri Srinivasa Sarma and the second was an impressive and enlightening lecture demonstration on mridangam by K.Sadgurucharan, an A-grade mridangam vidwan and a staff artiste of Vijayawada Akashvani.
Srinivasa Sarma began his vocal concert with GNB’s Vara Vallabha in Hamsadhvani concluding it with kalpana swaras. Sarma’s assets were his powerful voice and sound manodharmam. After rendering a detailed delineation of Kalyani he sang Nidhi Chala Sukhama of Thyagaraja with proper feeling he sang Swathi Thirunal’s Bhogindra Sayinam in Kuntalavarali in fast tempo and then he took up Kharaharapriya for the main item of the concert. Expressive raga elaboration, neraval and kalpana swaras amply complimented the keertana Chakkani Raja Margamu of Thyagaraja. The concert came to a conclusion with a seldom-heard thillana in Basant Bahar made popular by late Maharajapuram Santanam. Srinivasa Sarma was ably accompanied on violin by his father and guru Ganduri Srinivasa Murthy. K.Aravind accompanied on mridangam showing his mettle in the tani played at the end of the main item.
The main part of the evening’s program came in the shape of an explicit, enlightening and a rare lecture demonstration by K.Sadgurucharan, a mridangam vidwan who is much sought after for his delicate feather-like touch on his instrument. Sadgurucharan, a mechanical engineer originally, took up playing the mridangam for a profession and made a success of it. His touch on mridangam is soft and soothing to the ear. He made an in-depth study of the mridangam, its mythological origin, development through the ages and how it has become the most sought-after percussion instrument in concerts.
In his informative lec-dem, Sadgurucharan explained various strokes played on the mridangam namely Natu, Chatu, Meetu and the open beat. He stated that all these and correct synchronization of the right and left sides made the mridangam the king of percussion instruments. He also mentioned that the above overtones produced on the mridangam were mentioned by Nobel Laureate scientist C. V. Raman in a paper he submitted in the early 30s to the famous magazine `Nature’. Sadgurucharan’s authoritative and interesting lecture demonstration was liked immensely by the audience.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review>Music / by P. Surya Rao / July 02nd, 2015