By Sivapriya Krishnan

Vocal – Malladi Brothers (Sreeramaprasad and Dr Ravikumar)

Violin – Embar Kannan

Mridangam – Trichy Sankaran

Ghatam – Dr Suresh Vaidyanathan

Mylapore Fine Arts – 23.12.25

This combination of Malladi Brothers with Embar Kannan, Trichy Sankaran and Ghatam Suresh is an annual musical ritual at Mylapore Fine Arts, which has now come to be a sought-after concert every year.

The brothers filled the concert with the purest of gems from the best of Carnatic composers. Tyagaraja found a pride of place with songs from his repertoire. Ramaneepai tanaku in Kedaram, not heard at all these days, filled the hall with a good start.  Undedi Ramudukadu in Harikamboji, another antique piece, was highlighted well. A little more nyaasa at Rishabha, so typical of Harikamboji, would have added to the fullness of the presentation.

Anandeswarena in Anandhabhairavi, a Muthuswami Dikshitar, was inserted as a nice little gem, giving a good break in flavour and texture. Thereafter, the brothers rendered Munnu Ravana in Todi, just the kriti, to highlight the compositional and lyrical beauty of Tyagaraja. Mohanam took centre stage, and between the brothers and Embar Kannan, they orchestrated the raga so well, capturing all the hues and contours of the raga, that the audience went into raptures. Mohana Rama touched every soul that evening and drew the crowd to ecstasy. Sree Ramprasad took a moment to praise his brother Ravikumar's approach to the raga alapana and Embar Kannan's portrayal of the raga thereafter, by saying that the intricacies played in the violin by Kannan would take several days and notebooks to notate the same! Embar Kannan is one of the best senior violinists today, and his fine musical sense, creativity, combined with perfectly pitched bowing and finger techniques, make for a delightful aural treat.

Ayyapan Avatharitha, in Karahapriya, a Papanasam Sivan composition nicely rounded off the concert. Again, this composition was oft-heard only from the numero uno -Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and to recall that now was a pleasure.

Trich Sankaran's mridangam is poetry in motion, and the way he embellished the concert with a healthy dialogue with Suresh on the ghatam was a master class to every student of music as much as a listening pleasure for the rasika.

(The author is a Carnatic vocalist, writer and management professional)