Sriranjani Santhanagopalan’s concert for Carnatica at Sri Sankara Vidyashram, Thiruvanmiyur, unfolded amid considerable logistical challenges. The inauguration, being the first day of the festival, was delayed, which resulted in a shortened concert duration and left her with little opportunity to resolve the persistent acoustic issues.

Accompanied by Sumesh Narayanan, L. Ramakrishnan, and Chandrasekara Sarma, she opened with the Darbar varnam, Chalamela, and presented Kalpana swarams in the charanam. Unfortunately, the ongoing microphone issues caused her voice to sound jarring.

Sriranjani then presented Arunachalanatham in Saranga, a thoughtful choice on the auspicious day of Karthigai Deepam. It was a beautiful and evocative rendition that resonated well with the occasion. Throughout the concert, Sriranjani’s strength clearly lay in her heartfelt renditions of the compositions, which consistently stood out as her forte.

She followed with an extensive Dhanyasi alapana, filled with intricate akarams and brighas, particularly in the higher octaves. L Ramakrishnan’s interpretation of Dhanyasi that followed was equally captivating. The soulful rendition of Syama Sastri’s Meenalochana brova further enriched the concert. Sriranjani’s adept voice modulation and her choice of pace added depth and enjoyment to the performance, making it an immersive experience for the audience. It was easily the best part of the concert for me.

With Paramathmudu Velige in Vagadeeshwari, Sriranjani continued to demonstrate her exceptional ability to render compositions in a way that touches the hearts of the audience, making them close their eyes in sheer bliss. Sumesh Narayanan, one of the finest mridangists in accompanying compositions, provided impeccable support, enhancing the overall experience.

She followed this with a brisk rendition of Kaaranam kettu vaadi in Purvikalyani. The main raga for the day was, fittingly, Sriranjani. Sriranjani’s gifted and well-trained voice effortlessly soared to higher pitches, allowing her to explore intricate sangatis. She utilized this strength to delve into Sriranjani, particularly in the higher octaves. At one point, she sang a phrase that resembled GMPM but later clarified her interpretation as DMM, explaining that it stayed within Sriranjani's framework. She also acknowledged the subtle presence of antara gandharam in some jaarus and said that she is okay with it and sees no problem with it.

L. Ramakrishnan’s rendition of Sriranjani blended light patterns with more profound phrases, complementing the performance beautifully. The main composition for the day was Tyagaraja’s popular Marubalka. Unfortunately, the higher octave sections of the anupallavi and the final lines of the charanam sounded harsh due to the ongoing acoustic issues.

By the time Sriranjani reached the niraval, the frequent use of her flexible high-octave voice began to feel repetitive and somewhat taxing on the ears. The mel kaala neraval was filled with too many repetitive phrases and punches. 

Sumesh Narayanan’s accompaniment once again stood out, particularly during the composition. Although his tani was equally commendable, it’s clear that Sumesh’s brilliance truly shines through when he accompanies compositions.

Yaarukagilum bhayama in Begada brought some much-needed calm. It was soulful, slow and elaborate, once again highlighting Sriranjani’s exceptional ability to modulate her voice well for compositions. Sumesh managed to hit the right spots, once again!

Next came an immersive viruttam, embellished with the beauty of Behag that was followed by Aadum Chidambaramo. Sriranjani wrapped the concert with a Tirupugazh - Kumari kaaliva. Overall, the concert beautifully highlighted Sriranjani’s talent in rendering compositions, but better acoustics would have made the concert much more memorable.