Reviews
Season Reviews - Rama Ravi & Nandita Ravi

Date : 24.12.23
Venue :
Naada Inbam
Artist :
Rama Ravi & Dr. Nandita Ravi
Mridangam
: K Arunprakash
Violin :
R K Shriramkumar
By Sivapriya
Krishnan
Rama Ravi
is one of the senior vocalists to have directly learnt music from the legendary
T Brinda – Mukta - Sankaran. She has also had the fortune to learn from Mysore
Vasudevacharya, Budalur Krishnamurthi, T.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar during her stint
at Kalakshetra. Her music is vintage that has stood the test of time.
Strict adherence to the school she belongs to, Rama Ravi’s music is sublime, unfettered, with a wonderful peppy kaalapramana. The compositions she sang that evening were masterpieces, that have been honed and chiselled over the years.
Beginning
with Saveri varnam Sarasuda and a
swara prastara, she moved onto Sree
Ranganatham in Poornachandrika. Muddumomu,
the family jewel of Brindamma was next, followed by Adiya paadam kandal in Darbar, a Gopalakrishna Bharati composition.
It was a classic Darbar filled with intricate raga phrases. Keeravani raga was
elaborated with Bhaktapaalana, a composition of Ponnaya (Quartet), a rare
gem. Venkatashaila Vihara in
Hamirkalyani, yet another precious composition from the family heirloom,
transported one to Venkatagiri. Gajavadana
Sammmodhita in Todi by Kumara Ettendra, was the main song of the day. Words
cannot describe the rendition of this song by the great musician. Meragadu a javali in Athana and Rama Rama a padam in Bhairavi were sung
in quick succession. The concert concluded with a brisk Karpagame kan paarai in Madhyamavati.
In a world
dominated by noise, and restlessness, the exceptional artistry of Rama Ravi and
the music she presents is truly scarce. Her performances possess a rare ability
to envelop every listener in a serene atmosphere, a tranquility earned through
years of dedicated practice and spiritual discipline. For any earnest student
of music, experiencing these concerts is imperative, as they offer profound
lessons and insights.
R.K.
Shriramkumar (violin) and K. Arunprakash are experts in accompanying senior
legends like this and collectively embellished the whole experience. Nanditha
Ravi ably supported her mother and guru on vocal support.
The author is a Carnatic vocalist, writer and
management professional