Brilliant debut concert by Nandini Murali

Nandini Murali, a disciple of renowned Guru Smt. Tara Bangalore of the Anubhava School of Music, presented her Carnatic vocal arangetram at the Littleton High School on July 30, 2022.  Nandini was accompanied on the violin by Sadhana Venkatesh, also a student of Guru Tara. Young veteran Tarun Bangalore on the mridangam and seasoned stalwart Sri. Vaikom Gopalakrishnan on the ghatam provided the percussion accompaniment.

That each student of Anubhava is a unique musician is a testament to the care and effort with which Guru Tara nurtures her students: painstakingly uncovering and polishing their musical capabilities to shining brilliance.  Guru Tara described Nandini as a uniquely gifted and intensely creative student who would be incomplete without her music.  This we witnessed in the 3.5 hour concert which was characterized by Nandini’s fierce passion for her art and an internalization of the music that comes only with complete immersion.

Nandhini started the concert with a brilliant rendering of the Vasantha varnam (Ninnukori).  She sang the pallavi and mukhtayi swaram in four kalams in a display of melody and strong control of kala pramanam. The chitta swarms were rendered with tremendous imagination, replete with laya variations. The excellent teamwork among the artistes was evident right out of that gate as the accompanists skillfully supported Nandhini’s challenging rendition of the varnam. 

The varnam was followed by a beautiful and weighty rendition of Dikshitar’s Vallabha Nayakasya in Begada. Nandhini prefaced the krithi with a sweet and crisp outline of the ragam. The krithi was rendered with special care characteristic of the Anubhava bhani; bringing out the beauty of the composition as well as the beautiful contours of this nuanced raga. Nandhini and Sadhana finished off the piece with an exchange of robust kalpana swarams that were ornamented with the classical gamakams. 

The next piece was Swati Tirunal’s “Taruni Njan” in Dwijavanthi, rendered by Nandini at a pace that captured the plaintive mood of the composition.  Her diction and bhava laden delivery of the lustrous sangathis brought out the full lyrical beauty of the piece.  And here, note must be made of Guru Tara’s padandharam -every sangathi was studded with musical wonders that heightened the emotional impact. The support provided by the accompanists enhanced the rendition perfectly.

For the sub-main piece, Nandhini embarked on a brilliant alapana in Harikambhoji. Nandini was insightful in her handling of the raga, modulating her voice- now soft, then strong- to deliver perfectly proportioned brugas and madhyamakalam phrases. Nandhini dexterously brought out all the facets of this evergreen raga while also showcasing her own individuality. Sadhana responded with an equally delightful alapana. The madhyama kala rendition of “Chani thodi theve” was uplifting as the whole team came together in perfect synchrony. Nandini rendered niraval at patitula brOcu paTTAdhi kArini“with explosive creativity, at multiple kalams that traversed the octaves. The exchange of swarams was full of raga bhava: a perfect climax to a superbly rendered piece.  A dynamic rendition of Saint Tyagaraja’s “Atu karadani” in Manoranjani set the stage for the main piece.

Nandhini embarked on an outstanding alapana in Lathangi. She rendered with an abandon born of deep immersion, as she seamlessly wove together gamaka laden phrases and scintillating fast phrases. Sadhana’s melodious response showed both deep understanding of the raga and mastery of her instrument; we saw the Guru in the Shishya.  A grand rendition of Patnam Subramania Iyer’s “Marivere Dikkevvaru” was a treat for the audience.  The niraval at “Dharalona nee saati” was captivating as Nandini built up from relaxed slow kalam to a delightful crescendo of “mel kala” niraval. An immediate transition to a torrent of madhyama kala swarams maintained the intensity as Nandhini and Sadhana explored tricky and entertaining laya patterns.

Tarun on the mridangam and the revered veteran musician Sri. Vaikom Gopalakrishnan treated the audience to a fantastic tani avartanam. The resonance and skill of Tarun’s mridangam playing enthralled the listeners as he blended aesthetics and complex korvais in various nadais. Sri Gopalakrishnan on the ghatam effortlessly and enthusiastically complemented Tarun; the pair provided a fitting finish to a wonderful piece.

Nandhini followed with “Tatvameruga Tarama” in Garudadhwani, with a sprightly exchange of swara passages.  

The ragam tanam pallavi started with a beautiful and classical exploration of Karahapriya, characterized by the unmistakable rigor of the Anubhava school. Nandhini and Sadhana took turns as they built the raga starting from the lower octaves slowly working up the scale into the upper octave. The tanam was splendidly classical, progressing from meditative to flashes of lightning all while bringing out the soul of Karaharapriya. The pallavi line was “Amba Jagadamba Karunimpa Samayamithe” in Mishra Triputa, tisra nadai; Nandini balanced the melodic beauty of the ragam while exploring complex rhythmic possibilities. The piece concluded with a shower of ragamalika swarams in ragams all named for the Goddess.

The post pallavi Thukkadas were lilting yet as demanding as the rest of the repertoire.  Nandini started with “Muruganin maru peyar azhagu” in Behag. This was followed by the javali “Meragadu leci rara” in Atana, rendered with insight and emotion which was quite an accomplishment for such a young performer. Nandini then presented Andal pasuram “Thoomani maadathu” in Hamirkalyani. This was preceded by an emotion soaked viruttam of verses from Divya Prabhandam rendered in Kamas, Kapi and Hamirkalyani. Nandini concluded with a vibrant rendition of Sri. T.V.Gopalakrishnan’s challenging thillana in Chandrakauns.  Nandini brought the concert to a fulfilling close with “Santhi nilava vendum”, a call for peace in the world.

Throughout the concert, the accompanists skillfully complemented the main artistes by balancing sensitive support with strong accentuation. Sadhana, who recently did her violin arangetram, was stellar in her role as an accompanist on this occasion. Tarun Bangalore, once again, enhanced the concert with his uniquely pleasing skill and tonal quality while Sri. Gopalakrishan provided rock-solid veteran support on the ghatam with a joyful demeanor. The enjoyment that the team showed on stage enhanced the experience of the audience.

Nandhini’s debut recalled the music of the golden vintage years of Carnatic music.  The focus and intensity of her pursuit as well as the rigor of her Guru’s padandharam was evident in every piece.  We look forward to the successes that await this young musician in her musical journey with Guru Tara.

|