It's Now Kids Turn! That was the feeling of the audience at the Chinmaya Maruthi, Andover, MA on a recent fall evening. This time it was 9 kids aged between 5 and 12 years, showcasing their musical talents.

The program was organized by Smt.Valli Bhamidipati as the first Vijaya Dasami renditions of her music school. Smt.Valli has been teaching Carnatic music in the Tewksbury, Nashua area for the past several years. The teacher herself initiated the program with two melodious songs; following the path of their Guru, the kids showed their mettle.

First to come was Virinchi Bala. He started his recital with the conventional kriti, 'Sri Saraswathi' in ragam Aarabhi. There were 6 more songs to follow, all in different ragas, wherein Virinchi exhibited smooth transition from one ragam to another.

This was followed by the duo Nainika and Spoorthi. They exhibited precise voice unification with clear modulations, and the kriti in ragamalika stood out.
Next to come was the performance of young Sai. His renewed involvement in the delivery of the songs drew repeated applause from the gathering, and the kriti, 'Muddughare Yashodha' in ragam Kurinji was the pick of the lot.

In perfect match to Sai, was the rendering by Shahana, a five year old girl, who began with a bang in Kalyani. Although her rendition was embellished with 4 beautiful songs, nothing could beat the song 'Bhaaghyaada Lakshmi baarammaa' in Madhyamaavathi ragam. Shahana portrayed elegant uchasthayi much to the appreciation of the audience.

The trio Meghana-Jaanhavi-Yasheela gave a good account of their musical prowess with three sweet songs. Their "Palukebhangaramayena' in Anandabhairavi ragam was much appealing.

The kid's program concluded with Rachel Madhur, who rendered two Kannada kritis in Hamsadwani and Hindolam ragams respectively. She is gifted with a melodious voice, and presented her songs with a clear delivery of the verses. Smt.Valli concluded the program with a few more songs.

A special mention must be made on the tabla accompaniment rendered by 9-yr old Pranav Ghatraju. Indeed he was only a late inclusion to the group. Without any rehearsals or prior knowledge of the songs, he did a fantastic job on the tabla, matching amicably to the taal variations of the Carnatic-based songs rendered. And he was richly applauded by the delighted audience.
By their deft performance the kids presented laurels to their Guru Smt. Valli Bhamidipatti, and were rejoicing the effect of their hard and dedicated training acquired under the efficient tutelage of their untiring Guru. She was all smiles after this musical bonanza offered by the kids, and so were the audience and the proud parents of these kids.

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