It was an inspired performance by Sriram Gangadharan at Maruthi Temple, Andover, Massachusetts on the evening of July 31, 2011, and Sriram treated the audience to a high quality electrifying music from start to finish.  Sriram Gangadharan is an “A” grade artist in both vocal and instrumental (flute) categories with All India Radio and has won numerous awards, titles and accolades over the years for outstanding performances in December Music Festival in Chennai over the years.

Sriram began his concert with an Adi Tala varanam in thodi followed by Bilahari (Eka Dantham) with brisk swarams.  Sriram continued with a short and crisp sketch of Pantuvarali in Thyagaraja’s krithi - Ennagaama Rama Bhajare.  The neraval on “Rama Rama Rama Yenuchu Ramani Okate” was very detailed elaboration, showing the beauty and grandeur of the ragam.  He shifted gear to fast-phased swarams that sent the audience to a trance as he improvised the swarams in a breath-taking way.

Sriram went on to render a scintillating ranjani.  The detailed alapana was full of bhavam.  There was an ease and mastery of the raga in Sriram’s rendition that was immediately obvious when you see and hear him.  The pounding swarams flowing in dhuritha kala were that one could never forget.  It was just amazing.  This was immediately followed by a soft and melodious krithi of Thyagaraja in Mukhari .  As he delivered excellently in an unhurried way, the audience was transported to an elevation.  The rendition in vilambha kalam as prescribed by the Thyagaraja sampradaya made the listening of this krithi lot more enjoyable.  He went on to sing a Thyagaraja krithi in Madhyamavathi.  The neraval in “Ajaanu baagu yuka Sri Janaki Pathi” brought the essence of the Ajaanubaagu appearance of Lord Rama.  His mesmerizing swarams were simply superb and brought about the essence in a poignant rendering.

Sriram continued to perform Mysore Vasudevachariar’s Vasudevayani in Kalyani.  The alapana was simply wonderful and every brigha that he attempted landed absolutely on the right spot that proved his mastery on his ability to perform anything with ease.  The in-depth elaborate swarams were notable for wonderful sangathis, brighas and showed that this is a musician at the height of his creative powers - highly enjoyable.

He was at his peak form in the next piece – Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Thodi.  He was in complete command here.  In rendering the thodi ragam he seamlessly went from thodi to Mohanam with absolute ease.  The ragam, almost left nothing untouched of the ragam, spanning through all three octaves.  The tanam was phenomenal.  There was absolute confidence and a swagger about his performance that you can understand only when you hear him do the kind of things he did that day.  The ideas simply seemed to come to him from nowhere.  The pallavi was “Madana koti sundara hare Krishna” in tisra triputa, and was rendered very well in all three kalams with sparkling swarams.  He got the audience excited by singing the pallavi kalpanaswarams in kanada, kadana kudoogalam and hamsanandhi.

Sriram then went on to experiment ‘Dikku Theriyaada kattil” of Subramanya Bharathiyar.  This ragamalika composition was delightful to listen.  Then came rendition of thukkadas which were all very enjoyable.  Sriram gave the Tamil compositions a grand treatment.  The bhava in the songs rendered – Chidmbaram Pogamal in chenchurutti, Varugalao in Manji and Ayya metha kadinam in Punnagavarali took the audience to Nandanar days! We could glimpse Sriram’s sense of humor when he sang the lines “neramaagudu allavo (meaning it was getting late) – in ayya metha kadinam.  The rendition of Radha Sametha in Misra Yaman brought back good old memories of GN Balasubramanian.  He concluded his concert with “Nalla Sagunam” in Shanmukhapriya followed by Managalam.

He was accompanied by Suhas Rao on the violin, an accomplished Carnatic musician and one of the top violinists of the younger generation in the US.  He got introduced to Carnatic music by Smt. Tara Anand, an award winning teacher in the New England Area.  He has received various awards and recognition and has performed both as a solo artist and an accompanist with eminent artists.  Suhas in this concert followed Sriram like a shadow in all parts of the concert and brought the beauty and essence of the ragams in all of his alapanas.  His melodious rendition of the alapanas, neraval and swara passages were very extremely good for all krithis.  Suhas needs to be specially commended for his absolute confidence and ability in all of his presentations in the concert.

Jayachandra Rao provided commendable assistance to Sriram in the percussion department giving fitting replies and keeping up to Sriram throughout the concert.  Jayachandra Rao hails from a family of musicians and has accompanied stalwarts from the field of Carnatic music and has won numerous accolades and appreciation for his gayaki style of playing.  His specialty of playing in anticipation of the manodharma of the artist and sound stroke were profound throughout the concert.  He electrified the audience with his brisk playing for speedy neraval, swarams, and korvais.  His Thani Avarthanam was a rhythmical fiesta.

The four hour long concert was a very satisfying, enjoyable and memorable concert.

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