The Greater Boston area was enthralled by a sublime Carnatic concert, on the 23rd of September, by eminent Vidwan, Sangeetha Choodamani Shri. O.S. Thiagarajan, to help raise funds for the Sankara Cancer Foundation (SCF). The event, organized by Shri. Rajesh Vaideeshwarran, an enthusiastic philanthropist from MA, was held at the Keefe Technical school, Framingham, MA. That, Boston’s very own Shri. K.V.S. Vinay and Shri. Mahalingam (Mali) Santanakrishnan provided accompaniment, made the event unique.

O. S. Thiagarajan, or OST as he is affectionately called, is perhaps one of the few male vidwans gifted with a voice that is in complete alignment with the Shruti. His effortless oral expression combines seamlessly with authentic traditional background, leaving the listener in an extremely comfortable plane.

The concert started with Saint Thaiagaraja's "Nada thanum anisham" in ragam Chiththaranjani, which OST embellished with skillful kalpanaswarams on "Sama Veda Saram”. This was followed by a soulful "Rama Nannu Brova ra" in Harikamboji. Setting the tempo, “Shambo Mahadeva" in Kamavardhini, "Sanathana Paramapavana" in ragam Phalamanjari followed.

"Nijadasa Varada" in ragam Kalyani, a composition of Patnam Subramaniya Iyer, formed the brilliant main piece of the evening. The innovative phrases of neraval were ably highlighted with high fidelity on the violin by Vinay. The interesting exchanges of kalpana swaram by the vocalist and the violinist, and a crisp Thani by Mali, were well appreciated.  

The vrittam “Vande Mataram, Ambikam Bhagavathim", flowed in a variety of ragams next, followed by "Nanoru Vilaiyaattu Bommaiya" in Navarasakannada, to enhance the beauty of the concert. A Bhava laden rendition of "Sharavana Bhavayenum" in Shanmukhapriya, "Nadupai Balikeru" in ragam Madhyamavathi , "Naale Nalla naal" in ragam Kapi, were crowd pleasers.

The fact that Shri. OST found time for this event amidst his extremely busy schedule, provided a very good highlight to the noble cause the event stood for.

K.V.S.Vinay shares his experience as a co-artist in this event

At the outset I felt a deep sense of anxiety at the thought of accompanying someone who regularly sings in the company of legendary accompanists.
But Sri OST’s magnanimity, his on-stage commitment and his musical involvement carried me through.  I am very lucky to observe his professionalism from close quarters and it is something to aspire towards. Sir’s Kalyani Alapana was a master class and the rare” NIja Dasa Varada” was a great follow up. I also was very moved by the Ragamalika slokam. At the end I, was left thinking that Thyagaraja must have music of this sort in mind when he sang “Sangeetha Kovidulaku Mrokkeda”. While opportunity to accompany Sir is a big honor in itself, this concert also bestowed a very unique blessing upon me. I have now had the privilege of sharing the stage with over a dozen members across four generations of Sri OST’s family. And that association with such a rich musical lineage is a blessing to treasure forever!

Mahalingam Santhanakrishnan shares his experience as a co-artist in this event

It is a great honor to accompany a vidwan of Shri OST's stature. Accompanying for O.S.T.mama gives immense pleasure and intense pressure at the same time. The challenge and the learning for me is to provide the energy and embellishment without obstructing his melodic virtuosity. I was mesmerized when he sang Sanatana Paramapavana in such a soothing kalapramanam. It is a privilege to have the best seat in the house to listen and watch the way he built the Kalyani Alapana - full of grace and involvement. I count my blessings and am very thankful for the opportunity to accompany a great vidwan for a great cause.

About SCF: ( Sankara Cancer Foundation)

Sankara Cancer Foundation, Inc. is an MA-based non-profit whose mission is to raise cancer awareness and to create self-sustainable programs and institutions for high quality and affordable cancer care for the needy.

SCF is currently focussed on creating a self-sustaining screening and treatment program for cervical and breast cancers for the poor in India, and educating the public through seminars and mass media, about the need to get screened and the benefits of doing so.

About the presentation

Dr. Shambhavi Venkataraman, a radiologist with Harvard Medical School, and an advisor to SCF, gave an outstanding presentation to the audience titled "Breast Cancer In India". The presentation was very informative, and brought to light to many in the audience the reality of breast cancer and the current reality of the nature and incidence of cure.

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