Sandeep Narayanan | Photo Credit: Pichumani K
Sandeep Narayan has started taking decisive steps towards making his mark. his concert for Madrasana, to warm applause by the enthusiastic audience, demonstrated this. In the process, he has moved away from gimmicks and gimmicks to some extent.
The concert catalog depicts the breadth of Sandip’s performances. If ‘Vara Vallabha Raman’ (Hansadhwani, GNB) was sung with great enthusiasm and a breathless rhythm of vocals, ‘Jnana Sabayil’ (Saranga, Papanasam Sivan) was more contemplative with a quiet kalapramana. This ability to switch gears is key to increasing concert appeal.
The scintillating stages of the concert included an elegant raga alapana by Karnaranjani that had two parts – the aesthetic one gave full scope to the grammar of the raga, while in the other, she displayed a natural flair for riding a flamboyant chord. Violinist Murari also incorporated a lot of ‘Sukhum’ in his raga alapana. ‘Vancha Thonuna’ composed by Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, which launched the raga, was ably rendered. The masterpiece, with a pulsating Teesra Nadai, is a classic contribution of the modern era. It has a catchy Chittaswaram and Sandeep grabs the opportunity to garner huge appreciation.
Tyagaraja’s ‘Niravati Sukha’ in Ravichandrika is a staple in a concert before elaborate stages. As expected, Sandeep’s vocals were loud and sharp. As long as such constructed moments draw loud cheers from the audience, they will remain part of the architecture of the music festival.
Kapi Alapana was handled with maturity – mostly gentle glides and pregnant pauses. There were folk and Hindustani colors to enrich the feel. There was an equally sublime and melodious alapan from Murari which proved that he is an evolved musician. Sandeep sang a pallavi, ‘neethu mahima telia na tarama’, in Aadi 2 Kalai. The Trikalam and Ragamalika vocal section had some good elements – Madhuvanti, Attana, Durga, Sama, Raagesari, Nilambari and Arbi – that pumped up the adrenalin on stage. A Ninda Stuti in Kuntalvarali and an Ashtapadi in Darbari Kanad were good tailpieces that brought back the ‘Sokhyam’.
Sandeep Narayan’s voice is effortless – it is soft and comes through with range and clarity. One feels that he should just take advantage of it and not burst into decibels, especially while eliminating muthappas.
Violinist Murari is natural with melody, and even in fast-paced vocals, he shows his respect for raga lakshan. Mridang maestro KV Prasad was equally impressive when he had to show restraint. KV Gopalakrishnan provided good support and vibrancy on Kanjira.
The Chennai music scene has benefited from new organizations bringing some difference in programming and more importantly, youthful energy and a keen sense of new audiences. Madrasana is one such.