Ramakrishnan Murthy with R.K. Shriram Kumar on the violin, and Manoj Siva on the mridangam at the KVN tribute concert held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, on May 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This year also marks the birth centenary of the legendary K.V. Narayanaswamy or KVN, as he was best known. A remembrance event was held recently at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, where a brief talk was given by KVN’s son K.N. Viswanathan, highlighting some of the best features and attributes of his father’s music. This talk was based on a presentation by KVN’s disciple H.V. Srivatsan at the Music Academy. Numerous audio clips were shared to demonstrate KVN’s highly intellectual approach to every small aspect of music, starting from his uncompromising quality in rendering compositions to his unmatched shruti shuddham. The talk was followed by a tribute performance by vocalist Ramakrishnan Murthy. Senior vidwans R.K. Shriramkumar and Manoj Siva, who had the opportunity to perform with KVN, joined Ramakrishnan in paying homage to the maestro.
When a performance is meant as a tribute to a highly regarded yesteryear musician, present-day performers find it challenging to balance their creative inputs and the inevitable need to recreate the past. Ramakrishnan Murthy, however, aced the test by bringing the best of both worlds to the kutcheri. He began with the Ata tala varnam ‘Nera Nammiti’ in Kaanada. This was followed by Tyagaraja’s compositions ‘Rara mayinti’ in Asaveri and ‘Anupama gunambudhi’ in Atana. A round of kalpanaswaras were rendered at ‘Rajakula’.
Ariyakudi sishya parampara
A brief alapana in Varali that hit the right notes paved way for the Thiruppavai ‘Aazhi mazhai kanna’. Including this piece was a thoughtful gesture to honour the fact that KVN hailed from the Ariyakudi sishya parampara. The first five Thiruppavai verses, tuned in the main five ghana ragas by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar are not just simple devotional pieces but potent musical compositions too. Ramakrishnan made judicious use of the sahitya bhava of this Thiruppavai by attempting a neraval at ‘vaazha ulaginil’, topping it with swaras in two speeds. The sarvalaghu swaras were spontaneously sung with apt replies by violinist R.K. Shriramkumar.
A refreshing addition to the list was the shringara varnam ‘Sumasayaka’. This composition, although attributed to Swathi Tirunal is melodically a replica of Ponnaiah’s ‘Sarasalanu’ and is a regular feature in dance recitals. It is intriguingly tuned in Karnataka Kapi, which possesses a distinct flavour as compared to its popular cousin Kapi. Ramakrishnan made the distinction quite clearly while singing the alapana for this piece centring it around some characteristic usages. Shriramkumar’s alapana was concise and unclouded.
Crisp Kamboji alapana
Before starting the next heavy piece, Ramakrishnan sang ‘Neekela naiyada’ in Devamanohari. This composition is said to have been rendered by KVN with impeccable clarity in notes even at breakneck speed. ‘Evari mata’, another trademark kriti of KVN was sung as the sub-main. The crisp ten-minute Kamboji alapana reminded rasikas of KVN for its brevity and the priority that was accorded to the higher octave. Neraval and kalpanaswaras at ‘parama bhakta’ explored the potential of the raga in a creative way. Manoj Siva enthralled the audience with his extraordinary thani avarthanam.
The most awaited part of the concert was the Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Purvikalyani. The raga alapana was sung in two stages, along with a quick tanam. The pallavi ‘Kaana kidaikumo sabeshan darisanam kandal kali theerume’ in Mishra Chapu is one of KVN’s signature tunes. This pallavi, the recording of which is available online, is still cherished by old-timers, and is a source of inspiration for young musicians. It was an appropriate choice to remember ‘Neraval’ Narayanaswamy as Ramakrishnan presented an expansive pallavi that had all the essential elements including a ragamalika suite in Abhogi, Sahana and Behag segueing into the nostalgic ‘Irakkam Varaamal’. No tribute to KVN is complete without a detailed virutham. Ramakrishnan presented the iconic ‘Kanthimathi ammai pillai thamizh’ verse and ended the concert with one of KVN’s most poignant pieces ‘Varugalamo ayya’ in Maanji.
Manoj Siva must be commended for his restrained and accommodative mridangam support. The senior percussionist, who is greatly influenced by KVN when it comes to specialised handling of the mridangam during neraval, complemented the other artistes admirably during the performance, adding significant value to each piece performed that evening. Veteran R.K. Shriramkumar impressed listeners with his elegant raga essays and pleasing neravals. Intelligent design and neat execution helped Ramakrishnan Murthy and his team pay a fitting tribute to KVN. It surely was a memorable evening for hardcore rasikas of the doyen.
