Brindha Manickavasakan captured the mood of every kriti

Brinda Manickavasakan added rare kritis to her concert repertoire.
| Photo Credit: SRINATH M

The vocal recital by Brindha Manickavasakan, for Sri Thyaga Braham Gana Sabha, was vibrant and refreshing from start to finish. The concert began with Tyagaraja’s Begada kriti ‘Tanavari tanamu’ with a swara package concluding with the raga’s signature notes of ‘mmgrs nndpm’. She took up the alapana of Dhanyasi, which invariably shines in the upper register sancharas. Brindha traversed it with ease and care so that she didn’t sound shrill. The raga alapana was followed by a rare kriti ‘Paruvam parka nyayama’ by Anai Ayya. After these vibrant kritis, Brindha settled down with Dikshitar’s oeuvre ‘Jambupate mampahi’ in Yamunakalyani. This kriti on water is not only lengthy but also a test for any singer to convey the depth and subtle nuances of the slow-moving composition.  

Syama Sastri’s ‘Ninnu vina marigalada’ in Ritigowla came as a filler before Brinda moved to Mohanam; a succinct preface segment was followed by a Tamil verse from Manickavachakar’s ‘Thiruvachagam’, ‘Ennilen thirunamam’. This soulful rendition was appended with Papansam Sivan’s popular composition ‘Kapali’. The swara package followed was impressively woven.  

Brinda Manickavasakan with Bombay R. Madhavan (violin), Sumesh Narayanan (mridangam), Sunil Kumar (kanjira).
| Photo Credit:
SRINATH M

It was time for RTP, and Brindha elaborated Shanmukhapriya with captivating phrases leading to the tanam, before taking up the pallavi ‘Senthur vaazh murugan shanmuganai priyamudan nammai kakkum.’ Composed by mridangam vidwan Arun Prakash, the songconveys the essence of Shanmukhapriya though it eschews the prati-madyamam, which is the special note of the raga.