Sikkil Gurucharan presented a traditional concert with flashes of creativity

Sikkil Gurucharan.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

H. Ramakrishnan

Sikkil Gurucharan once again proved he belongs to the rare group of musicians who absorb the culture they need and discover adequate techniques to creatively express it.  His exhaustive Bhairavi alapana brought out all the melodic hues of the time-tested raga. The opening notes created a tranquil ambience in the auditorium. This rakti raga has a wide scope for instantly generating emotive expressions of total peace. And, Sikkil produced flashes of sober beauty as well as brilliance of craftsmanship and fancy. The talented L. Ramakrishnan on the violin succeeded in etching an equally dazzling and intensely sensitive Bhairavi.

While one was expecting a composition by the Trinity, Gurucharan surprised everyone with a Ramanataka kriti of Arunachala Kavi, ‘Yaro ivar yaro’ in a vilambakala, the range of which displayed the gamut of the raga. Though it was originally tuned in Saveri, Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, and later M.S. and DKP popularised it in an appealing Bhairavi. Sikkil chose the first line of the third charanam, ‘Chandrabimba mukha’ for the niraval and kalpanaswaras, both of which again distilled the sweetness of Bhairavi.

Sumesh Narayanan (mridangam) and S. Krishna (ghatam), who enriched the concert with their accurate anticipation and perfect execution, offered a tani that was verily a melody in rhythm.

Earlier, Gurucharan commenced his recital with a virutham, ‘Paalum Thelithenum’, followed by Periyasami Thooran’s ‘Gananathane gunabodhane’ in Saranga. The swaraprastara was at the pallavi. He then rendered Mysore Vasudevachar’s popular kriti ‘Brochevarevarura’ in Khamas, commencing from the anupallavi. It has a beautiful chittaswaram. His sketch of raga Devagandharam for Dikshitar’s ‘Panchaashat peeta rupini’ was aesthetic and attractive.

Gopalakrishna Bharati’s ‘Kanden kali theernthen’ in a unique Kalyani (rupakam) had niraval at ‘Ninren sannidhi arugil’.

Saint Tyagaraja’s ‘Sita kalyana vaibhogame’ (Kurinji), which Gurucharan commenced with the anupallavi ‘Pavanaja stuti patra’ came off like a fresh wave. The highlight of the concert was a piece in raga Kapi on Kaapi (Coffee), written by  Sudarsan, ‘Kaalaiyil kuthitthu ezhave kohinoor kapi’. In it, there is a reference to Kumbakonam Kapi that is capable of even awakening Kumbhakarna.

Sikkil Gurucharan concluded his engaging concert with Lalgudi’s thillana in Behag and ‘Vaazhiya senthamizh’. Overall, it was a well-spent two hours for a traditional, creative music recital.