Ramayanam by Sikkil Gurucharan

I bought Sikkil Gurucharan‘s music album “Ramayanam” , a set of 3 CDs released by Rajalakshmi Audio, Coimbatore last week. It is a beautiful compilation of carnatic songs depicting the story of Lord Rama. There are in all 16 songs and a mangalam with most of the songs having an appropriate viruttam. The list of songs is as follows:

1) sAketa nagara – harikAmbOji – Adi – mysore sadAsiva rAo

2) dEva dEvam – danyAsi – kanda chApu – annamAchArya

3) dasaratha sutha – jOnpuri – Adi – vAnamAmalai jIyar

4) kOlam kAna – nAttakurinji – Adi – ambujam krishnA

5) kalyAna rAma – hamsanAdam – Adi – UthuKAdu venkatakavi

6) sItA kalyAna – kurinji – kanda chApu – thyAgarAja

7) eppadi manam – husEnI – misra chApu – arunAchala kavirAyar

8) E rAmuni – vakulAbharanam – misra chApu – thyAgarAja

9) bhajarE mAnasa – AbhEri – Adi – mysore vAsudEvAchar

10) vittuvidadA – kEdAragOwla – Adi – arunAchala kavirAyar

11) anumanE – malayamArutham – rUpakam – arunAchala kavirAyar

12) sarasa sAma – kApinArAyani – Adi – thyAgarAja

13) rAma nAma pAyasakE – Anandabhairavi – Adi – purandaradAsa

14) rAma jOgi – kamAs – Adi – bhadrAchala rAmadAs

15) mAmava pattAbhi – manirangu – misra chApu – muthuswamI dIkshitar

16) gIthArthamu – suruttI – Adi – thyAgarAja

17) mangalam – madhyamAvati – Adi – thyAgarAja

All the songs have been sung beautifully by Gurucharan. Some of them have been sung a shade faster than they are usually done. My personal favorite is the hamsanadam kriti “kalyAna rAma”.

It would have taken a lot of effort to compile all the songs, choose the viruthams that fit in with the songs and to render them in an excellent fashion. Kudos to Gurucharan and to the people behind the compilation … an album certainly worth buying.