Tribute to T.Mukta @ Musiri Chamber Concerts, Chennai

Tribute to Smt. T. Mukta

Venue: Musiri Chamber Concerts, 28/2, Musiri Subramaniam Road, Mylapore

Date: 25 Mar 2007

Vocal: Vid. Nirmala Sundararajan & Vid. Subhashini Parthasarathy

Violin: Vid. Poorna Siva

Mrudangam: Vid. Melakkaveri K. Balaji

List of songs:

1) gnAnAnanda mayam (slOkam) – hamsadwani – vEdAnta dEsikan

2) rAmA IvELa (varnam) – kharaharapriyA – Adi – tenmatam narasimhAchAr

3) vINApustaka dhAriNim – vEgavAhini – misra jampa – muthuswAmi dIkshitar

4) vAchAma gOcharunDani – aTANA – Adi – mysore sadAsiva rAo (O)

5) vazhi maraithirukkudE – nATTakurinji – misra chApu – gOpAlakrishna bhArati

6) nI mATalEmAyanurA (jAvaLi) – pUrvi kalyANi – Adi – paTTAbhirAmayyA

7) paramAtmuDu – vAgadIshwari – Adi – thyAgarAja

8 ) alavani nammarAdE (jAvaLi) – Anandabhairavi – Adi – dharmapuri subbarAyar

9) bAla vinavE (padam) – kAmbOji – tisra tripuTa – kshEtragna

10) smara sundarAnguni (jAvaLi) – paras – Adi – dharmapuri subbarAyar

11) meragAdu rammanavE (padam) – sahAnA – misra chApu – kshEtragna

12) delise vagaLella – bilahari – Adi -paTTAbhirAmayyA

13) OsOsi (padam) – mukhAri – misra chApu – muddu naTEsa

14) ethaikanDu ichai kOnDAi magaLE (padam) – kalyANi – rUpakam – subbarAma iyer

15) bUsa dAramu (padam) – tODi – tisra tripuTa – kshEtragna

16) idi nIku mariyAdA (jAvaLi) – bEgaDa – misra chApu – dharmapuri subbarAyar

17) ninnu jUchi nAlugaidu (padam) – punnAgavarALi – tisra tripuTa – kshEtragna

18) adi nIpai (jAvaLi) – yamunAkalyANi – Adi – dharmapuri subbarAyar

19) nAvEru pAmaNatha (tiruppugazh) – rAgamAlikA – kanDa chApu – aruNagirinAtar

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

This is probably as good as it could get. Gems in Smt. T. Mukta’s bani sung in a chamber concert in my favorite concert venue in Chennai (the place where Sri Musiri Subramanya Iyer lived) by Dr. Nirmala Sundararajan, Smt. T. Mukta’s vocal accomapist for many years, and her daughter Dr. Subhashini Parthasarathy. One look at the song list after reading this and one can imagine what a great experience it would have been. The concert was devoid of any alapana, neraval or kalpana swarams. There was just a small outline of aTANA. The ragas just flowed, decorated and presented in true colors in Smt. Mukta’s style. At many places, I just tried to imagine Smt. Brinda and Smt. Mukta, as they appear in photographs (I have never had the opportunity to see them in person), sitting in front of me and singing and I was filled with emotion. I wish I had been born some 50-60 years back and spent most of my life hearing the duo sing !! This is one bani that needs to be kept alive !!

Dr. Nirmala and Dr. Subhashini seemed to do full justice to all the compositions sung. They made the experience thoroughly enjoyable. Vid. Poorna Siva and Vid. Melakkaveri Balaji played well for the songs. In the absence of raga alapana, neraval, kalpana swaram and taniavartanam, they were simply concentrating on the songs being sung and they too seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.