NEWS & NOTES

COLLABORATION Samyuktam – confluence in creativity

ollaborations in creativity by Sumant Jaikrishnan, with artistic investing each note as it were with Samyuktam was the brain- lighting by Gautam Bhattacharya. Full newness. Priya followed in pancha wave of that indefatigable care was taken of the sound system nadai, weaving patterns of nritta. organiser and visualiser Sanjeev and other factors which provided the Where there was a parallel coming C rasika-s a rewarding experience. together of aural and visual imageries, Bhargav, who continues to delight one wondered whether to relish the Delhiites with Ananya – the annual I am still under the spell of Krishna’s dance patterns or to immerse oneself festival of choreographic works at mellifluous music – his alapana, in the nectar-like singing! the historic Purana Qila. Under the ragam-tanam-pallavi, his soulful joint aegis of India International singing of the Khestrayya padam-s and Krishna said if you understand Centre (IIC), Seher, Power Grid the combination of musical notes and the padam-s and pour your heart Corporation, First City monthly and th th tala patterns in raga Nalinkanti with into singing them, you achieve the others, the three evenings 16 to 18 which he and Priyadarsini Govind maximum joy. They presented two March of Samyuktam will be long concluded the evening. In terms of contrasting padam-s of Kshetrayya – remembered for the novel approach images – both aural and visual, one Kuvalayakshi and Vadalani. The finale to bring together some of the best was immersed in ‘rasa samadhi’ – of the evening was in the combined of Carnatic vocalists, musicians and aesthetic delight! With what humility exploration of raga Nalinkanti Bharatanatyam exponents to explore and a spirit of collaboration these two where Krishna wove patterns with common ground in classical dance and artists worked together giving the best swara-s, and Priya with rhythm to music without losing their autonomy, of their art! The transparent sincerity the accompaniment of the mridanga but to explore and embellish one touched one and all, and you were left – a sort of jugalbandi where they another. thirsting for more! Therein lay their came together in a spirit of unity. 16th March 2009: After listening to success. The audience gave them a standing Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna two Priya and Krishna explained how they ovation. Those in the audience who years ago at the IIC Experience Festival, conceived the programme and arrived had come to listen to Krishna’s music Sanjeev Bhargav expressed the desire at meeting points in dance and music, enjoyed it in full measure and those that he should sing for Priyadarsini retaining the element of improvisation. who wanted to see Priya’s dance, Govind, the Bharatanatyam exponent. They presented a mallari depicting relished her collaboration! From then on started the journey Lord Siva as Tyagesa being taken in 17th March 2009: The second towards Samyuktam. The programmes a procession at Tiruvarur, stopping evening at the Fountain Lawns saw at the various sannidhi-s. This was were held in the beautiful ambience of swelling crowds. The audience was specially composed in Sanskrit by Fountain Lawns of India International looking forward to Leela Samson’s the violinist Shriram Kumar. Like a Centre, on a stage tastefully designed Bharatanatyam margam to the bronze sculpture come to life, Priyadarsini Govind with T.M. Krishna, accompaniment of vocal music by Priya evoked the iconography R.K. Shriram Kumar Bombay Jayashri. They straightaway of the gods and goddesses began their presentation with a to the melodious music. The prayer in praise of Lord Siva extolling marriage between the dance and music was fantastic his ardhanareeswara form, followed – not experienced before in by the time-tested varnam Chalame such numbers, and looked so in Natakurinji. To the harmonious refreshing. singing and Sheejith Krishna’s excellent nattuvangam, Leela The most challenging rendered it in Kalaskhetra bani with number was the ragam- consummate artistry. Indeed it had an tanam-pallavi in which old world charm and evoked nostalgia. first Krishna elaborated the In Gange mam pahi, Leela brought alapana with imagination, to life the river Ganga in its varied

 l SRUTI May 2009 NEWS & NOTES

moods through cascading images. as a part of Bharatanatyam The mood was built with Jayashri’s and also at times in kutcheri- flowing voice, Sheejith’s konnakol- s. Ah, what a delight it is to like sollu-s, merging with the Ganga’s be transported to such ‘rasa flow depicted so graphically in dance. samadhi’! Yes, that is what Leela was in her element as she happened when one listened performed Dharmapuri Subbarayar’s to these two artists – they javali in Paras The understated immersed the listeners in abhinaya was dignified and controlled. that ocean of bliss! It was further embellished by Jayashri’s Leela Samson with Bombay Jayashri, Sheejith Krishna, soulful singing. She invested the notes The musicians and dancers Shriram Kumar, K. Arun Prakash with cadences of music that lingered came together in K.N. long in memory. The entire evening Dandayudhapani Pillai’s ragamalika sink in aesthetically and visually. was one of repose. It highlighted that varnam. Leela began with the pure dance in slow tempo which allowed The tillana, as Krishna explained, was the role of the musician is to provide actually two tillana-s in Khamas – musical support – should not be her nritta to flower. Both the vocalists one by Patnam Subramania Iyer and overriding but go hand in hand with Jayashri and Krishna sang together the other by Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, the dance. and alternatively for the varnam and lent an extra dimension to its musical. judiciously put together for singing. We were exposed to two approaches Scintillating is the word which comes Both the dancers performed with in Samyuktam. In the first one the to mind to describe the nritta aspect élan, each highlighting her own dancer and vocalist explored common of the varnam, when Priya took over. style with aplomb. Visually the ground and took the audience with Her leaps and expansive movements impact was stunning. Rarely one them on a journey where there was were of a different school than that sees two gifted dancers, two gifted the excitement of experimentation. of Kalakshetra and the juxtaposition vocalists coming together with other The second one was more sedate and looked interesting. I did feel uneasy accompanying instrumentalists with followed the traditional path wherein when sometimes the same stanzas such rare understanding, respect for the vocalist sang along with the dance, were taken up by Leela and Priya each other, humility, without any not experimenting, but embellishing for abhinaya, alternately. In their desire to upstage anyone, with one the total impact with melodious individual delineation they were goal – to create aesthetic delight. rendering full of emotion. superb, but to switch over from one When the mangalam was sung there th was an auspicious feeling which 18 March 2009: The finale when to another visually, on the same stage, Abhinavagupta calls ‘hridaya visranti’. all four of them were to perform with their individual gifts, posed some Music certainly has that exquisite together! The excitement was palpable problems for my enjoyment. The way quality of bringing peace within. at the Fountain Lawn grounds as the the two dancers depicted the nayika-s overflowing audience eagerly awaited in the varnam and the abhinaya items The announcements for Samyuktam a unique artistic event. was of course different, and before the were done with finesse, but one expressions of one could properly sink wished that the names of the raga-s First, Jayashri and Krishna rendered in for the audience to appreciate, the could have been mentioned for the a Carnatic vocal recital. Singing other dancer would come on stage as benefit of the audience not familiar together, or one after the other, like they performed alternately. Switching with Carnatic raga-s. well tuned musical instruments they over from one to another visually did offered high quality music, which we not have the same impact as in the Sanjeev Bhargav dreamt of this listened to in complete silence and case of the vocalists. confluence and made it happen. wonder. Their recital was indeed a The artists worked together and the Leela with her Kalakshetra memorable experience and every note dividends were there in ample measure background and Priya with her they rendered revealed the artistic for the Delhiites! We now eagerly abhinaya delineation as imbibed from heights Carnatic music reached in await a similar confluence in Kathak Kalanidhi Narayanan, shone forth this Samyuktam. and Odissi, which Sanjeev Bhargav individually. It would have been better has promised in the near future. I am not a connoisseur of Carnatic if the dancers had performed one after music but have relished it over the years another to let individual expressions SUNIL KOTHARI

10 l SRUTI May 2009