Sunil Gargyan Kumbakonam with MR Gopinath (Violin), Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan (Mridingam) and S. Karthik (Ghatam). | Photo credit: Special Arrangements
PS Narayan Swamy was one of the most sought after gurus who produced many distinguished musicians. One such is Sunil Gargyan.
In his concert at Madahara, Sunil Gargyan explained Hamir Kalyani, according to PSN Bani. According to his guru, a raga should not be sung only with the help of a scale and for that one must know its bhava. This attribute was evident in Sunil’s imaginative interpretation of the raga. MR Gopinath on the violin Kumbakonam also sizzled the raga. Sunil chose Tyagaraj’s ‘Manmu Ledha’. Neeraval and Kalpanasvara were in the charanam ‘Ne Samukhamuna Ravi Tanaido’, which presented the architecture of the raga. Gopinath’s response was similar.
The thani between Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan (Mridingam) and S. Karthik (Ghatam) was high-ranking. Through the concert, they offered reliable rhythmic accompaniment.
Saint Ramalinga Adigalar, known as Villalar, had six volumes of Arutapa, poems of divine inspiration. PS Narayanaswamy chose the Select Vs and arranged them into 32 rousing, concert-worthy songs. Sama (Khanda Chapu) has one such ‘Palkattam Oli Vina’. Sunil mastered raga alapana, with the help of Gopinath.
Charukesi Alappana was noted for his creative touch while the phrasing was marked with sophistication. The violinist provided some excellent fast paced accompaniments. Swati Tirunal’s ‘Karpiya Palaya Suvare’ (Mishra Chapu) had Kalpanaswara in the pallavi.
Sunil started his concert with Thodi Varnam ‘Era Naapai’ from Putnam Subramania Iyer. After Abhogi’s sketch, he translated ‘Sri Maha Ganapate’ (Jhampa) by NS Ramachandran. Kalpaneshwar Charanam was in ‘Thamara Dala Netra’. ‘Sree Vidyanatham Bhajami’ (atana) by Dikshatra was a neat composition in praise of the deity in the Vatheswaran temple.
Sunil then gave Tyagaraj’s Darbar Kriti a faster translation of ‘Yochna Kamala Lochna’. After Ragmalika Upabhoga, by Puranardasa, he presented a Brindavana Saranga Devaranama, ‘Kandina Udupiya Krishnana’. This brought the concert to a climax. He wound up in Aadi Tala Tsara Nadai with Lal Gudi Jayaraman’s Behag Thalana.
