Madurai N. Shivganesh performing for Mudra during the annual Margazhi festival, 2022. , photo credit: special arrangement
Choosing an unusual melody for his hour-long main suite, Madurai N. Hansavinodini’s treatment of Shivganesh proved the young player’s overall erudition. Ragam Tanam Pallavi further demonstrated the singer’s ability to incorporate a school outside her lineage. Sivaganesh broadened his usual allegiance to TN Seshagopalan to accommodate M. Balamuralikrishna. The first part of the elaborate alpana was particularly generous, adding to the quality of their 150-minute concert for Mudra.
The Hansavinodini raga is a derivative of Shankarabharanam, but sounds like a curious mix of two other fellow Janyas – Kannada and Maund. The introductory phrase of Shivganesh stuck close to Yamunakalyani. Shortly after the clarion of the raga, Sivaganesha unleashes the characteristic bumps and slides of the BMK, whose unique embellishments have earned the heavenly vagabond the status of a patron of Hansavinodini. The changed style of singing made violinist Tirucheraya Karthik more of a listener than a follower. His solo reply on the instrument was impressive. With a dash of springtime.
Shivganesh begins his tanam quietly, emphasizing on the saukhyam bhagat of Hansavinodini. This marked the second discovery of the raga, the development of which was stable during the Alpana. The pallavi, ‘Sada Nigam Sudha Vinodini’, happily changes tempo with 16-beat Aadi Taal Chakras. The singer’s range was somewhat limited, with few high pitched parts. Nevertheless, the end-path was refreshed by three ragas – Varali, Darbar and Vakulbharanam. Punnur Aravind Kaushik (Mridangam) and DV Venkatasubramaniam (Ghatam) had a decent contribution to the 12-minute Thani Avtaram.
Swathi Tirunal’s ‘Panimatimukhi’ in raga Ahiri was the first post-Tani number to highlight the softness of the Ahiri raga, and was presented as retaining the original spirit of RTP. The latter Hamirakalyani (‘Annalum Nokkinan’, Kamba Ramayanam) and the finale were no different from Sindhubhairavi (Muthiah Bhagavathar Thillana).
Earlier, Sivaganesh made his concert debut for Mudra with the self-composed Shrutibheda Varnam. The Mohanam base made the Adi Taal piece pleasing, however the surfacing with Madhyamavati, Hindolam, Sudhasaveri and Shuddhanyasi was so fleeting, and they only gave a chance to sound off-key. Tyagaraja’s ‘Unedi Ramudu’ was filled with many accompaniments, often not well organized in execution. Yet the pattern of niraval (around ‘Tamasadi Gunarahitudu’) and moving solfeges captured the essence of Harikamboji with a clear influence of TNS – the mentor of R Kannan, the chief guru of Shivaganesh.
The TNS signature emerged more clearly with later Govalai. Fragments of thorough persuasion defined many of the alapanas that paved the way for the ‘Bhajare Manasa’ (Venkataraman Bhagavatara). The ups and downs of the swaraprastra had Semmangudi-ish beats—Sivaganesh has another teacher, CR Vaidyanathan—who trained under PS Narayanaswamy, a frontline disciple of Srinivasa Iyer.
On the contrary, Dwijwanti provided the much needed peace to Kachhi. Dikshitar’s ‘Chetashree Balakrishnam’ defined restraint, delivered with emotion-rich pauses. The 11-minute alapana in the sub-main Shanmukhapriya was emotionally charged. In ‘Marivere’ (Putnam Subramania Iyer) the lower parts were clearer than the upper parts in Niraval (‘Sannutanga Sri’). Tyagaraja’s ‘Dayajuchuta’, a TNS hit in Ganavaridhi, was the quick bridge to the central Hansavinodini.