Music lovers in Auckland were delighted to listen to the melodious voice of Carnatic music singer Abhishek Raghuram last month.
The concert, organised by the New Zealand Carnatic Music Society, was held at the Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall on March 23.
With his unique style of singing and execution of various ragas, he kept the audience spellbound throughout the three-hour, non-stop programme.
His selection of rare compositions and youthful manner of interacting with the senior accompanying artists was yet another highlight of the concert.
Commencing with ‘Karunajudu’ in Shree raga (Shyama Sastri composition), Abhishek built up the tempo with Muthuswami Dikshitar Kriti ‘Sheshachala Nayakam’ in Varali.
His rendition of Saint Thyagaraja’s compositions in Charukesi and Hamsanadam was filled with life and blemishless execution.
The gifted vocalist’s elaborate ‘alapanas’ left an indelible impression in the minds of the listeners. Ragam Tanam Pallavi revealed his calibre in rendering Nattaikurinji and Shanmukhapriya ragas.
“Porumai Izhanden Bhuvaneshwari’ (Simmendra Madhyamam) and Chandrachuda Shivasankara (Darbari Kanada) were enjoyable.
Neyveli Narayanan on Mridangam and Vittal Ramamurthy on Violin added support to the vibrant concert.
The striking message was that one could explore within the traditions of Carnatic music and still be experimental and innovative.
Classical music is timeless and with young musicians like Abhishek, we are reassured that it will hold a significant place in India’s fine arts.
Meena Iyer, wrote the above jointly with Priya Vijay, both known for their knowledge of Carnatic Music. They live in Auckland.
