Kedaram, a Chennai-based cultural organisation, celebrated its 11th anniversary recently at Ragasudha Hall, Mylapore.

The celebration was preceded by Bhavana Iyer’s vocal recital. Blessed with a pleasant voice, Bhavana presented an engaging concert with the able support of Pappu Gyanadev on the violin, Ajith Sridhar on the mridangam and Master Skandan Manjunath on the ghatam.

Highlighting the expansive range of the Bhairavi raga, Bhavana briskly opened her concert at the anupallavi line of Tyagaraja’s ‘Upacharamu cheseva’. The kriti was embellished with a neatly structured swarakalpana sequence in the end. Swati Tirunal’s ‘Vande sada padmanabham’ in Navarasakanada propelled the concert further. This seamlessly led to a finely etched raga alapana of Vasantha, which served as a prelude to Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Brahadambikayai namaste’ set in Misra Chapu, a choice that added further merit to Bhavana’s selection.

Bhavana selected Surutti raga for a detailed alapana. A raga that offers ample scope for imaginative exploration, Bhavana elaborated it with poise, bringing out its richness and beauty. This was followed by Dikshitar’s ‘Sri venkatagireesam’, rendered with depth and piety. The niraval at the charanam line ‘Alamelumanga sametham’ was thoughtfully developed before presenting a well-crafted swarakalpana.

A concert is considered complete with the inclusion of a Syama Sastri composition. And Bhavana chose the evocative ‘Devi brova samayamithe’ in rare raga Chintamani. She brought out the raga’s nuances with devotional fervour. The mood shifted with the rendition of Arunachala Kavi’s Tamil composition ‘Hanumane swamikkinda’ in raga Malayamarutham. And Bhavana rendered it with high energy, adding to the appeal of the kriti.

The evening’s main offering was Sankarabharanam. There are a few ragas that offer immense scope for a musician to explore and bring out their richness and emotional depth. Bhavana, with her rigorous training, diligent practice and creativity, highlighted the richness of this archaic raga in her concert. However, in some places, particularly while traversing the upper registers of sancharas, there was a slight tendency for the vocalist to turn a bit strident. With a careful self-assessment, sustained practice and control, Bhavana can overcome this aspect.

Tyagaraja’s magnum opus ‘Entuku peddala’ was her choice here. Bhavana presented a detailed niraval at ‘Veda sastra tatvarthamu telisi’, fully mindful of the profundity of its meaning and emotion. The ensuing swara exchanges with violinist Pappu Gyanadev were interestingly structured, with the gandharam-centric phrases lending a satisfying conclusion.

Gyanadev’s violin support was sensitive and restrained, never trying to overshadow the main artiste. So were Ajith Sridhar on the mridangam and Master Skandan Manjunath on the ghatam. Special mention must be made of young ghatam artiste Skandan, whose mature musicianship and impeccable sense of rhythm belied his years.

Bhavana concluded her concert with a ghana ragamalika traversing the ragas Nattai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali and Sri, in praise of Goddess Sharadambika.

Published - July 31, 2026 04:06 pm IST