CHENNAI: Geetha Krishnamurhty, a disciple of Chittibabu and Trivandrum Venkatraman, is a consummate veena player. This was evident when she started her veena performance at the Thyagabrahma Gana Sabha with Swinathaparipalaya in the Raga Nattai. Her playing added to the majesty of Nattai with cascading melody. Sindukanada raga seemed appropriate to follow that musical weight, the song being Nannukannadalli.
Khmas is a light raga and at the same time it has its own lilt. Geetha chose Brohevera of Mysore Vasudevachar in Khmas and the musical outcome was delicious to ears. Quite thoughtfully, Geetha chose Govardhanagiri in Hindolam as her next item. Hindolam has the deep sweetness that will vow any Carnatic music lover.
Her major presentation was in Kharakharapriya and her alapana brought out the beauty of the raga with carefully crafted phrases.
The thanan that followed was equally sumptuous. Geetha settled on the popular composition Pakkalanilapadi. Her veena made Kharakharapriya slow and deep and it felt like veena and kharakharapriya were made for each other. Geetha’s is the kind of playing that will bring audience to veena concerts. Throughout, she proved to be an authentic disiciple of her great master Chittibabu.
On mridangam, Thirupati Sudhakar played softly to match Geetha’s playing while N Rajaram let his ghatam sing its own song. Veena’s rich sound has the powerful impact on listeners as it happens to be the primordial sound with which the universe began. In addition to its musical role, veena offers a transcendent spiritual benefit for all the listerners. Once the taste for the veena is imbibed, it will never leave as it reaches the core of our being and stays there for ever.