Sanjay Subramaniam, who performed at the Chennai Cultural Academy, is a maverick vocalist, and he makes no bones about his approach. His musical message comes through very clearly. His raga vinyasas carry desolate phrases of discontinuity. So what? Sanjay successfully communicates with the audience in his own evolved style.
He had been employed for the alapana and swaras when he presented the Ninnu Juchi Keerthana of Patnam Subramaniya Iyer in the Raga Saurashtram for the Chennai Cultural Academy at Rama Rao Kala Mandapam.
With echoed dignity, delicacy and with remarkable felicity, the vocalist gave an exquisite interpretation of raga Bahudari, cementing the joints, with such naturalness, clearly indicating that his idea emanated not from fore-thought, but are spurred by the inspiration of the moment.
All through the concert, Sanjay showed his insight into music. A whiff of freshness enveloped the atmosphere in his typical presentation and when he sang the raga alapana of Keeravani and presented laya integrated (Innamum Sandeha Padalamo) of Bharathi with elaborate vinyasam at innamum, he demonstrated his mastery over the seemingly incompatable musical tradition.
His thoroughness of presentation of (Kangeya Vasana) of Swathi Thirunal in the raga Amirkalyani certainly revealed his musical perspective and his development of various stage of alapana. He mirrored the dynamism of approach to his expressions.
Nagai Muralidharan on violin, Neyveli Venkatesh on mridangam and Venkataraman on kanjira held the attention of the audience by their brisk performances and were able to establish a total rapport with the musician, etching the beauty of the ragas kirthanas in their inimitable styles.