CHENNAI: A style characterised by high regard for classicism and aesthetics is the hall mark of vocalist SP Ramh, a disciple of violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman. Ramh’s vidwat was on display, in his recent concert at Krishna Gana Sabha. One needs to appreciate his manodharma, for the lively delineation of raga Begada (Anu Dinamunu) of Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar, with a spell of niraval and swaras, which was expressive and resonating. His exposition of Thodi raga that followed and his outpouring of the intrinsic beauty of (Sri Krishnam) of Dikshitar, with kalpana swaras were exuberant. No doubt that his imaginative rendition of swaras garnered special attention with his keenness to image the classical content.
The audience enjoyed the most when he delved in to the fringe of raga Bhavapriya (Prithi madyamam) in Thodi. It was evident that the musician’s presentation was fresh and glowing till the end, with display of technical skills. But in certain places, if he had modulated better, it would have added value to his performance. Overall, his concert was a combination of classical flavour and virtuosity which should be a lesson for youngsters, who are learning the art.
The ragam-thanam-pallavi of the raga Hemavathi and the expressive touches of Sahana, Ananda Bharavi and Kaapi, was rendered with attention to maintain the charm of the song. M R Gopinath, A S Ranganathan and Pudukottai Ramachandran were perfect accompanists giving lively rhythmic support.