Sujatha Srinivasan's Bharatanatyam recital at Cleveland
By Venkatraman / Troy,MI.

Every year beginning with Good Friday, the connoisseurs of Carnatic music and dance spring forward and congregate at the Saint Thyagaraja Aradhana event spectacular in Cleveland,OH, adeptly hosted by a handful of passion driven, motivated and competent volunteers of the Aradhana Committee and the members of Bhairavi Fine Arts.

Besides the extensive array of concerts presented by highly accomplished maestro-marvels from Madras music environs, Bharatanatyam, a close artistic sibling of Carnatic music, has been seen to materialize as a segment of the program line-up.

The Waetjen Recital Hall at the Cleveland State University in Downtown Cleveland where the events are held during the first weekend, has launched quite a few music and dance artistes of high esteem over the years like Vyjayanthimala Bali, Padma Subramanian, Prof. C. V. Chandrasekhar and Alarmel Valli.

This year, the fest featured Cleveland based artiste Sujatha Srinivasan on 16 April, 2006. Following the initial invocation number in gambheera naattai in sankeerna nadai, Sujatha performed Aadamodi Galade Ramaiyya in chaarukeshi in which she portrays how Rama is indifferent to the narrator, Thyagaraja’s, words of devotion, how he even treated his own good friend Aanjaneya in the same way, and how his frail self is no match for the powerful Hanuman.

Next, Sujatha presented the traditional Daanike varnam set in thodi raagam composed by Thanjavur Shivanandam. She depicted the dhuti bhava of the sakhi, as narrator of the piece, playing a match-maker and describing to the great historical King Shivaji, how her friend is the best possible bride for the great Maraata ruler.

The 19th century composer Kavi Kunjara Bharati’s Ivan Yaaro in kaamboji raagam was a shringaara rasa delineation of the entranced nayaki’s yearning to identify the image of a handsome, eminent dignitary in a courtly cavalcade whom she wishes is her beloved Lord Vishnu.

Varugalaamo composed by Gopalakrishna Bharati in maanji raagam was quite a tear-jerker. Sujatha's characterization of the devout but irresolute Nandanar, oppressed by a misanthropic society, whose only longing desire is to get one transitory glimpse of his favorite deity Lord Shiva, was touching.

Following was Shankara Shrigiri in hamsanandi composed by Swati Thirunal, and themed on the majestic dance of Lord Shiva. Balamurali’s thillana in kadanakuduhalam was an appropriate finale to the evening’s show.

The orchestra featured Asha Ramesh on vocal, Akhila Raghavan on the nattuvaangam, Janardhan Rao on the mridangam, Thyagarajan on the flute and Jayshankar.

You can write to Gopal Venkatraman at gopalven@yahoo.com