G.Ravikiran-Vocal on 21st October 2012

Concert Review

Ravikiran's maturity at Nadasurabhi puts him in the senior league

Vidwan G Ravikiran, in carnatic music terms, is still a young artist. But during his performance for Nadasurabhi on Sunday 21st October 2012 at the Indian Heritage Academy, he demonstrated by his mature rendition, that he is not far from entering the senior league of Carnatic musicians.

Unperturbed by the absence of mridangam (due to the late arrival of the artist), Ravikiran commenced his concert with the popular Kaanada varnam ,Nera Nammiti. The next to come was the thyagaraja kriti Sreekantha Neeyeda. A few compact rounds of swarams, led him to the well known Harikaambodhi number, Dinamani Vamsa.

The two main pieces chosen for elaboration this evening were the emotionally charged Mukhari and an elaborate Sankarabharanam. The beautiful Ksheenamai in the former was a masterpiece from the Semmangudi school. Ravikiran handled it beautifully in all aspects including alapana , neraval and swaraprasthara. Muthuswamy Dikshitar's Dakshinamoothy in the latter raga was also given expansive treatment befitting the grand stature of the composition. After the Subramanya Bharathiar's Chinnanchiru kiliye which is a ragamaalika, lovely ragas were chosen for the tail pieces.  Nattakkurinji Javali, Punnagavaraali- Kanakasaila, Chenchurutti- Bruhimukundeti, added colour and vigour to the concluding portion of a well performed, well attended programme.

There was all round satisfaction among the audience.  Accompanying artists, Nalina Mohan, Jayachandra Rao and young Phanindra Bhaskar provided understanding and competent support to the main artist.

Invitation 

Sri.G.Ravikiran is one of the rising stars in the carnatic music horizon. He has had his musical training from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri RK Srikantan for over a decade. Since 2003, he has been under the tutelage of Vidwan Sri TM Krishna.  He has to his credit AIR’s National Level Award. Sri. Ravikiran also swept prizes in competitions on Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and Jayachamaraja Wodeyar compositions conducted by Gayana Samaja besides Merit Prize in Senior Category. He has been performing in all leading sabhas and venues including the recent concert at the Navarathri Mandapam, Tiruvanandapuram.

Enamored by the rich compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, Sri.Ravikiran has  founded a trust dedicated to the popularization and propogation of Dikshitar’s kritis called Guruguhaamrta. Under this trust, he organizes concerts of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions, free workshops of Dikshitar Kritis, and aradhana for Dikshitar at his Holy Samadhi at Ettayapuram in Tamilnadu.