It is the month of December and I knew that it was the Mazhgazhi Season and I simply had to go to at least one kutchery. So, on the Dec.15, 2016, I chose to attend the concert by the well-known artist Aruna Sairam in the open Youth Hostel stage, Indra Nagar. A lot of people had come for this concert and all the seats were occupied well before the start of the concert. So I had to stand during the start of the program.
As Aruna Sairam began with the song Sriman Narayana, almost all the audience began to sway along with the rhythm of the song including me and some people were also shaking their heads or either snapping their fingers. The accompaniments added more flavour and enthusiasm to her rendition. The violin was greatly played by Raghavendra Rao, the Mridangam was played by Sai Giridhar and the Ghatam by S.V. Ramani.
The second song that she sang was Srinivasa Tava Charanam in Kharaharapriya ragam composed by Papanasam Sivan. I was completely mesmerised by her singing and the audience too seemed to maintain silence and only if I strained my ears I could hear very faint murmurs among the audience.
She then began to render a very melodious and beautiful song ‘muruga muruga enral’ composed by Periasamy Thooran. I was simply lost in the magic of the song that I only came to my senses when she finished the song. After that, she sang ‘Vandinam Muralum Solai’ composed by Thondaradipodi Alwar in Thodi ragam.
She then rendered Thiruvadi Charanam Yenru Naan Nambi Vanthein, a composition of Sri Gopala Krishna Bharati in Kamboji ragam. Then the song Adathu Asangathu Va Kanna filled my ears . The violinist then started doing beautiful alapanas and I think I was shaking my leg the whole time. Then the rhythm of the mrudangam and the ghatam followed making many people among the audience tap their hand or snap their fingers.
Aruna Sairam finished her concert by singing the beautiful notes of Namo Ganapathim.
I was really happy that during the Mazhgazhi Season I hadn’t missed out listening to a kutchery.