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S. Sowmya has inherited the style or bhani of Dr. S. Ramanathan who had a deceptively simple way of rendering kirthanas. The style, on the face of it, looks simple but the musical content makes a profound impact on the listeners.
Sowmya was accompanied by Nalina Mohan on the violin and Neyveli Narayanan on the mridangam. She brought out the beauty of raga Manirangu with ease and comfort, preserving the bhava without encroaching into Madyamavati or Shri. Harikambhoji was given a lengthier treatment, and its purity maintained. Sowmya's stance at Panchama and Dhaivata and the manner in which she handled the sancharis in Harikamboji around them were impressive. There was no unwanted brika and frill for the sake of adding quantity to the raga.
S. Sowmya made up for a disappointing Atana with a brilliant Kalyani in the three-course musical meal she served at the Indian Fine Arts. Following a neat "Sobhillu Saptaswara" (Jaganmohini), which featured swaras at, surprise, "Bhajimpave Manasa," the Atana alapana rambled on with repeated phrases.
Tyagaraja's "Ela Ni Daya Radu" followed, with nereval at "Ra Ra" but the slow pace that was unbecoming of a good Atana killed the charm of the raga. Surprising, because Sowmya is not an artiste who has difficulty with speed.
Even the Kalyani that followed, until half-way through the alapana, was only run-of-the-mill. But as Sowmya developed the raga, it blossomed into something that could be expected of an artiste of her calibre. Patnam Subramanya Iyer's "Nija Dasa Varada" was delightfully rendered, with `teach-you-how' nereval and swaras at "Bhujagadhipa Seyana."
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