Young Carnatic vocalist Kruthi Vittal navigated the tradition-rich path in her own distinct way

In a vocal concert that was as befitting the occasion was as it was aesthetically pleasing, Kruthi Vittal displayed her artistry with assurance. Anchored by senior accompanists L. Ramakrishnan on the violin and Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam, the concert was held at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall. 

Organised under the auspices of Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer Golden Jubilee Foundation, V. Subramaniam Memorial Concert provided a perfect setting for a recollection of the doyen’s legacy. The repertoire, expectedly drawn from Semmangudi’s favourites, showed Kruthi’s grasp of the salient features of his music even while her presentation retained the requisite restraint. 

Navigating such a tradition-rich path, without being carried away, is no mean task. But, Kruthi was up to the challenge in offering her own style of music. Only rarely — as in the niraval for ‘Rama nee samanamevaru’ — did glimmers of the Semmangudi bani surface. If anything, those subtle touches served as a piquant pickle, accenting a delicious meal. 

Kruthi’s leisurely tempo in the opening speed of the Saveri varnam, ‘Sarasuda’ by Kothavasal Venkatarama Iyer, allowed her to highlight the beauty of the gamakas. During her measured exploration of Karaharapriya, she let each phrase emerge as naturally as a lotus bud unfurling its petals. Ramakrishnan’s melodious response was less a counterpoint than a seamless continuation of the same blueprint. The iconic composition in Rupakam, in which Tyagaraja extols Rama as ‘peerless’, followed with its sangati-laden pallavi. Kruthi offered a well-modulated and energetic niraval and swarakalpana at ‘Paluku palukulaku tene’ in the charanam. 

Her leisurely Saveri varnam highlighted the beauty of the gamakas
| Photo Credit:
Velankanni Raj B

Patnam Subramania Iyer’s ‘Marivere dikkevarrayya rama’ (Shanmukhapriya-Desadi) was rendered next with a lively niraval and swara passages at the customary phrase ‘Sannutanga sri venkatesa’. Kruthi then sang ‘Paripalinchumani’, a rare kriti (Suddhasaveri-Khanda Chapu) by Thiruvisanallur Venkataramana Iyer, featuring a well-knit chittaswara. 

Varali was the raga chosen for the main piece. Kruthi’s elaborate essay captured its pensive mood, and Ramakrishnan’s reply sustained it. The vocalist’s rendition of Dikshitar’s ‘Maamava meenakshi’ in Misra Chapu reflected the grandeur of the kriti, thanks to the impeccable diction, the soulful niraval at ‘Syame sankari’, the mathematical articulation in the swara exchanges, and the flowing sarvalaghu patterns culminating in the korvai. Satish Kumar’s compact tani avartanam was marked by creative rhythmic patterns executed with verve, precision and tonal purity. 

A lengthy but neat alapana in Sindhubhairavi, uncommon for a bhajan, introduced Ambujam Krishna’s ‘Aaja giridhar tu aaja’. Kruthi sang the verse ‘En thaayum enakkarul thandhayum’ from Arunagirinathar’s Kandar Anubhuthi in Kamboji, Kapi and Vaasanthi as virutham, and concluded with Lalgudi Jayaraman’s thillana in Vaasanthi, set to Misra Chapu.