Violinist Bombay Madhavan was accompanied by Vidya Kalyanaraman and Vasudha Ravi, B. Ganapathiram and Morsing on the mridangam and N. Sundar on the tabla. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vasudha Ravi and Vidya Kalyanaraman recently collaborated for a special thematic concert ‘Colours of Krishna’ organised by Hansadhwani on Gokulashtami. Their musical rendition was a blend of conceptual depth, narrative clarity and melodic excellence, painting a vivid and engaging picture of the multifaceted personality of Krishna.
The connection between Krishna and colors is very fascinating, starting with his name, which means black or dark blue. The golden crown, peacock feathers, his body adorned with gems and jewels, the garland of flowers, the flute, and the yellow dress are just a few examples of his magnificent physical attributes.
Periyavalar begins the chapter by describing the birth of Krishna in ‘vanna madangal’ (colourful mansions), which he says led to wild celebrations in the neighbourhood like sprinkling oil and turmeric on each other. This is probably the origin of Holi, the festival of colours.
Vasudha and Vidya performed 12 songs in eight languages - Sanskrit and Tamil (three each), Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Brij and Malayalam. The first part showcased Krishna’s myriad qualities such as sweetness, mischievousness, making the gopikas yearn for his love, dealing with Radha’s false anger and becoming a garland of radiant gems. The second part highlighted his roles as the saviour, the flute player, the majestic groom, the charmer, the omnipresent man and the heartthrob.
steeped in devotion
The singing began with ‘Madhurashtakam’ in which Vallabhacharya described Krishna as the embodiment of sweetness. The singers rendered the hymn with devotional fervour and serenity. However, it is worth noting that while in many versions the fourth line is written as ‘Madhuradhipathe’, the correct phrase should be ‘Mathuradhipathe’ (Mathura, the chief of the city).
Oothukadu Venkata poet is an automatic choice for this theme and his ‘Neethan Mechikolla Venu’ in Sriranjani describes Yashoda’s frustration in dealing with Krishna’s mischiefs. The author quotes the foster mother as saying that a minute of Krishna’s mischiefs seemed like an age. The lively vocal exchanges in the Pallavi line were in keeping with the tone of the song.
Mood changes
Meera’s bhajan ‘Saadho Saadho’ in Ahirbhairava depicts the milkmaids’ longing for Krishna. A soulful shloka in Mukhari came as a prelude to the ashtapadi ‘Vadasi yadi kinchidapi’ in the same raga. Krishna pacifies the sad Radha by saying ‘Priye, chaaruseele’ (Oh my dear! Oh my virtuous one) and tries to reconcile with her. The melodious Annamacharya kriti ‘Muddugare Yashoda’ in Chenjurutti, which compares Krishna’s actions to an array of gems of different colours, provides a contrasting mood.
Vidya and Vasudha shared a brief alapana of Subhapantuvarali before presenting Purandaradasa’s ‘Nine Anadabandhu’. It was a poignant exploration of Krishna’s stature as the ultimate refuge, echoing the Bhagavad Gita’s message of surrender (‘Maam Ekam Sharanam Vraja’ – surrender to me only). The exchange of niraval and swara in ‘Gati Neene Krishna’ underlined the emotional depth of the raga, further enriching the presentation.
The duo then showcased Krishna’s mesmerising style with the flute and passionately performed Bhanudas’ Gavalan Abhang ‘Vrindavani Venu’ in Raga Bhimapalasi.
lively tension
This time after presenting Kamboji raga in turns, the artistes sang a shloka as a prelude to Narayana Teertha’s Kalyana tarangam ‘Alokye Rukmini Kalyana Gopalam’. It depicts Krishna in all his splendour as a bridegroom. A splendid swaraprastaram in two kalams in the ‘Dwarakapura mandap’ was followed by energetic thani by B. Ganapathiram on mridangam and N. Sundar on morsing, the latter playing a double role (tabla) in the concert.
Violinist Bombay Madhavan accompanied the singers with his consistently melodious voices while the rhythmic tunes of the percussionists added to the overall concert.
‘Gopi Gopal Bala in Gamanashram’, a bhajan by Surdas on the Raasleela in Brij; ‘Kakkai Siraginile’ by Bharathiyar in Brindavan Saranga (expressing Krishna’s omnipresence); Madhuvanthi Thillana by Lalgudi Jayaraman; and ‘Krishna Krishna Mukunda Janardhana’ by Poonthanam Nambudiri in Yamuna Kalyani added further variety to end a memorable concert.
