A Kanyakumari’s Shatha Ekaika Raga Vaibhavam

In December 2019, violinist A. Kanyakumari began showcasing Thyagaraja’s Ekaika rAga kriti-s (only a single kriti in that rAgam) on the violin, releasing one every Friday on her Facebook handle (for more detail on this project and a full list of the 100 kriti-s showcased so far, with links, please click here). Originally intended for that music season alone, she continued exploring and releasing these kriti-s weekly. Last week, a ticketed online program, ‘Shatha Ekaika Raga Vaibhavam’, organised by Singapore-based organisations CHETHAS and Apsaras Arts Dance Company, celebrated the rendition of the 100^th kriti.

A version of this article appeared in The Hindu newspaper dated November 19th, 2021. Many thanks to Bombay Sri. V. Anand for his patient and prompt responses to questions and for sending all the photographs seen here.

CHETHAS’ Bombay Anand, a disciple of Kanyakumari’s, and the curator of the program, explains. “I was in Chennai when Kanya Amma released the 75^th kriti. She mentioned that a concert featuring these kriti-s should be featured. The idea then struck me to do a global Ekaika rAga kriti concert with her students from all over. Almost all her students have been a part of this program.”

The program featured a total of ninety performers of which fifty-eight are direct students. Seventeen were students of students. Seven in Singapore had taken a master class with Kanyakumari. Eight percussion artistes enhanced the program. Besides violin, the veena, keyboard and guitar also made appearances. The program was professionally recorded in six locations – Maryland, Singapore, Chennai (two), California and Cochin. Despite the number of artistes and the multiple venues, Anand says it was not too difficult to curate since every participant supported the venture whole-heartedly.

It was consciously decided to use a mridangam and kanjira for all the segments, along with similar studio decor to the extent possible. “We wanted to provide a consistent sound and visual experience for all the songs – as one might expect if all were performing in person,” explains Anand.

The program began with Giri rAja suta in rAgam bangALa, a piece sentimentally dear to Kanyakumari, being the first one taught to her by her Guru. It was the only song featured which was not an Ekaika rAga kriti. Subsequent pieces were each performed by a different group of performers. The featured 100^th kriti was Nagumomu in AbhEri, elaborately rendered with AlApana and round-robin tAnam and rAgamAlika swaram-s by Kanyakumari and her advanced India-based students – Embar Kannan, V. Sanjeev, Dr. Nishanth Chandran, L. Ramakrishnan and Vittal Rangan.

Each kriti was separated from the next by capsules of Kanyakumari’s interview by Jayanthi Iyengar. Through these informative yet brief and succinct interludes, the viewer learned several facts and Kanyakumari’s rationale. She explained her carefully researching and understanding the lyrics of each composition to ensure that her playing accurately reflected the lyric on the instrument. She has intended it to be educative for students, particularly those learning instruments.

She shared some lesser-known aspects that she came across in her exploration. Though a popular rAgam, Thyagaraja has composed only one song in keeravANi. In gowLai, the gana rAga pancaratnam is the sole known kriti of the vAgayEkkAra. There are at least two Ekaika rAga kriti-s in which the name of the rAga (gAnamUrti and amritavarSini) is incorporated – a feature more synonymous with Muthuswami Dikshitar compositions. Thyagaraja has composed in rare rAgam-s like Dakka, bhairavam and sencu kAmbhOji. Even in just one kriti, he has conveyed the entire essence of the rAgam, with full bhAvam, she stated.

Anand explains that he created a unique ticketing system for this program, where using the same link, the ticket prices varied dynamically based on location. The program was very successful, he adds, with a significant number of tickets sold worldwide.

This program underscored Kanyakumari’s effectiveness in the very difficult art of teaching. Few prolific musicians of her public recognition level have brought out as many competent performers. Though not restricted to violinists alone, her impact is concretely felt when one realises that the majority of today’s leading younger accompanying violinists are her students, each of whom holds her in great respect. The Carnatic fraternity recognises these students for their impeccable enhancement to concerts. Shatha Ekaika Raga Vaibhavam was a testament to the selfless service of this veteran musician, Avasarala Kanyakumari, to Carnatic music and to its future.

‘Shatha Ekaika Raga Vaibhavam’ Credits: (provided by Bombay Sri. V. Anand) 

Conceptualised by Padmashree Awardee Sangita Kalanidhi Kum. A Kanyakumari

Nagumomu, Ragam – Abheri, Thalam – Adi

Padmashree Awardee Sangita Kalanidhi Kum. A Kanyakumari, Kalaimamani Embar S Kannan, V Sanjeev, Dr. Nishanth Chandran, L. Ramakrishnan, Vittal Rangan

Mridangam – Dr. Patri Satish Kumar, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Giri Raja Suta, Ragam – Bangala, Thalam – Adi

Anusha Sreeram, Kalaimamani K Sathyanarayanan – Keyboard, Durai Srinivasan, V Deepika, Shilpa Venkatesh

Mridangam – Kishore Ramesh, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Mudumomu, Ragam – Suryakantham, Thalam – Adi,

Srikanth Mallajosyula, Pavani Mallajosyulla, Rajeev Mukundan, Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Sivateja Mallajosyula

Mridangam – Syamakrishna Mallajosyulla, Kanjira – Sivateja Mallajosyulla

Studio – Pretty Good Studios, Bowie, MD, Audio – Ananth Batni

Raga Sudha Rasa, Ragam – Andolika, Thalam – Adi

Srilakshmi, Sayee Rakshith, S P Ananthapadmanabha, Shraddha Ravindran, Thirumargal Ganeshkumar

Mridangam – Kishore Ramesh, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Maravairi Ramani, Ragam – Naasikabhushini, Thalam – Thisra Nadai Adi

Giridhari Venkatadri, Urmika Balaji, Mahesh Balaji, Rathika Balaji

Mridangam – Ajay Gopi, Kanjira – Vishal Venkateswaran

Studio – Gopi Lakshminarayanan, Fremont, CA

Kamalapta Kula, Ragam – Brindavana Saranga, Thalam – Adi

Kalaimamani Mudikondan S N Ramesh, Anuthama Murali, Dr. Thirumargal S Dineshkumar, Visvesh Chandrasekhar, K Sundar Rajan

Mridangam – Kishore Ramesh, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Ada Modi Galade, Ragam – Charukesi, Thalam – Adi

Vaikom Padma Krishnan, Parvathy Venkitachalam, Swetha Anandasivan, Brahmadattan N M, V S Gokul Alankode

Mridangam – Sajin Lal, Kanjira – Vishnu Kamath

Studio – Pixel Media, Cochin

Vara Raga Laya, Ragam – Chenju Kambhoji, Thalam – Adi

Bombay V Anand, Darshan Suresh, Laya Mahesh, Shruthi Kumar, Sreeranjani Muthu Subramanian, Swathi Kumar, Vedagnya Narasimha

These artistes from Singapore were part of a masterclass conducted by Vidushi Kum. A Kanyakumari for IPAC – Indian Performing Arts Convention 2021

Mridangam – T Ramanan, Kanjira – Muthu Subramanian

Studio – Apsaras Arts, Singapore, Videography – Vijaya Ranga Prasad, Audio – Bimandhra Riyadi, Apsaras Arts

Melukkovayya, Ragam – Bowli, Thalam – Khanda Chapu

Rangapriya Sa – Disciple of Kalaimamani Embar S Kannan, Hiranmayee Sreeram – Disciple of Anusha Sreeram, Kedar Vignesh – Disciple of Anusha Sreeram, Krupa Sekhar – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Padmini Gopinath – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Pradyut G – Disciple of Anusha Sreeram, Priyanka Haresh – Disciple of Anusha Sreeram, Sahana Sreeram – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Sasanka S N – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Samapriya Dandibhotla – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Sindhu Rageswari – Disciple of Dr. Nishanth Chandran, Somanath Dandibhotla – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Srinidhi Pennathur – Disciple of Anusha Sreeram, Vedagnya Narasimha – Disciple of Bombay V Anand, Visesh Uppoor – Disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, Vivek Dinesh – Disciple of V Sanjeev

Mridangam – Kishore Ramesh, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Abhimaanamu, Ragam – Andali, Thalam – Misra Chaapu

All the above artistes (except artistes who played Melukkovayya, Bowli) and Achutan, Anvitha, Chetna, Gayatri Vibhavari, Janardhan, Marthungi, Mukund Josyula, Prema Vivek, Radhika Srinivasan, Raghavasimhan, Rajagopalan T L, Sarmpavi, Shreya Suresh, Sita Raghu, Sriramya Mantha, Swetha Suresh, Vasudha Srinivasan, Vishal Sowmyan, Venkatesh

Guitar – Prasanna, Mridangam – Kishore Ramesh, Kanjira – S Sunil Kumar

Studio – Offbeat Music Ventures, Chennai, Video – JamDub

Visual Conceptualisation including Lighting, Video Mix and Mastering – K Shyamakrishnan

Audio Pre-mixing – Sayee Rakshith, Audio Mastering – M T Aditya Srinivasan, Offbeat Music Ventures

Conversation Script: Kalaimamani Embar S Kannan, Jayanthi Iyengar, Vaishnavi Anand

Conversation Interviewer: Jayanthi Iyengar

Conversations Shoot:

We record our thanks to Shri Abhaya Srisrimal Jain, Secretary & Dr. S Padmavati, Principal, Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women, Chennai; Center of Excellence – Art & Culture – Dr. Rajshree Vasudevan – Director; Ms. Srividhya S, Staff; Center of Excellence – Media, Entertainment & Communication – Mr A Ebenezer – Director, Ms. O B Kavishna – Technical Assistant; School of Media – Mr. M Senthil Kumar – Technical Assistant, Mr J Nirmal Raj Rao – Technical Assistant, Ms L Saravanapriya – Technical Assistant, Ms T Uma Maheswari – Technical Assistant

Ekaika Raga project assistance team to Vidushi Kum. A Kanyakumari: Srikanth Mallajosyula, Sayee Rakshith, Shilpa Venkatesh, Vittal Rangan

Event Partners: Srround

Special thanks to: Brahmadattan N M, Sayee Rakshith, Shilpa Venkatesh, Embar S Kannan, Gayatri Venkataraman, Srikanth Mallajosyula

Curated by Bombay V Anand

Produced by CHETHAS, Singapore

Related Links:

A. Kanyakumari’s Ekaika rAgam Project (includes a full list, with links, of the first 100 kritis premiered)

A. Kanyakumari in USA’s Congressional Record