Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 28, 2018
Hamiltonians can expect an evening of pure Carnatic Music executed on the Violin in its varied manifestations as two of the most talented artistes perform next month.
Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and his sister Lalgudi Jayalakshmi will present their Concert on Saturday, March 18, 2018 at the Centre of Performing Arts of Southwell School located at 200 Peachgrove Road.
Bengaluru Arjun Kumar will accompany them on the Mridangam.
Classical Music in Hamilton
Hamilton based Malathi Vasudevan is organising the Music Concert under the ‘Raaga Hamilton’ banner as a part of her efforts to promote Carnatic Music.
As well as a practicing Chartered Accountant, Ms Vasudevan is the Treasurer of the Balaji Temple in Hamilton, which will celebrate its third year of establishment during the same week as the Concert.
Interest in Indian classical music has been on the rise in this City, which invariably provides opportunities for visiting artistes to perform.
The Great Lalgudi Lineage
As mentioned in our March 1, 2018 print edition, the Lalgudi siblings belong to a great lineage of musicians, the most respected among whom is their father, the late Lalgudi Jayaraman, who created a place of distinction for himself as one of the foremost violinists of India. The maestro has sired his children to follow the great tradition and today Krishnan and Jayalakshmi are accomplished artistes.
This Reporter was privileged to know Lalgudi Jayaraman who drew his musical ancestry to the great poet Saint Thyagaraja. His father, Lalgudi Gopala Iyer belonged to that Master-Student heritage and was the fifth in that general of musicians.
It was inevitable that he mastered all the compositions of Thyagaraja and in the process, even the difficult literary Telugu language.
Trailblazers in Violin
Most Indian musical instruments are capable of being performed as solo concerts apart from being accompanying instruments, but the extent to which they can hold on their own depends on the mastery of the individual artiste. On that score, members of the Lalgudi family are trail blazers.
The Lalgudi Bani
Krishnan and Jayalakshmi follow the ‘Lalgudi Bani’ (Lalgudi Style) which takes liberty in interpreting various Ragas and Dhwanis. Catering to the ‘mood’ of the Raga, the Violin, in the hands of a crafted artiste, can ‘recite the verses’ of a song and keep listeners in a state of trance. The Divinity of the instrument brings new dimensions to Carnatic Music as executed by Krishnan and Jayalakshmi.
Listening to Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi hopefully performing some of the great compositions of Carnatic Music would be an exhilarating experience. It would in fact be a journey to the musical world of master composers and performers of the Golden Age of Carnatic Music.
Tickets of the forthcoming Concert in Hamilton, priced at $30 (Premium) and $15 (General) can be purchased from Malathi Vasudevan (021-942699), Vasudevan (021-941699) or MalthyYoganraj (021-1222324).
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