Rahul Vellal, who hails from Karnataka and is the winner of the Global Child Prodigy Awards 2020 among others, presented a repertoire of familiar and much-loved compositions at his recent concert at Krishna Gana Sabha. The singer was accompanied by B. Anantha Krishnan on the violin, Trivandrum V. Balaji on the mridangam and S. Krishna on the ghatam.

Opening with 'Tattvamariya tarama' in Reetigowli by Papanasam Sivan, Rahul brought out the gentle grace of the raga. His kalpanaswaras were neat and unhurried, flowing naturally into the next composition -- Dikshitar's 'Sarasija nabha sodari' in Nagagandhari -- a composition that set a tranquil mood.

In an era of elaborate presentations, it's refreshing to witness a concert that stays true to the basics -- simple, neat and heartfelt. A crisp Lathangi alapana followed, its contours clearly etched and complemented by a soothing violin response. It was yet another Papanasam Sivan composition -- 'Pirava varam tharum'. The anupallavi featured intricate sangatis and the kalpanaswaras began at 'Pirava Varam'.

Rahul also chose to include several audience favourites such as 'Kanrin kuralai ketu' (Mukhari), 'Bhogindra sayinam' (Kundalavarali), 'Naan oru vilayattu bommaiyaa' (Navarasa Kaanada), and 'Jagadhodharana' in (Kapi), spanning the works of Neelakanta Sivan, Swati Tirunal, Papanasam Sivan and Purandaradasa.

Rahul's concert was simple, neat and heartfelt. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The highlight of the evening unfolded in Keeravani with a manodharma that beautifully captured the raga's essence. The violin's sensitive responses heightened the atmosphere. 'Kaligiyunte' by Tyagaraja followed a poised, unembellished rendition featuring niraval and kalpanaswaras at 'Baguga sri raghu ramuni padamula' executed in two kalams. The violin's assertive tone lent strength to the rendition.

The thani began with the mridangam, presenting a distinctive tonality, complemented by Krishna's impeccably clear playing. Their seamless interplay concluded with a crisp 32-beat korvai that drew appreciation.

The soulful 'Pibare ramarasam', acomposition of 'Sadashiva brahmendrar' reflected genuine bhava, yet the mridangam's slightly hurried gait seemed at odds with the composition's reflective spirit.

As the evening neared its end, the mood turned devotional. The energetic bhajan, 'Hari mana' in Brindavana Saranga, was followed by the reverent 'Hara hara Shankara Jaya Jaya Shankara palayamam' in Revati. The patriotic 'Jayathi jayathi bharata mata' in Khamas brought vibrance, before Rahul concluded with the timeless 'Maithreem bhajatha' and 'Mangalam'.

Rahul Vellal revisited classic compositions at his recent Chennai concert