Day 4: Madras music season - Ranjani Gayathri

From what I had heard, Ranjani/Gayathri were the best performers in the past few seasons (and this season as well). So the expectation was set high. Concert was at Rani Seethai Hall. Hall was packed.

• The concert was like a diesel locomotive. Started off slow - with a song in the ragam chintamani (terribly slow song!)
• Then came manasu swadhinamai (sankarabharanam) - almost a let down for me as well. Sankarabharanam does not sound good slow (atleast to me). It is ideal for some high pace swarams, but not dragging alapanais. Well rendered, but slow for my taste.
• Then the speed picked up. The loco picked up speed. A superb song by GNB (did not note down the song name) in Malavasri.
• Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Madhyamavathi was mind blowing - very very well sung.
• It was vaikunta ekadasi - and hence Sreenivasa thiruvengada mudayan - was sung with full devotion. Several of the mami's in the crowd were prompty swaying in bhakthi ;-)
• The concert ended with an abhang which, again, had the audience swaying ;-). It was kind-of amusing to see the relatively "polished" silk saree crowd (in raani seethai hall) swaying in Bhakthi. You can usually see this more often in other sabhas like Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha, Mylapore fine arts etc.