“Saayujya” - A Wholesome Audio-Visual Treat for Boston Audiences

-     Swara, Laya and Bhaava merged to create an immersive audio-visual experience in Vidwaan T.M. Krishna’s and Vidushi Priyadarshini Govind’s unique classical music and dance collaboration held on May 7 at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.  The production titled “Saayujya” was a fundraiser event for the MITHAS (MIT Heritage of South Asia) organization which has worked for over two decades to enrich our environment by providing exposure to the great heritage and traditions of Indian classical arts in the New England region.

The spacious stage in MIT’s Kresge auditorium with a rich wooden paneled background needed no decoration. The danseuse Priyadarshini Govind dressed in a pleasing magenta and green dance costume with elegant jewelery lit up the entire stage with her alluring presence. In a departure from the conventional stage setup for classical dance performances, the team of musicians (consisting of the vocalist Vidwaan T.M. Krishna, violinist Vidwaan Sri. R.K. Shriramkumar, Mridangam artist Vidwaan Sri. K. Arun Prakash and two taanpura players) sat on a separate raised platform, at a distance from the nattuvanar and the mridangam artist who primarily provided accompaniment to the dancer. 

Vidushi Priyadarshini Govind, a foremost exponent of Bharatanatyam who currently heads the premier classical arts institution in India, the Kalakshetra foundation, is a disciple of stalwart Gurus Sri. S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and Kalanidhi Narayanan.  Vidwaan T.M. Krishna, a renowned classical vocalist who is known for engaging deeply with the improvisational possibilities in Carnatic music is a disciple of Guru Chengalpet Ranganathan and the legendary Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. Both artists had a fabulous team of accompanying artists enhancing their presentations. Together, with a creative sound and lights manager, the team successfully transported the audience to a magical world.

Eight items were presented in a three hour long show without an interval, some of which centered around classical music such as the Keerthana in Ragam Paraju “Neelayadakshi”, some purely around Bharatanatyam dance such as Alarippu in roopaka taalam and the rest which were collaborations in which all the artists performed together.  Stage lights served the important purpose of creating dramatic effect through the use of light and shade by focusing at times on just the dancer, at times on just the musicians and at other times on illuminating the entire stage.

In the opening alarippu dance item, elements of pure dance “nritta”, took the spotlight. The dancer’s poise, her controlled head and neck movements, her perfect stance were enhanced by the nattuvanar Sri. K. S. Balakrishnan’s nattuvangam and crisp and modulated delivery of jathis as well as the mridangam artist Sri. Vedakrishnan Venkatesan’s nuanced accompaniment on the mridangam. Next, a vocal rendition of the keerthana composed by Sri. Shyama Sastri, “Neelayadakshi” was marked by a dynamic and flowing quality in the presentation. In the third item, a daaru varnam “Maate Malayadvaja” composed by Sri. Muthiah Bhagavatar and set to Raga Khamaas, Vidwaan T.M. Krishna had created a devotional atmosphere with his evocative alaapana. Vidushi Govind joined in the latter half where beautiful swara jathis came into play. In this particular item, was creation of synergy by the accomplished artists, each of whom was a consummate performer in his/her own right.

In a collaboration themed on the topic of “Democracy”,  conversation and exchanges between world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Tagore, Meera, Adi Shankara, Ambedkar, Rosa Parks and Barathiyar were woven together through multiple ragas, languages, instruments, music  and dialogue. Nattuvangam accompanying an English song titled “Dream” sung by Joan Baez was a creative idea of how different cultures could find common ground to convey the basic human needs for freedom and liberation. The choreography was unique and several human emotions such as fear, anger as well as peace and joy were depicted powerfully by Govind.  T.M. Krishna’s rendition of Meera’s composition “Pug Ghunghroo bandh meera naachi” and the original bangla composition for “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” by Rabindranath Tagore were received well by the audience.

Vidushi Govind’s brilliant abhinaya poured life into composer Pattabhiraamayya’s javali  “nee maatalu maayamura” . She effectively portrayed a naayika who teaches her charming and insincere lover a lesson by closing the door on him. The sounds of the initial knock and the final closing of the door were executed with great flourish.

Following the javali, a padam without rhythmic accompaniment and an imaginative thillana composition showcased an interesting usage of a variety in ragas and rhythmic patterns. Vidwaan R.K. Shriramkumar and Vidwaan T.M.Krishna who created the thillana together added  taanam to the thillana constituting a unique aspect to the composition’s architecture.

The concert ended with a collaboration on “Vande Meenakshi Tvam”, a Sanskrit nottuswara composition by Sri. Muthuswamy Dikshitar. Based on an Irish tune “The Rakes of Mallow”, the rhythmic composition was rendered in a slow tempo and left viewers with a feeling of fullness and completion after a grand feast.

Whether it was the exploration of “sringara-bhakti”, an expression of love between human and the divine or of “sringara-romance” , an expression of love between man and woman, the variety of devotional, romantic and rhythmic compositions presented through poetry, dialog, song and dance captivated the hearts of those who attended the “Saayujya” production. “I was in tears the whole time” said Sowmya Rajaram, an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer from Boston after the show.

Kudos to MITHAS , the artists, the sponsors and the volunteers for this unique presentation that proved that Indian classical arts can effectively portray and communicate the universal theme of conflict that is embedded in the human condition all across the world.

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