Renowned for the lyrical luminosity and purity with which they continue to present Carnatic music to audiences around the world, Ranjani and Gayatri’s performance from this Darbar festival 2015 video is a firecracker that will be remembered for years. As siblings who embarked on their musical journeys hand-in-hand, they are blessed with an extraordinary timbre and an infectious personality on stage.

HN Bhaskar’s support on the violin is ripe with patient refrains, varied melodic improvisations and a strong sense of rhythm.

Sai Giridhar (mridangam) and Giridhar Udupa (ghatam) interlace the melody with a meticulously woven rhythmic support that calibrates mindfully to the music in delicate and robust crests and troughs.

The sisters perform six pieces beginning with a kriti composed by Saint Purandara Dasa (1484-1564), the devotional singer, composer, philosopher and devotee of Lord Krishna. ‘Jaya Jaya Janaki Kantha’ is set to Raag Nattai and the hymn praises Lord Vishnu’s human avatar Rama. Pegging short tonal sentences (swarakalpanas) around the composition, the duo gives a lively start to their performance.

The second composition set to Raga Arabhi, was written and composed by Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1847). Ranjani takes the lead to introduce the alapana in crisp and steady rapid notes accentuated by oscillations. Each note is welded to the other in smooth switch-overs as they flow and ebb in a series of synchronised, rhythmless melodic tides. ‘Nada Sudha Rasam Bhilanu’ gives a stunning metaphor of Rama as a personification of the supreme, divine medium of music.

The third piece set to Kharaharapriya is set to Misra Chapu talam. ‘Navasiddhi Petralum’ compares an accomplished man without faith to the husk surrounding a grain - an absolutely useless residue that is thrown away. Composed by Neelakanta Sivan (1839-1900), Ranjani and Gayatri structure this kriti around a magnificent scheme of tunes and rhythm.

Thereafter, they pivot to the ragam tanam pallavi in Shubhapanthuvarali. A detailed alapana followed by tanam preludes the pallavi. The sisters explore the raga extensively and perform the pallavi set to Chatusra Jati Triputa talam in 16 beats. An engaging ragamalika ensues followed by a percussion duet that lends exponential beauty to this performance.

The next piece, a Tamil ‘viruttham’ (sanskrit hymn with no rhythmic accompaniment) set to Raga Sindhu Bhairavi flows seamlessly into a composition in praise of the duality of Lord Shiva by Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer (1844-1893).

The sisters end their recital with a resounding abhang set to Raga Chandrakauns in an extraordinary trade of energies between themselves and their accompanists on stage.

Musicians

Ranjani & Gayatri (vocals)

HN Bhaskar (violin)
Sai Giridhar (mridangam)
Giridhar Udupa (ghatam)
Mithila Sarma & Kiruthika Nadarajah (tanpuras)