Ravikiran to pay a musical tribute for Subbulakshmi on her 100th birth anniversary

Bharatiya Samagana Sabha, a city-based organisation engaged in the promotion of Indian classical music, has collaborated with Chitraveena exponent N Ravikiran to pay a musical tribute to legendary classical vocalist MS Subbulakshmi on her 100th birth anniversary falling on September 16.

Ravikiran has penned a Sanskrit kriti, and the same, sung by his students, sisters Anahita and Apoorva Ravindran, has been released on Youtube. The composition is set in a ragamalika with lyrics in Sanskrit bringing out the raga names.

The cadenzas in the chitte-swaras, according to RR Ravishankar, the Sabha founder, have the same rhythmic pattern in each raga with only melody changing, a rare but interesting musical touch. The ragamalika is composed in six rare ragas -Devamanohari, Hameerkalyani, Lalita, Chintamani, Nasikabhooshani and Vardhini.


N Ravikiran does a photo shoot at his house (Image: BCCL)

The lyrics of the kriti bring out the beautiful persona of MS Subbulakshmi, the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna as well as the Magsaysay award.