B. Ananda Rajyalakshmi, principal of Hyderabad's Thyagaraja Government College of Music and Dance, is an experienced veena player. Her style of playing is methodical and educative often searching for niceties to include in raga and swara phrases.
Her method of playing sometimes was akin to that of her guru Vasa Krishnamurthy, a legendary veena player.His method of playing the instrument has come to be known as ‘Vasa Bani'.
Her hour-long concert assured all, that the vainika is one of the state's top ranking exponents in this realm. Ramagiri Swathi Foundation and Ananda Mahati cultural association together arranged her concert, last week, at Thyagaraya Ganasabha, timing with a function held to felicitate percussion wizard tabla maestro H.B. Chawan.
Ananda Rajyalakshmi's concert took off with Vasanta raga Varnam doing swaras in two speeds. She followed it with popular Vatapi in Hamsadhwani with extensive raga and swara presentation.
Sama ragam she chose for Annapoorne Visalakshi was a fine essay. It was a devotion-filled play. The swarakalpana part too was quite absorbing.
There existed, in her repertoire, a rare number Balasubrahmanya Agrajam Bhaje set in Revati, by famous vocalist M.S. Balasubrahmanya Sarma. She presented ragam extensively and at the end she gave herself good time to elaborate the Tanamn Veena.
Deekshitar's Kamakshi Kamakothi Peetha Vaasini , in Roopaka talam was a sonorous presentation. The nereval at a sahitya line was consummate.
The swarakalpana put her manodharma skills at work. The percussionist pair, Kapa Srinivasa Rao on mridangam and Janardan on ghatam, gave a balanced support.
Their tani avartanam made for a good listening experience.
The latter part of the concert was comprised of a Purandaradasu kirtana Venkatachala Nilayam in Sindhu Bhairavi, a Meera Bhajan Payojimane Ramarasaghana in Pahadi and an Annamacharya kirtana Entamatramuna Evvaru Talachina set to music by Kadainallur Venkatraman using two ragas - Brindavana Saranga for pallavi and Mayamalavagowla for anupallavi. Among the concluding numbers were a Nattuswaram of Madhuramani Iyer set in western style and Nanduri Subba Rao's Kommalo Koyila , popularised by Veena Chittibabu.
