Mellifluous notes of classical music filled Sunday evening as the auditorium at India International Centre witnessed an unforgettable rendition at the Global Carnatic Confluence. Renowned Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam took to stage and regaled the Capital.
Rasikas eager to attend the concert queued up outside, and within minutes of the doors opening, every seat in the auditorium was taken. On stage, Sairam and the musicians accompanying her performed for a distinguished gathering that comprised eminent musicians, dancers, scholars and music connoisseurs from across the country. This included Attorney General of India R Venkataramani, chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi Sandhya Purecha, and resident commissioner of Tamil Nadu House IAS officer Ashish Kumar.
From the very first note, Aruna Sairam held the audience in complete thrall as she opened the recital with a Sanskrit shloka. Soon she recited Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Anandamritakarshini in raga Amritavarshini, which paid a fitting tribute during the composer’s 250th birth anniversary celebrations. Her improvisations drew applause from the audience as she took to sing Dikshitar’s majestic Rangapura Vihara, beautifully introduced by an Alvar pasuram in praise of Lord Ranganatha. What followed was a sparkling exposition of raga Kadanakutuhalam — born from Indian composers’ encounters with Western musical traditions in colonial Madras — which brought freshness and exuberance to the first half of the recital.
The second half revealed yet another dimension of Sairam’s artistry as the audience witnessed her remarkable ability to dissolve barriers of language and region. This was witnessed when Sant Namdev’s abhang Bhakta Jana Vatsale transformed the auditorium into a collective celebration as the audience spontaneously joined in chanting Vitthala, Vitthala. A Narayaniyam shloka flowed effortlessly into the Malayalam favourite Oru Neram Engilum, which in turn merged into Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s Telugu classic O Rama Nee Namam Emi Ruchi, thus creating a seamless musical bridge across India’s linguistic traditions.
{{/usCountry}}The second half revealed yet another dimension of Sairam’s artistry as the audience witnessed her remarkable ability to dissolve barriers of language and region. This was witnessed when Sant Namdev’s abhang Bhakta Jana Vatsale transformed the auditorium into a collective celebration as the audience spontaneously joined in chanting Vitthala, Vitthala. A Narayaniyam shloka flowed effortlessly into the Malayalam favourite Oru Neram Engilum, which in turn merged into Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s Telugu classic O Rama Nee Namam Emi Ruchi, thus creating a seamless musical bridge across India’s linguistic traditions.
{{/usCountry}}One of the evening’s defining moments came with Kabir’s Suno Suno Sadho Ji, Raja Ram Kaho Ji. As the audience responded in chorus, it turned the performance into a moving act of shared devotion. Throughout the event, violinist Sridhar and veena artiste Shrilata supported the vocalist by enriching every musical moment.
As the recital became an intimate dialogue between the artiste and the audience, Sairam responded to repeated requests and sang her beloved Tamil folk classic Maadu Meikkum Kanne while alternating Tamil verses with her own Hindi translations, for the Delhi audience to savour the playful conversation between Yashoda and young Krishna.
The finale added a patriotic touch as Sairam surprised the audience with a rendition of Vande Mataram, marking the 150th anniversary of the national song. Presented with classical elegance while retaining its familiar spirit, the performance invited the audience to join in every refrain. As voices across the packed auditorium rose together in Vande Mataram, the evening culminated in a prolonged standing ovation. Truly, this was not just another concert but a celebration of India’s shared musical and cultural heritage.
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