Panthula Rema in Tripunithura Chakkamkulangara temple.

By creating raga pictures of beauty, rendering the compositions with the correct intonation and garnished with a cascade of ‘bhrigas’, Panthula Rema enthralled a massive audience at the Ckakkamkulangara temple at Tripunithura. Although the concert was fast paced throughout, the vocalist from Visakhapattanam complied thoroughly with the age-old traditions which make Carnatic vocal worth listening to.

The disciple of Evattoori Vijayeswara Rao, she, a post-graduate from Andhra University, is capable of playing the Viola as well. After the Ata- thala varnam in Bhairavi by which Pachimiriyam Aadiappayya (maanasaguru to Syama Sasthri with this single creation to his credit entered immortality), Rema set the tempo with Saranu Sidhi Vinayaka in Saurashtram by Purandardasa.

Thathwa meruga in Garudadhwani (roopakam) by Tyagaraja being a philosophical one, the vocalist emphasised each and every word of that small composition. Swaraprasthara done in the Sarvalaghu mode augmented the relationship between the Maathu (diction) and Dhathu or the notation. Yadukulakambhoji had enough repose in it. Divakara thanujam (Navagraha krithi) by Deekshithar was appreciable and the the devotional fervour in Bhogindrasayinam was efficiently brought to the fore. Then she mapped out Hameer Kalyani, packing it up with excitable passages of melodic grace. Tagged to the same was Vankatasaila vihara by Subbaraya Sasthri. Panthuvarali had nuances beyond the ordinary and Siva siva siva Yanaradha a didactic composition (Upadesha Kaaerthana) by Tyagabrahmam reminding one of the mystic significance in uttering the name of the Lord, thrice in succession. This became lustrous when the vocalist appended it with niraval and swara. M.S.N Moorthy, Rema’s husband gave a soothing accompaniment on the violin. V. V. Remana Moorthy on the mridangam brought in the speciality of the Andhra style flavoured with an emphasis on the ‘cholkettu. Adichanallur Anilkumar with the ghatom provided a stable rhythm.

By Courtesy The Hindu –Kochi-25.3.05