Sowmya at Rasikapriya.

Carnatic vocalist S. Sowmya is no stranger to Kochiites, at least to the older generation, as she had spent her childhood in Eloor. Her father Srinivasan, was then working in FACT. As a tiny tot she attended concerts in and around Cochin which must have helped in developing the innate flair in her for classical music. Her precocity in identifying Thodi earned her the sobriquet, Thodi Sowmya. Ahter migrating to Chennai she was destined to become the disciple of Dr.S. Ramanathan. A post-graduate in Chemistry and Music she was also trained by T. Muktha. Sowmya’s distinct ability in navigating herself with weighty ragas and krithis came up astoundingly during her vocal recital held under the combined auspices of Rasikapriya and Srikrishna Sweets House in Kochi.

Before a capacity crowd assembled at the Ramavarma Club Centenary Hall, she flagged off the concert with Chalamela, a Padavarnam by Moolaiveedu Rangaswamy Nattuvanar, in Nattakurinji, keeping its everlasting freshness in tact. Thulasi dalamulache, one of the famous Tyagaraja krithis (Mayamalavagaula) hailing the sanctity of Thulasi leaf, set to roopakam, had a short but sweet swara singing . Arabhi came on with its Ghana aspect assuming prominence in it. Paahiparvatha, the simplest of the Navarathri compositions by Swathi attained an unsurpassed beauty as it was embellished with a Semmangudi touch. Kumudakriya belonging to the Kamavardhini family had a pithy description, with Ardhanareeswaram by Deekshithar in roopakam.. Sarasa saamadaana in Kaappinarayani by Tyagaraja was rendered with due focus on its special Sancharas. Sowmya reminded her guru Sarvalaghu Ramanathan when she unfurled Bhairavi stage by stage and revelled in revealing the occult grace of the Swarajathi, ‘Kamakshi’, by Syama Sasthri. This was so elaborately done that the audience had nothing to complain about when the vocalist hurried through the ‘Thukkadas’ in the last lap of the concert, featuring Bhaja bhaja and the kavadichinthu. Kovai Balasubrahmanian gave faithful support on the violin. Coimbatore Prakash was very co- operative with the mridangam.

By Courtesy/ Metro plus – The Hindu (Kochi)-Sept.2 ,2004.