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New Indian Express, Bangalore : 26-January-2015
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Charming music
Sri Gurusarvabhowma Music Academy led by an enthusiastic vocalist B. R. Srinidhi celebrated its tenth anniversary with a daylong music festival on Sunday at Sri Jayaramaseva Mandali, Jayanagar. It is good that a veteran musician was presented with the Academy’s annual award of Guru Kala Bhushana. This year’s award was presented to senior vocalist H. Ramachandrarao who is well known for his Dikshitar repertoire. The award carried a purse of Rs. 5000.
After the receiving the award, the octogenarian singer Ramachandrarao took us into the world of classical music. Keeping the voice and shruthi intact, he sang with great zeal. Rao started with Thyagaraja’s Marugelara in Jayanthasri raga. The sangathees and swaras he sang had the rare charm of traditional music. Unperturbed by his age and weakness, he drew a rich and resonant picture of Harikambhoji raga. He packed the alapana with all the key phrases and sang the krithi Dinamanivamsha with gusto.
There was no stopping his swaravinyasa. The teermana vouched for his rhythmic hold. Purandaradasa’s Mandmatiyu naanu in Hamsanada was heart touching. Young Satwik (violin) and Nagendraprasad (mridanga) gave useful support to the elderly vocalist.
Dr M SURYA PRASAD,
drmsuryaprasad@gmail.
com

Maestro Impresses
H. Ramachandra Rao’s vocal recital at Vani Vidya Kendra, Rajajinagar on Sunday organised by the Thyagaraja Gana Sabha, was impressive. With good voice, his presentation of ragas with perfect shruthi and laya were quite attractive. Display of Latangi and Todi (ragam, tanam and pallavi) was significant. The balanced pallavi in ‘trishra triputa’ and kalpanaswarams in ragamalika were worth mentioning. The presentation of devaranamas with clear lyrics were the highlights of the concert. A. Veerabhadraiah on violin and A. V. Anand on mridangam gave able support.
(INDIAN EXPRESS, Sunday October 25, 1981)

Rao Delights the Audience
......Sonority and tightness of rhythm were the key features of the vocal concert of H. Ramachandra Rao at the Ayyanar College of Music on Friday. Rao delighted the small but elite gathering with his imaginative raga versions and orderliness in krithi rendering. Among the highlights was an impressive Sriranjani, characterised by its traditional form, followed by ‘Bhuvinidasudane’, sung in a delectable mode. Another highlight was the detailed airing of Kalyani and krithi ‘Amma Raavamma’ which was aesthetically satisfying. S. Chandrasekhar (Violin) gave neat versions of the ragas. Bangalore K Venkataram (Mridangam) played with understanding and his ‘Thani’ was crisp.
(DECCAN HERALD, July 17th 1979)

Over the Radio
BEST CONCERT: The vocal concert by H. Ramachandra Rao on November 24th could be easily named as the “Best Concert of the Week”. The artiste made full use of his vibrant voice while negotiating the three items, viz. Dikshitar’s Mahaganapathim in Nata, Patnam Subramania Iyer’s Paridana in Bilahari and Thyagaraja’s Sanatana Paramapavana in Phalamanjari. The raga prelude to Bilahari was replete with Bhava. The rhythmic patterns were aesthetically and technically perfect and sound. Rao sang the Phalamanjari kriti with feeling.
(INDIAN EXPRESS, late 1970s)


Well Equipped
Sri Nada Brahma Sangeetha Sabha, Palace Guttahalli, Bangalore presented H. Ramachandra Rao in vocal concert on October 19. The initial exposition of the Kalyani Varnam in two speeds gave impetus to the concert. Pantuvarali delineated in detail touched the peak point of the recital. The krithi ‘Ninnu Neera Nammi’ that followed was rendered with feeling and fervour. The alapana of Bhairavi was striking. Fine phrasing marked the neraval and swaras for ‘Koluvayunade’....... S. Chandrasekhar on the violin played with aplob. It was a field day for A. V. Anand on the mridangam, who seized every opportunity to impart liveliness to the concert.
(THE HINDU, October 22, 1976)

Kannada Prabha (Clipping)


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