IIT Madras’ Fitting Tribute to MS Subbulakshmi.

The Music Club of IIT Madras flagged off the centenary year celebrations of MS Subbulakshmi (MS) in the city, with the concert of noted violinist Nadayogi VV Subrahmanyam (VVS).

As the chief guest Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former diplomat and Governor, said that VVS had accompanied Subbulakshmi regularly for years in her heyday (including at the famous United Nations concert in 1966).

VVS began with Tyagaraja’s ‘Nadha Thanumanisham’ in Chittharanjani which, grammatically, is Kharaharapriya without the upper shadjam. After a sketch of Gamakakriya, he played ‘Meenakshi Memudham Dehi’ (Muthuswamy Dikshitar) starting from the charanam, with swaras in the anupallavi at Meenalochani.

The concluding item, Tulsidas’ ‘Sri Ramachandra Kripalu’ was set to tune by VVS in Desh, Sindhu Bhairavi and Durga. Beautifully played, it left every rasika wishing for more.