December 2006: The concert performance by Pujya Sri Swamiji at the Bangalore Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama during the inauguration of its new prayer hall has been reviewed in The Hindu newspaper.
Divine power of music
| Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami’s concert as part of the silver jubilee celebration of the Bangalore Ashram was electric |
The packed audience at the newly opened spacious Sri Karya Siddhi Mantapa at Girinagar were gratified listening to Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami’s “Divya naama sankeerthana” as part of the silver jubilee celebration of the Bangalore Sri Ganapthi Sachchidananda Ashram and the inauguration of the Mantapa. Swamy’s melodious voice and emotional intensity were mesmerizing. The Swamiblessed the devotees during the celebration of Suvarna Karnataka with ten Kannada compositions on Lord Hanuman. He sang all of them to the resonating accompaniment of veteran flautist N. Ramani, M. S. Govindaswamy, Jaitra Varanasi, Vedavathi and Murthy (all violins), V. Praveen and Shankarramesh (mridanga), Pamath Kiran (rhythm), Manjunath (ghata), Mani (vocal and harmonium) and Mahesh Bhat (tabla and vocal). His rendition of his mother Jayalakshmi’s “tora-bandha” composition “Jaya Jaya Rama Jaya Sri Rama” was amazing. He opened a melodic and divine world and the devotees were swayed by the renditions.
The Swamiis revered for his music for meditation and healing throughout the world. On the last day of the silver jubilee celebrations, the Mantapa reverberated with instrumental music with Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamihimself leading a seasoned ensemble of instrumentalists on his Ronald synthesizer fitted with sophisticated amplifiers.
The added attraction was a vibrant and taut-laya-oriented mridanga support among other percussive battery of drums and cymbals extended by renowned mridangist Karaikudi Mani. It was marked by the widening range of instrumentation as well as perceptible changes in performing techniques on his synthesizer and even objectives and functions. The Swami’s renditions were characterized by percussive rhythm of a recurring pattern, with simple melodic and harmonic lines to give it a definite shape and distinct colour.
The creative contributions of the accompanists were warmly applauded. Ragas like Kedara, Hindola (with alapana for Akasha tatva – element of space), Brindavani (Vaayu tatva), Kharaharapriya, Sunada Vinodini, Shankarabharana, Hamsanandi et al, and compositions therein contained those vibrations, which could impact on the nerves of the human body.
The swami held a crystal in his hands and walked through the auditorium countering all those vibrations created in the members of the audience. The 90-minute concert produced a rare bliss and satisfaction.
On the same morning young dancers Anagha and Shwetha demonstrated that Swamiji’s compositions are adaptable to dance by presenting one of his composition on Goddess Rajeshwari in an impressive Bharatanatya medium. Young choreographer Rashmi Sachcidananda’s efforts were praiseworthy.
M. SURYA PRASAD
