Indira’s vocal fiesta

Indira Kameswara Rao was presented the MS Subbulakshmi award in Vijayawada. Indira Kameswara Rao, a senior singer who served as a staff artiste of Visakhapatnam Akashvani for nearly three decades was fittingly selected by G.V.R. Government College of Music and Dance, Vijayawada to receive the M.S. Subbulakshmi award on the occasion of the birth centenary of the legendary singer. The function got at Gokaraju Laila Gangaraju Kala Vedika in the music college was presided over by veteran journalist Turlapati Kutumba Rao and the award presented by M. Krishnakumari, former Station Director of Vijayawada Akashvani. Turlapati, Krishnakumari and K.S. Govindarajan, principal of the music college spoke paying rich tributes to the unforgettably rich voice of the late singer and her charitable disposition.

The award function was followed by a sumptuous vocal concert by Indira Kameswara Rao who was well supported by her daughter Sarala also a singer of repute. The concert started with Neeve nannu palimpavamma a composition of GNB in Ranjani. This was followed by Gajavadanamasraye a composition of Indira’s guru late Sriman N.Ch. Krishnamacharyulu in Kedaram. Indira next sang in quick succession, Kalalanerchina (Deepakam) and an Annamayya kirtana Vande Vasudevam (Sri ragam). Indira Kameswara Rao presented next, a bhava rich Begada delineation preceding the Syamasastri’s composition Kamakshi. After rendering Lavanya Rama in Poornashadjam, Indira took up Vachaspati for the main item and melodious elaborate raga delineation was shared by both mother and daughter preceding the kirtana Paratpara of Thyagaraja. Indira Kameswara Rao was superbly accompanied by Vishnubhatla Krishnaveni on the violin and P. Subbaraya Phalgun on the mridangam. Krishnaveni’s solo versions of Begada and Vachaspati were attractive and Phalgun presented a robust tani at the end of the Vachaspati kirtana. The sumptuous concert came to a close with a Ramadas kirtana and an Annamacharya kirtana.