Nithyasree Mahadevan guides Swaralaya crowds through magic of ragas

The 10^th day of the ongoing Swaralaya Samanwayam dance and music festival saw a Carnatic vocal presentation by Nithyasree Mahadevan and party at the Rapadi open-air auditorium here on Tuesday evening.

Ms. Mahadevan guided the audience on a classical musical journey through her masterful rendition of a variety of ragas. She explored different moods and emotions inherent in different ragas and kept the listeners enthralled from start to finish. She was accompanied by M.A. Krishnaswamy, Neyveli Skanda Supramanian and Kovai Suresh. Classical musician Mannoor Rajakumaranunni felicitated the musicians.

Inaugurating the day’s programmes earlier, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby said that music had the power to unite human hearts that cannot be separated by language or land. He described Swaralaya as an example of organisational excellence.

Actor Rajesh Hebbar was the chief guest. District panchayat president T.M. Sasi presided over the function. Swaralaya secretary T.R. Ajayan welcomed the gathering. Executive member P.M. Raveendran proposed a vote of thanks.

This was followed by a musical ensemble titled Arikil Nee Undayirunnel, performed by the Swaralaya Orchestra, weaving together timeless melodies from Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil. The performance showcased the works of 22 lyricists and 19 music directors.

Singers Nishad, Pradeep Somasundaram, Ravishankar, Chitra Arun, Preetha, Mathangi Ajithkumar, Satheesh Krishna, Eeswaran Namboothiri, Sunil Haridas and Gopika Sajit brought several soulful compositions to life, enthralling the audience with their heartfelt renditions.