The music season of Madras has come to a close. But a govt. sponsored Chennai Sangamam was alround the city recently. It had various cultural programmes. In fact, due to my tight work schedule I couldn’t attend any concert. So it was a pleasant experience for me on the Pongal morning at Nageswara Rao Park,Mylapore.

There was a classical music programme by the young and charming K.Gayatri at 6.30a.m. on that day. She made that pleasant morning a  musically charged one and an elevating experience. I always feel classical music has got a lot to do with “bhava” than mere musical gimmics. That morning Gayatri started with a fine ”Ganapathiye Karunanidhiye….” in Karaharapriya. She followed it with the spiritually inspiring “Sambo Mahadeva…” in Bowli.Then after cruising thru Begada , she went on to present the viruttam “Petra thai tanai…”  in differnent ragas  nicely bringing out the bhakti bhava. Then the evergreen “Kartrinile varum ..” of M.S. in Meera further gave a boost to the already serene atmosphere. Well, when the right ambience was created for forgetting one’s worries of the mundane life, Gayathri further emphasised on it by singing the soulful “Kurai onrum illai..”.

Well, I felt a morning well spent!

The words of the elderly gentleman who spoke at the end of the concert  praising Gayatri still echoed  in my mind when I was returnig home and I also had to endorse  the same : ” Gayatri is a  real GEM picked up by her Guru who is none other than the veteran Smt. Suguna Purushothaman.