Sarvepalli Sisters wove a rich tapestry of kritis themed on Devi

The vocal duet by Sarvepalli sisters, Sreya and Rajalakshmi, who performed at The Music Academy’s Radel mid-year concerts, was built almost entirely around compositions on Devi. They were supported by Pantula Vennela on the violin and S. Srivatsa on the mridangam.

The concert opened with ‘Arunodayame anbin vadivame’, a varnam by Lalgudi Jayaraman set in Bowli — a raga known for its serene and meditative quality, makes it a demanding curtain-raiser. The sisters’ coordination held firm through the piece.

‘Vandi suvadadiyali’, a Purandaradasa composition in Nattai, came up next. A few sangatis at the anupallavi showed minor mismatches between the two voices. However, the kalpanaswaras at ‘Gananathana’, were rendered with confidence that compensated for the minor lapses occurred in the anupallavi.