There’s something about Dubai that draws artistes from around the world. And there’s still something more that draws them back over and over again. Perhaps it can be put down to a receptive audience.
Bombay Jayashri, who performed here last year, was back for her recital before a select audience at Al Nojoom Ballroom, Shangri La, on Friday.
The Carnatic classical vocalist, who was nominated for the 2012 Oscars in the Best Original Song category for the lullaby that she composed and performed in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, has several hits to her credit in Bollywood and other Indian-language films, and has worked with renowned music directors Ilayaraja and AR Rahman. Her most recent song is Mamta se bhari tujhe chaahon mili, Bahubali, for music director M.M. Keeravani.
Having been trained by several gurus and mentored and guided by violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman, Jayashri presented her first concert in 1982. Since then, her melodious voice has been enjoyed all over India and at several venues in the United States, Europe, South Africa and in the East.
Jayashri, who sports penny-farthing-style crimson twin bindis that beautifully form a part of her name in publicity material and the banner on the stage, has magic in her voice that puts her listeners in a trance, a state which, it seems, she experiences too.
Tyagaraja’s compositions Jagadanandakaraka Jaya Janaki Prananayaka and Samaja Varagamana; Annamacharya’s Bhavayami Gopalabalam; G.N. Balakrishnan’s Ranjani Niranjani; and Arunachala Kaviyar’s Kanden Sitayi Kanden Raghava Naan were among her repertoire for the evening.
If we have grown up listening to MS Subbulakshmi rendering Bhavayami Gopalabalam in her sweet voice, Jayashri recites it with equal aplomb, and the audience appreciated her with a standing ovation more than once during the evening.
B.U. Ganesh Prasad on violin, Manoj Siva on mridangam (a percussion instrument), Kartik on ghatam (clay pot) and Kalasri on tambura (stringed instrument) accompanied Jayashri on her musical odyssey. Their instrumental jugalbandis (duets) offered melodious interludes.
