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Ms. S. Sheela with Ram Sriram (Mridangum)
and Gokul Kumar (Violin) |
Carnatic Vocalist M.S. Sheela mesmerizes
Atlanta
Story & Photos By: Girish Modi
Famous Carnatic vocalist M. S. Sheela is currently on a concert
tour in the USA. After having performed in various cities,
sheela visited Atlanta on April 18, 2010 and performed before a
diehard lovers of carnatic music at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta
located in Riverdale. The concert was organized by Carnatic
Music Association of Atlanta (CAMAGA).
For those of you who do not know M. S. Sheela, here is her short
biography. She lives in Bangalore and known for her
versatility
in carnatic vocal singing. She had her training initially from
her mother, Smt. M.N. Rathna -who herself was a concert artiste.
She undertook rigorous and advanced training from Sangita
Kalanidhi and R.K.Srikantan in Bangalore.
Sheela has passed her Master's degree in music with distinction
and she was awarded a gold medal. She has received many coveted
awards and titles from several prestigious sabhas. She is a top
artiste of the A.I.R and Dooradarshan. Sheela was adjudged the
best senior female vocalist by the Music Academy in 1997.
Sheela’s pleasant and pliable voice, good control on laya and a
nice stage presence makes her a popular artiste. Her enunciation
of the lyrics-whatever may be the language of a kriti is set, is
impeccable. Any listener can pick up the words of the kritis
with ease.
In her concert Sheela included a wide repertoire of
compositions. She sang a ragam-tanam-pallavi with uncommon tala
sequence, plus a few kritis (set in two kalai talam) from the
musical trinity and later composers finally treading on the
compositions of the modern composers like Haridasas, Vyasa Raya,
Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vijaya Vittala Dasa and others.
Often, she sang a kriti or two in rare ragas like Budhamanohari,
Simhavahini etc. Her range is superlative! Every one of her
alapana and kriti was marked by highest professionalism.
Overall, Sheela had the clarity and diction of D.K.Pattammal,
melody and bhava of M.S.Subbulakshmi and technicality and swara
prastharas of M.L.Vasnathakumari. Atlanta’s carnatic music
lovers will remember M. S. Sheela’s concert for a long time.
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