The 3-CD pack is attractively packaged with a backdrop of ancient dance sculptures in steel grey, with an inlay of Guru Rajee’s photograph on the front cover. The back cover has a photograph of Anita Ratnam and gives details in brief about the guru, about Anita, the Arangham Trust and a list of songs, inclusive of raga, tala and the duration of each song. The inside cover gives the credits and brief description of the song.
The first CD (57.96 minutes) consists of an invocatory number on Ganesha in Ragamalika. The Varnam, Charanadainde, is preceded by an Ardhanareeswara sloka and projects bhakti bhava, as does the next song, Dari jupi (Sriranjini) in Telugu. The last song is a Nayaka padam, in Nattakurinji. All the songs in this CD are rendered soulfully by O. S. Arun.
CD 2 (56.46 minutes), consists of a beautiful Ragamalika padam, Velane, on Lord Kartikeya, preceded by a Ragamalika Viruttam, a Tillana in Navarasakanada, a Misra Chapu Padam in Simhendra- madhyamam and Kambodi ragas, a Javali in Kurinji. Aja aja, a Hindi padam in the Hindustani raga Kalavati, in Jampa tala has lilting music and expresses the vatsalya bhava of Yashoda.
CD 3 (54.49 minutes), with songs rendered by Guru Rajee, comprises a Varnam in Sankarabharanam raga and Chatusra Mattiya tala, with complicated jatis and elaborate swara passages. Vazhi marandiro, a Javali in raga Mohanam and Rupaka tala, depicts a Khandita Nayika. The pancha jatis of the Ragamalika Tillana are set in different ragas and in the respective gatis. It concludes with a Mangalam in Madhyamavati.
The lyrics are simple. Yet, they abound with scope for sanchari bhava, particularly in the Varnams. The music, also composed by Guru Rajee is excellent. These CDs and cassettes will most certainly enrich the repertoire of a Bharatanatyam dancer.
