There was a tingling sense of anticipation in the hall just before   Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s concert at Krishna Gana Sabha on Friday 25.12.15 ,commenced. The excitement was clearly palpable and as the curtains rose the applause that greeted the vocalist said it all. And this keen looking forward to the concert is not a new thing for fans of the singer .As a friend and die-hard fan posted on Face book – it is like a wedding in the family. Dressing to the nines, meeting with and travelling together with friends to the venue all add to the excitement.
Sanjay Subrahmanyan never ever disappoints his rasikas .And his concert on that day did much more than exceed expectations. It was a meditative start ( yes meditative ) with songs like Kamakshi Amba , Paramathmudu and an intensely moving Muruga Muzhumathi Pazhikum Arumuga  .This was followed by  Marivera Dikevaraiya Rama .Know the feeling  when one is in a favourite sanctum ( which is for me the Karpaga Vinayagar at Egmore Chennai , Malaikottai Uchi Pilliar in Trichy and  the Lord of the Seven hills’ abode at Tirumala  ) and  you get goosebumps  as you are communing with the Supreme  and the tears are beginning to well up ? .That was the feeling that overcame me at that stage of the concert . Then we saw another facet of the singer with pieces that followed  like  Bhogendra Sayeenam and a Ragam Thanam Pallavi ( Oru Tharam Siva Chidambaram) .
Sanjay Subrahmanyan is an artiste who sees the music in his mind’s eye before and as he sings - which is why his hands and body too sing the music in tandem and   expressively so. He is in my opinion  a  very courageous singer  for  he  lets go of the familiar and  dares to go where  lesser  musicians fear to tread  . It is this approach I believe that has helped him find his unique voice. This  courage with intense practice has  translated into confidence .His virtuosity and years of sadhana  ( asura sadakam ) showed at every stage of the concert  .As he scaled up and down the octaves and his voice glided  along with effortless ease , as he essayed  the contours of a raga negotiating  the  elaborate twists and turns with absolute  sureness   , as he delved deep into the very recesses of the lower sthayi  and coaxed and drew out the notes  ,  as he zeroed in on a note and  held it   in absolute steadiness without the mildest quiver  ( for what seemed like an eternity) eventually becoming  one with the music ,the concert transmuted into a spiritual experience . One could  feel a  paradigm shift in the energies in that hall and   deep peace settling over the listeners  interrupted only by the spontaneous applause from the audience which could not contain itself . He evoked different emotions in the neraivals  as he began with a simple construct which slowly morphed into a cascade of swaras punctuated by surprise elements-  the contrasting sequences thrown in with  good  effect  and then a neat stitching up  at the end leaving the audience well pleased but  thirsting for more .The concert concluded with  Bharathiyar songs  ( Ninnaiye Rathi endru and Theertha Karai inile) and a Thirupugazh (Kaadhi Modhi) . The accompanists S Varadarajan, Violin , Palladam Ravi, Mridangam and Bangalore Rajasekar, Morsing   lent wonderful support   enhancing the experience .I had two regrets that evening .One, I felt like kicking myself for not taking my binoculars   - seated as I was in Row 20 and having to almost squint to see the singer and two- I was unable to catch all the words of the beautiful Thirupugazh .But that said, it was a concert that touched one’s soul.
Sudha Umashanker