Shashank Subrahmanyam’s music blended strong Carnatic classicism with a global sensibility

Carnatic flute concerts that combine technical brilliance with depth of expression are relatively rare. Flautist Shashank S achieved this with ease in his concert for Brahma Gana Sabha , supported ably by L. Ramakrishnan on the violin and Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam. Shashank’s music blended strong Carnatic classicism with a global sensibility. He opened the concert with a breezy Mohanam, presenting Tyagaraja’s ‘Evarura’ in Misra Chapu. Patri Satish Kumar’s gumki strokes were measured and resonant, complementing the flute’s tonal glide. The Tisra kuraippu stood out for its clarity, and brief tabla-like phrases lent a fleeting Hindustani flavour. The exploration of the pentatonic scale was engaging, capped by a thoughtfully constructed korvai. This was followed by Tyagaraja’s ‘Atu kaaradani’ in Manoranjani, set to Adi tala. Shashank’s articulation was soulful and the niraval passages were brisk, punctuated by intricate rhythmic patterns. While Patri occasionally steered the rhythmic discourse assertively, the exchanges retained coherence. Shashank structured the concluding uttarangam using a 5-7-9 pattern, lending symmetry to the korvai. A highlight of the concert was Syama Sastri’s ‘Sankari Samkuru’ in Saveri, rendered in Adi tala (tisra gati). The composition’s meditative depth came through effectively, with Ramakrishnan’s violin responses marked by sensitivity and restraint. Patri’s mridangam accompaniment was both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound, reinforcing the raga’s gravitas. To restore momentum, Shashank followed this with Muthaiah Bhagavatar’s ‘Samaiyamidhe’ in Budhamanohari, delivered at a brisk pace. Shashank accompanied by L. Ramakrishnan (violin) and Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam). | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran The main item of the evening was a Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Hemavati. The pallavi line ‘Samaanama sabhapathi sadasiva trilokame unakku sari’ was set to Adi tala. Notably, while the violin and mridangam were tuned to G scale, Shashank alternated between flutes tuned to C and G (the panchama of C). His tanam, played on the smaller G-scale flute, featured evocative glides and well-defined phrasing. Raga excursions into Ranjani and Sahana were handled with finesse, and the khanda nadai kuraippu built steadily towards a satisfying return to Hemavati. Patri Satish Kumar’s tani avartanam was fluent and energetic, with crisp Khanda nadai passages. The concluding korvai was structured seamlessly, resolving naturally into the pallavi. Shashank concluded the concert with a bhajan followed by Swati Tirunal’s ‘Vishveshwara Darisana’ in Sindhu Bhairavi, leaving the audience with a lingering sense of repose. Published - December 26, 2025 02:13 pm IST

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