"Manik Raagmala" is a rare collection of Manik Varma's live concert recordings and is a treasure to cherish for all music lovers and a guideline of presentation for aspiring music students. The proceedings from its sales will make a way for the "Manik Varma Pratishthan" to contribute towards the musical activities in her memory.
Manik Varma – a legendary vocalist with a rich, powerful yet melodious voice, who is regarded among the top Indian Classical Music veterans and certainly, one of the finest female vocalists of India.
Though a follower of the Kirana Gharana, she evolved her own unique individual style presenting the special features of other traditions and schools with equal competence and ease. Her Khayal singing, comprising of the Aalap, Vistaar, Boltaan, Taan and Laykari exhibited a glamorous and beautiful blend of vocal vividness, speed and elasticity of tone, succeeding remarkably in demonstrating their moods and characters. Her rendering of Thumari revealed accuracy of tone, rhythm as well as her understanding of the lyrical nature of the form. It achieved a felicitous blending of the musical Murkis, Harkats with poetic values and is perfectly loyal to the tenets of Shastra-Sangeet.
She had equal command over rendering light music forms such as Bhavgeets, Bhaktigeets and Natyasangeet coupled with the sweet melody of her voice, accounted for her tremendous popularity and appeal and were characterised by purity of form, coherence of structure, dignified approach to the theme, fluency and clarity of expressions. Her melodious and graceful singing gave expressions to emotions and left the audience spell bound by taking them to devotional heights.