Music lovers of Coimbatore had a veritable treat of outstanding ‘world music’ last night at KCT Auditorium where AR Rehman Foundation’s marquee project The Sunshine Orchestra Strings and Mandolin artist Aravind Bhargav and his team wove a melodious magic for nearly 3 hours.

Combining the best from western classical and carnatic music styles, the concert was a vastly satisfying experience for all those who had turned out to fill the auditorium to the brim.

A presentation of Shivanjali Temple of Fine Arts, the magic of Jaalam was enhanced by tasteful stage-setting, imaginative lighting and a high quality, flawless audio arrangement.

The Sunshine Orchestra Strings conducted by veteran violinist Srinivasa Murthy set the tone for the evening with a soulful symphony style rendering of Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, made immortal by MS Subbalakshmi in the film Meera, decades ago.

It was followed by the evergreen Krishna Nee Begane Baaro and the most popular Mozart piece Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Bharti’s Chinnum Chiri Kiliye and C Rajagopalachari’s signature Kurai Onrum Illai. Under Srinivasa Murthy’s baton, all these were presented with their soul intact, albeit in a melodious symphony that kept the audience enthralled.

The second segment of the concert began with Aravind Bhargav belting out 50 carnatic ragas in 20 minutes on his mandolin as a tribute to his guru late Mandolin U Srinivas on his 50th birth anniversary. While his masterful dexterity was a delight for the cognoscenti, it seemed a bit stretched to the uninitiated in the audience.

In the third fusion segment the audience was treated to wonderful ‘world music’ as the symphony of strings provided a wonderful foil to the carnatic rendition of traditional numbers like Evarani and Bharati’s Idhu Dano Thillai Sthalam in Behag leading to the pulsating Bolava Vithal.

All in all, it was a musical treat to cherish for a long time.