What a beautiful concert it was !!!!! Sri T.M.Krishna, as usual, gave yet another wonderful performance yesterday at the Bangalore Gayana Samaja.

Vocal: Sri T.M.Krishna (TMK)

Violin: Sri R.K.Sriramkumar

Mridangam: Sri K.V. Prasad

Ghatam: Sri Giridhar Udupa

List of songs:

1) karuNimpa (varnam) – sahAnA – Adi – tiruvOtriyUr tyAgayyar

2) varalakshmIm bhajarE – sOwrAshtram – Adi – muthuswAmi dIkshitar

3) karuNa ElAgaNtE – varALi – Adi – thyAgarAja

4) srI rAmam – nArAyanagOwlA – Adi – muthuswAmi dIkshitar

5) rAvE himagiri (swarajati) – tOdi – Adi – syAmA sAstri

6) himagiri tanayE – sudha danyAsi – Adi – harikEsanallUr muthiAh bhAgavathar

7) karacharanakrutam (viruttam) – rAgamAlikA

pranatArti hara – chenchurutti – kanda triputa – mysore vAsudEvAchAr

8 ) OsOsi – mukhAri – misra chApu – muddu natEsa

9) muttavadurA – sAvEri – Adi – dharmapuri subbarAyar

10) thillAna – chenchurutti – Adi – vInA sEshannA

11) pavamAna (mangalam) – sOwrAshtram – Adi – thyAgarAja
When the concert was about to start, TMK started signalling to the microphone guy to increase the volume of microphones for all the artists on stage. One of the older guys sitting in the front row I think asked TMK to come forward a bit more (near the mic) to which TMK replied: “If I come still closer, I will eat it (refering to the mic)” 🙂

TMK started the concert with a varnam and it was good to see that because of two reasons – 1) I have not seen him start his concerts with varnam for quite some time now (may be I haven’t attended the ones that he started with a varnam in the recent past) & 2) The way he renders the varnams with clarity and azhutham with the swarams/sAhitya starting exactly from where they should is a treat to hear.

The highlight of the concert was the tOdi swarajati of Sri Syama Sastri. The tOdi rAga Alapana was so beautifully done. TMK is so effective with the slow kritis and he once again proved this with his excellent rendition of the swarajati itself. A portion I like a lot in his concerts is the one when he nears the end of either he neraval or the kalpanA swaram and sings neraval portion/swarams continuously and in a full-throated way, if you could call it, with the violinist playing just the ‘sa’ and the mridangist playing simple sarva laghu. His voice just weaves magic during moments like that.

Sri R.K.Sriramkumar, who is no stranger to playing for TMK accompanied really well. Sri K.V. Prasad and Sri Giridhar Udupa also played well. Giridhar Udupa’s performance during the tamiavartanam was really good. Originally, mridangam maestro Sri Palghat Raghu was scheduled to perform, but he couldn’t make it. Though I was waiting to hear Sri Palghat Raghu play for quite sometime now and was rather disappointed initially upon not seeing him, I must say that Sri K.V. Prasad played really well and compensated for Sri Raghu’s absence.

As usual, when the taniavartanam started, a section of the audience promptly got up and started walking outside slowly. TMK and all the artists were silent for some time after which TMK said:”Those who want to leave may please leave quickly. We are waiting for you to leave so that we can start performing …. for others who are sitting here to listen”. I hope it drives the message home to at least a few of those who have made this a regular habit.