T.M.Krishna @ Asthika Samajam, Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai

Venue: Amarabarati, 12, West Tank St., Near Marudeeswarar Temple, Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai

Date: 07 Feb 2007

Organizer: Asthika Samajam, Tiruvanmiyur

Vocal: Sri T.M. Krishna (TMK)

Violin: Sri T.K.V. Ramanujacharyulu

Mrudangam: Sri Karaikudi R. Mani

Ghatam: Sri V. Suresh

List of songs:

1) sarasUDa (varnam) – sAvEri – Adi – kothavAsal venkaTrAma iyer

2) rAmA nI pai – kEdAram – Adi – thyAgarAja (OS)

3) ninnE nera – pantuvarALi – rUpakam – thyAgarAja (ANS)

4) chEtasrI – dwijAvanti – rUpakam – muthuswAmi dIkshitar

5) upachAramulanu – bhairavi – Adi – thyAgarAja (ANST)

6) varuvArO – sAmA – Adi – gOpAlakrishna bhArati

7) tOm tOm tadara (tillAnA) – pUrnachandrikA – Adi – rAmanAtapuram srInivAsa iyengAr

8 ) kAdi mOdi (tiruppugazh) – shankarAbharaNam – ** (see below) – aruNagirinAthar

9) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) – sowrAshTram – Adi – thyAgarAja

** each avartanam of talam for song 9 was put as two tisra chApus followed by a kanDa chApu followed by a kanDa ekam

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

I think these days one can just go by the following saying: “Its a T.M. Krishna concert. It has to be good”. I think one of the best aspects of TMK concerts is the kind of top class accompanying artists he gets to perform along with him which makes the concert experience complete from all angles. One gets the best of vocal, violin, mrudangam and at least one upa-pakkavadyam in almost all of his concerts. Today’s team of artists on stage just validated this once more.

Everything in today’s concert was good. The pantuvarALi alapana was beautifully sung. The bhairavi alapana was also good. I could just go on and on. Sri Ramanujacharyulu on the violin responded very well and also accompanied well.

Sri Karaikudi Mani is one of the few mrudangam artists who seems to have a sizeable fan following wherever he plays. The combination of Sri Mani and Sri Suresh is a celebrated one in rasika circles and its always a delight to hear both of them play together in a concert. Sri Karaikudi Mani started the relatively short taniavartanam with the misra naDai with a very short prelude in the chatusra naDai. He played many different interesting patterns with a count of 7 per beat of the tALam in the misra naDai. He played a 112 count (16 beats) kOrvai to end the naDai. After Sri Suresh finished his turn with the misra naDai, they both played a very good kuraippu in tisra naDai with some very interesting patterns. They returned back to the chatusra naDai and then played the usual Adi tALa mOrA with a small common variation and ended the taniAvartanam with a good 2 avartanam kOrvai in tisra naDai to some thunderous applause from the audience.