P. Unnikrishnan Concert in Toronto April 18

[musicfan13]

Can anyone post a review?

[Abhishek]

April 18, 2010
Bharathi KalA Manram, Toronto

Vocal: Sri P. Unnikrishnan
Violin: Sri Embar S. Kannan
Mridangam: Sri Arjun KumAr
KanjIrA: Sri.Toronto KArthic KailAs

1) ?? (PantuvarALi) [NS?]
2) SivaloganAtha (MAyAmALavagowla - Rupakam)
3) MarivErE Dikkevarayya RAma (Shanmukhapriya - Adi - Patnam Subramanya Iyer) [RNS at anupallavi]
4) Sree RAjagopAla (SAveri - 2Kalai Adi - Dikshitar) [RS]
8 ) RAgam TAnam Pallavi (Gowri ManOhari - Chatushra JAthi Triputa TAlam Khanda Nadai) eduppu: 1 akshara before samam
Pallavi: Ninne Namithi Neeraja Dala NayanA, Hare Krishna
RAgamAlika Swaras: HamsAnandi, KApi, BahudAri, Ranjani
9) Jagatjananni (RatipatipriyA - Adi - Ganam Krishnaiyer)
10) MAnasa SancharE (Sama - Adi - SadAsiva Brahmendra)
11) RArA Chinnana (Jhenjhutti - Adi)
12) Sri Valla? (Natabhairavi - Adi - SwAthi ThirunAl?)
13) ShAnti Nilava VEndum (TiLang - Adi - SEthumAdhava Rao)
14) KAvadi Chindu - VilliNai Otha
15) Chandira (KeeravAni - Adi - ??)
16) PavamAna (Sowrastram - Adi - ThyAgarAjar)

I arrived late to the concert, and Unnikrishnan was just finishing off his PantuvarALi. Apparently he started the concert with this song itself, with neraval and swaram too. ShanmukhapriyA AlApanai was done quite well. Embar Kannan brought out some unique aspects of the rAgam. Neraval and swaram was done at sannutAnga Sree vEnkatESa neevu. Swaram, in particular, was excellent. Unnikrishnan came up with some creative swaram patterns, and Embar Kannan ably repeated them. By this point, he had only sung 4 songs, and we were expecting a couple more songs before the main item, but Unnikrishnan went ahead and started an elaborate AlApanai of sAveri. Both Unnikrishnan and Embar Kannan were able to bring out the beauty of the rAgam with their AlApanais. The beautiful Sree RAjagOpAlA followed, with beautiful swarams done at the pallavi. I don't know if I'm right, but to me, it looked like Unnikrishnan was struggling with the eduppu of the pallavi. At some places, he sang the swaram and picked up the pallavi after one. In other places, he picked up on the samam. I'm not sure whether he did this on purpose.

Right after the main item came the rAgam tAnam pallavi in the very elegant, GowrimanOhari. Unnikrishnan was able to bring out rare phrases of the rAgam with his alApanai. I particularly enjoyed the way he sang in the tAra sthayi. TAnam was good, but it seemed as if it ended abruptly. The mridangam artist just joined the tAnam towards the end and suddenly, it was all done. The pallavi was set to Chatushra Triputa, Khanda Nadai. It started one akshara before the samam. Neraval and swarams were done very well, finishing off with some rAgamAlika swarams. At the end of the rAgamAlika swarams, it seemed as if he wanted to sing swarams Gowrimanohari again and end it with a kOrvai, but he just went straight to the pallavi instead, and ended it that way. There was no trikAlam done individually, but he incorporated it when singing the swarams.

Many requests for tukkada pieces followed after the pallavi. Out of about 15 requests, he sang 7 of them and ended the concert with pavamAna.

Overall, a good concert by Sri Unnikrishnan and team. Kanjira artist Karthic KailAs played quite well, and Arjun KumAr was impressive too. Embar Kannan, as usual, was amazing. However, I could still see shades of western classical music in his playing, although he has reduced it a lot since the last time I heard him in Brahma GAna SabhA.

-Abhishek Iyer.

[sureshvv]

#12 might have been Srivallidevasenapathe, a Papanasam Sivan kriti.

[Abhishek]

#12 might have been Srivallidevasenapathe, a Papanasam Sivan kriti.

Ahaha nope, surprisingly it is another kriti with almost the same name and the same rAgam! I'm even sure if it was Natabhairavi though.

[mahavishnu]

thanks, Abhishek.
#11 is probably rA rA chinnanna - janjooti by annmAchArya.

#12 sounds intriguing.. especially since he sang shanmukhapriya earlier in the concert, singing natabhairavi seems like a strange choice.

I feel bad to have missed this concert. Gowri Manohari RTP must have been a treat.

P.S: BTW, Are you Surenthar's friend who usually sits in the front row (paying serious attention)? If so, keep up the good work. We need more rasikas like you.

[Abhishek]

thanks, Abhishek.
#11 is probably rA rA chinnanna - janjooti by annmAchArya.

#12 sounds intriguing.. especially since he sang shanmukhapriya earlier in the concert, singing natabhairavi seems like a strange choice.

I feel bad to have missed this concert. Gowri Manohari RTP must have been a treat.

P.S: BTW, Are you Surenthar's friend who usually sits in the front row (paying serious attention)? If so, keep up the good work. We need more rasikas like you.

Yeah the Gowri Manohari pallavi was certainly the highlight of the concert.

Ahaha nope I think you are thinking of someone else. I usually sit in the middle, with my parents (I'm 16 years old). I'm always jotting stuff down in my review book. We should definitely meet next time.

[mahavishnu]

Abhishek: you have a very sophisticated taste for someone who is only 16. Keep up the great work!

Look fwd to meeting you at the next event.

[cmlover]

Abhishek
For one so young I admire your vidvat!
Do you perform as well?
GM with atheetha eduppu must have been an interesting treat!
Only our Lakshman can help with the Sri Valli (?) Natabhairavi....

[Abhishek]

Mahavishnnu, Cmlover, thanks for your appreciation!
Cmlover, yes, I sing as well. I'm extremely passionate about Carnatic music. How about you, do you sing?

[arasi]

Good work, Abhishek!
villinai otta puruvam is by Subramanya BArati in the kAvaDic cindu mode.
I wonder if the other song was sri valli nAyakam in jingaLa--not a Sivan song.

[cmlover]

Abhishek
I wish I could! Never learned CM systematically. I am just an arm-chair enthusiast!
CM is indeed a divine gift. Keep it up and foster it! ... and Good Luck...

[arasi]

I have had the honor of CML singing one of my compositions