Unnikrishnan @Nadasurabhi, Bangalore on 10/11/2011

[squims]

Vocal: Sri P Unnikrishnan
Violin: Sri H N Bhaskar
Mridangam: Sri H S Sudheendra
Ghatam: Sri Giridhar Udupa

1. Sarasaijanabha (Varnam) - Natta - Adi - Phalgat Sri Parameshwara Bhagavatar
2. Siva siva siva ena [N S] - Pantuvarali - Adi - Tyagaraja
Neraval & Swarams @Agamamula
3. Ramachandram Bhavayami [R S] - Vasantha - Rupakam - Muthuswamy Dikshitar
4. Marivere dikkevarayya [R N] - Shanmukhapriya - Adi - Patnam Subramanya Iyer
Neraval @sannuthAnga SrI venkatESa nIvu
5. Karpaga manohara [R S] - Malayamarutham - Khanda Chapu - Papanasam Sivan
6. Kaligiyunte [R N S T] - Kiravani - Adi (2 kalai) - Tyagaraja
Neraval & Swarams @bAguga SrI raghu, rAmuni padamula
7. Muruganin maru peyar - Behag - Khanda Chapu - Guru Surajananda
8. Madhava mamava - Nilambari - Adi - Narayana Theertha
9. Veshveshwara - Sindhu Bhairavi - Rupakam - Maharaja Swati Tirunal
10. Sai Charana - Madhuvanthi - Adi
11. Mangalam - Sourashtram - Adi - Tyagaraja

I'm going to say first off that I have accepted Sri Mumble-krishnan's apparent inability to enunciate, and hence, shall talk only about the musical content of the concert.
The varnam gave the concert an all powerful sleep-inducing start. He sang this piece as though someone woke him up in the middle of the night and asked him to sing the first thing that came to his mind. I was already put off, but thankfully, the artiste warmed up very soon.
One of my favourite kritis in Pantuvarali followed. Neraval and swarams were most welcome.
The Vasantha aalaapanai was sung with a lot of bhaavam that the raagam demands. The swarams at the pallavi were enjoyable, but I cannot recollect anything that really stood out.
The Shanmukhapriya aalaapanai...woah! It is for moments like these that I am prepared to forgive the singer for his flaws. I've always admired the structure of Unni's raaga elaborations. He knows how to sing around the notes and build up to a crescendo that is rejuvenating. In this instance, his rather elaborate exploration around the upper shadjam was beautiful. And that tease before he touched the taara sthaayi panchamam was something to be experienced! A favourite kriti of mine was taken up again. Detailed neraval in both speeds was very well sung.
Malayamarutham aalaapanai was pleasant. Brisk swarams were sung at the pallavi of the kriti taken up.
Kiravani was chosen for the main piece. I found the raaga selection a bit odd, and must confess that I was a bit bored in places during the raaga aalaapanai and kriti. But again, the taara sthaayi elaboration was done wonderfully. Detailed neraval was followed by a very elaborate set of creatively sung swarams (only in the second speed). The way he wove the swarams around similar phrases, yet making them unique was interesting to hear.
A fairly decent set of tukkudas concluded the concert.

About the accompanists:

H N Bhaskar's aalaapanais were very good, but weren't able to match up to Unni in some cases. The neraval and swaram responses were absolutely brilliant though. At any rate, he is always a pleasure to listen to.

H S Sudheendra has grown to be a favourite of mine. When he's having fun on the stage, it just transfers to the audience so well. He adds to the value of the concert significantly. He played with great anticipation, both subtle and forceful in all the right places.

Giridhar Udupa is an artiste who's never disappointed so far. He had great understanding with the main percussionist and played very aptly.

I absolutely loved the thani! The thani started with a round in tishram, and had ample nadai bedham throughout. Some lovely khandam sections too. Even the mohra was creatively done, with phrases in tishram, khandam, mishram and chatushram woven together.

Overall, it was a solid concert (an excellent concert if the 'mumbling' is ignored altogether).

[srikant1987]

Kiravani was chosen for the main piece. I found the raaga selection a bit odd, and must confess that I was a bit bored in places during the raaga aalaapanai and kriti.

Good, good, Squims!

[rajeshnat]

1. Sarasaijanabha (Varnam) - Natta - Adi - Phalgat Sri Parameshwara Bhagavatar
....
8. Madhava mamava - Nilambari - Adi - Narayana Theertha

The varnam gave the concert an all powerful sleep-inducing start. He sang this piece as though someone woke him up in the middle of the night and asked him to sing the first thing that came to his mind. I was already put off, but thankfully, the artiste warmed up very soon.

Squims
When nAttai is a sleep inducing start , how about neelAmbari ? Tx for your review squims.

[kssr]

What I can say is that Unni is progressively improving from year to year. The swaraprastharam of Keeravani was really top class (in spite of the raga not being one of my favourites.) Reg. M'krisha comment, I can say that the problem was most apparent in the Tamil piece "Muruganin Maru peyar Azhagu" . The lyrics was beautiful, set to an equally beautiful raga. But we cannot but regret how much more Azhagu could have been brought to the rendition if only the simple words had been pronounced properly- if only !!

It was really a much much better concert than what I had expected, esp. on the technical side. Thanks squims for a good review.

[squims]

Kiravani was chosen for the main piece. I found the raaga selection a bit odd, and must confess that I was a bit bored in places during the raaga aalaapanai and kriti.
Good, good, Squims!

Hahaha I knew you'd jump at this!

Squims
When nAttai is a sleep inducing start , how about neelAmbari ?

I have nothing against the raagam nattai. It was the way Unni sung it. Something was just hopelessly off about it.
And I adore Nilambari!

[arasi]

When I was growing up, mAdhava mAmava reigned--MS had made it a very popular number, of course. To put it in Harimau's words, the 'mAmis in all our streets'--not the composer kind alone --wanted to learn that song. In recent years, I had not heard nIlAmbari much at all, and last season I heard it several times, and I see many a nIlAmbari song in lists now. Talk about a rAgam getting popular all over again, just like that!

Squims, I adore the rAgam too.

[squims]

Arasi ma'am I've totally seen this thing where certain raagams seem to be the flavour of the season suddenly!
Towards the end of last year, and the beginning of this one, there was a lot of Andolika going around. Out of the blue. Rarely heard till then or afterwards!
Madhyamavathi had a similar phase a few months before that. Now we have Nilambari. It's really weird when we think about it!

[arasi]

It's possible that artistes get inspired when they hear (or hear of) another one sing a particular rAgam or a particular song which catches the attention of rasikAs. Just a guess!