When Krishna froze time

[Rsachi]

Long ago I saw a funny movie 'Avanti!' - Jack Lemmon, a busy American tycoon, is mixed up in a hilarious plot and stranded on a lovely Italian island where time stands still. I have myself been stuck up a few times, once in wartime Addis Ababa when the airport was closed for three days, once in a snowed-out Boston, and of course in Nova Scotia on the infamous Sep. 11.

I got the same feeling ('deja vu') today, as Vid. T. M. Krishna froze time at Unnati. It seemed as if he and his team were marooned on a Carnatic island with no care in the world and did whatever they wanted, in no hurry at all. So much so that the large digital RMKV clock hanging above the stage looked indecent and out of place.

In Bangalore, if you want to bring down your heart rate, you have many options. You can do an Art of Living course. Or do Isha Inner Engineering. Or attend Vipassana training. Or take an injection of Beta Blockers at Narayana Hrudayalaya. But my personal preference would be to attend a TMK concert. He surely slows down my heart rate, by his unique languid approach to music and a matching body language.

For those curious as to how I spent four hours at Unnati in a packed auditorium, let me list the songs.
1.Giripai - Shahana. Excellent neraval at pulakāṅkituḍai ānandāśruvula
2. Two lazy raga essays-Dhanyasi, Ritigowla
3. Maa Jaanaki - Kambhoji, with some lovely swaras and a short tani.
4. Brovavamma - Manji - one of today's highlights.
5. Sri Ramam - Narayana Gowla raga essay by RK Shreeram Kumar, excellent song delivery by Krishna.
6. Todi tanam.
7. Mishra Ata Tala (7+7+2+2 beats) Tani by Arun Prakash and Purushottam.
Speeches
8. Krishna Nee Begane - Yamuna Kalyani, with swaras!
9. Tunga Teera Virajam - Salaga Bhairavi with swaras!
10. Viruttam - Tandai tayum nee (Mohana, Saveri, Kannada)
11. Srimatrubhutam - Kannada
12. Bhaja Govindam

I have said it before: Arun Prakash is a great asset to Krishna. He knows when to perk up the music. And RK Shreeram Kumar is almost an equal partner in the proceedings. Today he was totally brilliant, and even helped Krishna tune the recalcitrant tambura.

I could have called this "Krishna remembers Rama", given the weight given to Rama compositions today. Krishna also sang them with great feeling.

The audience lapped up the last few songs as 'Paisa Vasool' (
bless Unnati, their concerts are free!)

But when Krishna pleaded with Mother in Manji to hurry up and save him, he sounded unconvincing. Same with Krishna Nee Begane. They both could see he was not a man in any hurry.

Another happy Krishna experience for me.

[cmlover]

Brilliant!

[arasi]

Sachi,
For a change, you were stranded in 'Paradise Island'?!!

This concert, a day after Abhishek's concert would have been a study in contrast?

[Rsachi]

Very much, Arasi, like Glen McGrath and Shane Warne.

[rajeshnat]

sachi
you said it is 4 hour concert, but just looking at song list it looks more like 3 hour. U have also said speech , so how long was the speech? Tx for your review

[yensundar]

Brilliant review Sachi-sir! Thanks.

Regret giving it a miss.

[badari]

Brilliant concert. Missed it

[srikanthj]

RSachi - Great review of a brilliant concert. And a very apt title for the thread.

I was in one version of time-freeze stuck in Bangalore traffic on the way to the concert! But TMK's awesome concert was quite the antithesis that one didn't want to end. And the therapeutic effects that RSachi alludes to are corroborated by scientific research

[Rsachi]

Four hours - I was there at Unnati. I can venture a break-up (but remember y'day time was on the back burner)
Arrived & seated by 17:46
Concert began ~18:05
Hall reached full capacity 19:30
Krishna asked Ramesh Swami if time was a constraint & got a NO 20:21
Speeches 21:15-21:25
Concert ended 21:47

[rajeshnat]

Rsachi,
Thank you it is close to 3 hour 30 minutes concert. When you say 4 hours concerts within me, the concerts held at sarvani sangeetha sabha are the ones that remind me .This is not one of those Biggie mega types, but certainly a mega one.

Special kudos and thanks to unnati sabha organizers :ymapplause: for making artists go till 20:47 and also starting at 18:05 pm, in today's scenario it is quite rare to have this kind of start and stop combo- surely more artists need that kind of space in the future.

On a jovial note, Incidentally even when you had to wait 20 full minutes and also with speeches it was also therapeutic to you.
Break out of your timelessness with my virtual ~o)

[Rsachi]

Thanks Rajesh! I was actually sipping my second cup as I read your post.
Unnati is something special in many ways. Great ambience, great people.

[ganeshkant]

Rsachi,Only a few can express their feelings that is infectious.When we were young a cousin of mine used to narrate the story of the films he saw with music (now title..tattata tattata tiing....)and we used to sit in awe listening to him our mouths open.I have heard a few of TMK's concerts like U rightly said where he froze the time.Glad about the reception for such concerts.Really we are moving forward.Good. :-*

[Rsachi]

Yes, Ganesh, true joy comes as much from experiencing as from sharing. And rasikas.org is a great forum indeed to share!!!

[squims]

Great post! My cousin attended the concert and said he loved it too. I planned to attend, but was unfortunately stuck at work. Looks like I missed something really special.

[rshankar]

Yes, Ganesh, true joy comes as much from experiencing as from sharing!!!

And bless everyone of you who does so.....the saying in tamizh is 'yAm peTRa inbam ivvayagam peruga' (let the world experience the joy I have felt)...

[PUNARVASU]

I am still marvelling at the title! It sums up everything. And I derive so much pleasure just by reading that. I can visualise what transpired on the stage and how Krishna froze time! Beautiful.

[gardabha_gana]

Looks like a great list... Wish Unnati were nearer. I would have set aside my usual gripes about the concert format and listened to the medley. Rarely have I heard Narayana Gowla.

[pvs]

TMK rarely disappoints! I wonder if this was the current Sahana most of us are used to or Krishna's SSP Sahana. I have heard about it, but never heard it. Very interested.

[Rsachi]

No alapana but only some Shahana opening phrases. The song was done very well.

[KSJaishankar]

TMK rarely disappoints! I wonder if this was the current Sahana most of us are used to or Krishna's SSP Sahana. I have heard about it, but never heard it. Very interested.

He follows the SSP version of ragas only for Dikshitar kritis.. Have heard these versions of Bhairavi and AnandaBhairavi, but not Sahana.

[mahavishnu]

Have heard these versions of Bhairavi and AnandaBhairavi, but not Sahana.

Abheri also; and then he follows with viNAbheri.
As KS Jaishankar says it would make little sense to sing any other version preceding giripai (especially varying G2/G3 would not be appropriate in this context).

[keerthi]

He follows the SSP version of ragas only for Dikshitar kritis.. Have heard these versions of Bhairavi and AnandaBhairavi, but not Sahana.

Forgive me for a bit of hair-splitting.. I would say 'His interpretation of the SSP account of ragas'. instead of 'the SSP version of ragas'.

He sang IshAnadi shivAkAra-mancE in the SSP-inspired Shahana at the Gayana Samaja concert in May 2009, in a diksitar festival concert hosted by Ananya, which had BalagopAla as the main piece, again sung in a rather literal interpretation of the pradarshini's version of Bhairavi, though the AlApana was a struggle between naTabhairavi and the kRti's bhairavi.

[nri]

TMK and salakabhairavi are a mesmerizing combo! His padavini rings in me anytime I think of the raga. Who is the composer of Tunga teera?
And any recording or u-tube clips available of this concert?
Thanks Rsachi for the review ... sarvam KrishNArpaNam!

[Rsachi]

Kamalesha Vittala Dasa composed the song Tunga Teera Virajam in prayer to Guru Raghavendra.
I have heard many inspiring renditions - MSS in Ramaseva Mandali 1982. Many times by Maharajapuram Santhanam.