TMK at KGS

[CommonMan]

TM Krishna
RKS (PLAYED the violin)
Arun Prakash (MOSTLY SAT WITH the mridangam and ocassionally played)
Anirudh (Ganjira)

Warning: This thread is more about TMK's personality on stage and less about his music.

I can remember the concert in a positive way for only one thing: Yamuna Kalyani of RKS. TMKs concert style is now beyond discussion - but how he sings still is. I have been a great admirer of TMK - definitely for how he sings even after he started experimenting new things. But over the last one or 2 years I see that he has been steadily losing his comfort in execution. The books around him, the 3 tambura's, yet unable to maintain sruthi, the way he used to (I am shocked I am writing this about TMK - but thats the truth).

Started off with chakkani raja: lost the thripudai's at least 2 times. In "kantiki" he started to sing what I call the neraval equivalent in hindustani and not neraval, because in neraval, the akshara's have to be in place in the talam (at least most of the times). The god of Layam PMI has said this - so I don't think there will be lots of oppositions on this.

The best thing in the concert was when TMK realized that he cannot sing after RKSs return of Yamuna Kalyani - thank God he did. The crowd roared after RKSs return - then TMK requested RKs to play begane baro, which was scintilating until TMK once again barged in during "Udipi krishna part". This behavior reminded me of the many times when the upams play beautifully, and at the end the mridangist joins to share the glory. I think that TMK just cannot sing normally anymore. (Now what is "normal" - I am fed up of such vidhandaavaadhams). All his non-singing distractions on stage are to mask his struggles in singing: those who refuse, am positive you will know this pretty soon.

He is a great showman exactly knowing the audience pulse - he sings many sangathis crankily, and suddenly one typical stereo-type jeeva sangathi of the ragam, and the audience go "aahaa oho". I seriously wonder if his Guru Semmangudi was alive he would have the guts to do all these bandhaas on stage. Until one or 2 years back, his showmanship was backed by solid execution - now unfortunately, it is disproportionate to his singing. I have watched GNB, Alathore, SSi in their peaks - never once they came across as carefree about audience - they only respected them. Even they never used to show off this much on stage. They sure were much greater vidwans both in music as well as popularity - overall stature. This kid seems to think he has mastered the art of concert and that people will take anything he gives - not for ever Sir! There have been examples of far greater vidwans who have plummetted unconditionally!

When vidwan, the Late Ramabadhran was called oru sol pillai - people and artists liked him for playing the same kind of beat. But if people are to like AP's "playing" - it can be only for the lack of it. The first entire hour "na dhin" "na dhin".....and so on for eternity. Looked like he belives that straining and playing is a crime on stage. He was trying to give the tabla effect of just mainitaining the beat - please play sir - some, like me are interested to know how you play.

For those who ask me: Knowing all this apriori, why did you have to attend his concert? Heart is an eternal optimist! Just praying he comes back and sings the way he used to. I would continue to reamin in his "erstwhile" fanclub. Typing this with so much of grievance and acute arthritis.

Summary: Showmanship sans music.

[sureshvv]

Feel your pain

[priyashekar]

He does it to grab attention or irritate rasikas or genuinely lost interest?

[Purist]

# 1 Quote Common Man "For those who ask me: Knowing all this apriori, why did you have to attend his concert? Heart is an eternal optimist! Just praying he comes back and sings the way he used to. I would continue to remain in his "erstwhile" fanclub...."

Fully agree. "sing the way he used to"-- Sample the Upacharamu in Bhairavi rendered 6/7 years back (available on youtube). You will wonder what has happened to him now. Granted when he says 'not giving a kutcheri ', but I am at loss to understand what is being achieved in this form of singing. Had he progressed without such extreme transgressions, he would have reached pinnacle of glory with a huge fanclub longing for his music. i share the disappointment of CommonMan.

[Aditto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOnvycl_0ns

[Purist]

Aditto - that is another good one of what it used to be. Authentic Asaveri.

[mohan7narayanan]

Dear Common Man,

Thanks a lot for the review of TMK's performance at NGS on 20th December.

I heard TMK at Bharath Kalachar the very next day (!0.30 AM to 1,00 PM Saturday 21st) and came away with a totally different opinion. I have absolutely no issues with your comments since it is about another TMK performance and the "subjective" conditions of the concerned "human factors" would have been totally different - the performer. the perceiver and the ambience including the audience - from what I felt about TMK's concert on 21st at Bharath Kalachar.

The standing ovation he got at the end of the concert - including Mrs YGP standing up from her wheel chair - said everything.

And neither of our two opinions need be the absolutely correct ones - the Truth lies somewhere in between.

That TMK is a "showman" should not single him out for any negative judgement - after all, we all are "showmen" in one way or another. Anyone appearing on a stage becomes automatically a showman, otherwise he will be just sitting at home! I show myself off when taking classes at the University or at a factory executives meeting. GNB, Flautist TRM, Ariyakkudi, Veena Balachandar all were "showmen" in their own way - the only thing that matters is how much a particular person likes a particular "showmanship"!

Since I am currently reading TMK's highly thought provoking recent book, I can feel through his lines that he is trying to understand himself through his chosen path - music. In many ways he comes out as "the angry young man" or "the young Turk". He writes exceedingly well and I have all admiration for his process of "self realisation". For many, such people will be considered to be bordering on "madness", which is also not at all far from the truth. Geniuses have been always considered mad - Newton, Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Van Gogh etc. But that is no reason to outcaste TMK.

Thanks once again - and happy listening!

Prof K S (Mohan) Narayanan
Author, Playwright, Composer, Teacher

[sudarsam]

Ditto Mohan Sir,

I had been to the concert at Parthasarathy Sabha. thoroughly enjoyed the concert/presentation. A standing ovation thereto. The audience reactions at right levels and at the right moments was noteworthy.
Even the KGS concert, as a commonman I enjoyed the music be it from TM or RKS.
Thanks Mohan Sir for penning some of my thoughts too...

[CommonMan]

Sure! opinions differ! A standing ovation is nevertheless a representation of how well people enjoyed a program. However, without getting into the merits of how he sang that day, I do not judge a persons caliber by the ovation he or she receives. again, am not disputing your opinion of how well he sang that day. In 2006 or 07 I don't remember him receiving standing ovation (US or India) that does not necessarily mean he sang any worse then. Ovation and performance CAN be mutually exclusive.
Also, if you read my post carefully you will notice that I never said showmanship is wrong - as long as it is backed by performance I do not care. imo, his showmanship is not backed by his performance as it used to be.

[vasanthakokilam]

The posts regarding Karnatic Music in general have been moved to a separate thread: http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=22710