T M Krishna at Shankara Mutt, Bangalore

[Rsachi]

About 2000 people in a huge Rama Pattabhisheka celebration. Set up well in a happy mela atmosphere with pujas, shops, chanting etc. But all 2000 listening to a pristine, regal gait TMK.
Began about 25 min ago with Mohana tana. Ninnukori varna. Then Teliyaleru Rama after a happy raga essay. So enjoyable indeed!
TMK began with a few words about the great tragedy that struck Chennai. How so many well-off (and luckily untouched) people are already going on as if all of the trouble has blown over and everything is normal. He asks that all of us recognise the enormity of the tragedy and suffering. He said, "please don't let this happen to this city".

Will report more later.

[Rsachi]

A lovely Broche varuevarura after a brief alapana. Began with "O chaturanana" to instant appaluse. Again presented with great panache. Heard in kalpanaswaras some Ri Ga Ma etc. Ended with a good percussion finale.
HK Venkatram doing very well. Just began Todi by himself. TMK wielding the tambura when Bhargavi took a bio break.
All said, great atmos!

[pattamaa]

>> please don't let this happen to this city".

good.. bengaluru is equally worse for small rain also..

[Rsachi]

Continuing the narrative:
after Todi by HKV, TMK told someone right of centre that they would present four ragas rather than four songs. There was Shahana by TMK (some traces of Khamach were seen) and then HKV played Bilahari. Then TMK sang Kannada raga, again with vestiges of Khamach.
The four ragas were like a middle order batting stutter- not like the opening items.
Then came Jagadanandakaraka. Presented almost with a sense of gratitude to Saint T, whose Dhenuka Teliyaleru had also been fabulous. There was a good amount of good niraval at Omkara Panjara kIra... TMK is blessed with a range from lower Sa to higher Pa (2.5+ octaves) and can sing anything he pleases. This facility is like a V8 engine. But then the carburettor/injector and stuff should also cooperate. Somehow I felt he looks distracted at times, as if too much is going on in his head.

Tani followed. KUJRao and Udupa played well.

Then came the navarasa shloka Shrinagaram Kshitinandini.. In good Kalyani. Then Pankaja lochana. Sung very well, with good manodharma in niraval at Kundani Bharatha Govinda Nanda Nandana. Finally Pavamana.

A typical TMK concert. Very Good in many parts. The composers had a big role in shaping its success!

[Vedavanam]

It can happen to any city in the world. So nobody is allowed to move on and pick up the threads of life and show some spirit? Why is he performing at this time instead of being in Chennai to provide relief? To be fair to the music fraternity, they showed amazing solidarity and sense of community by physically volunteering at many places. This is much more than what bigger institutions/corporations or the govt. has done.

Any community and its members can contribute best through their own work. TMK needs to stop being so sanctimonious and brazen in his finger-pointing!

[arasi]

Sachi,
Your typically lively review with picture and all as usual, bringing in the atmosphere

Wish I had heard the 'haLe Krishna' part of it (eschewing the part where he looked distracted, with many things going on in his mind)...Wish I had heard the kalyANi double edition...

A new trend in backdrops: the artistes painted on them and as a result, we see double images of them all through the concert--and THAT is distracting! No complaints about the skill of the painter, but why as a backdrop? Also, if there happened to be a last minute replacement of a pakka vAdyA artiste, will the real one playing in the concert have a mute playmate??

Better place the pleasing art work at the entrance, don't you think?

[Rsachi]

Arasi, There were dozens of CCTV video screens (people were sitting in several areas - all pandals) and the backdrop still photo was a computer projection! In fact there was a live camera screen placed at a clearly visible spot for TMK and he asked for it to be turned off saying he didn't like to see himself all the time.

[cienu]

Then Pankaja lochana. Sung very well, with good manodharma in niraval at Kundani Bharatha Govinda Nanda Nandana

It is "Kunda Nibha Rada" (Teeth which are beautiful like Jasmine Flowers)

[thanjavooran]

Shri Rsachi
Thanx for the excellent review. Think you are shunting between Chennai and Bangalore this season.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
21 12 2015

[Rsachi]

Thanks Cienu.

Thanjavooran, I stay within the space demarcated by the Kempegowda towers

[sais72]

The concert was fantastic and I like the sort of even exchange between the kalpita and kalpana part of the music. This was evident in almost all the items he rendered, the kalpita forms a solid base for him to paint a large canvas.

For the record this is what TMK said at the beginning of the concert (not verbatim but the gist and I can't see how anyone can find fault with this thought. No comments on the ongoing music season there or whether one should sing at this time)

I know that you have come to listen to me sing and not talk but i just want to say this. What happened in Chennai is terrible and things are still not normal there..... there is still sewage flowing into many homes etc.... In a way we are all responsible for what has happened and we need to change the way we live if we want this to not happen again. Our responsibility does not end with just voting .....

[Rsachi]

Sais72, thanks.

Yes he said, don't expect politicians to do everything. It is for everyone of us to act.

And by the way, the way he started off Mohana, and that tana, and then the way he sang the varna - it was all so resplendent I decided to post the pic and comments here.

For me the first 3 items were the highlight.