As a repeat of the 2015 experience, we braved a rainstorm that filled all roads and drenched everything and everyone as we went 16 km across town to Srivani Kalakendra to listen to TMK.
The concert started 90 min late after waiting for the raingods to finish their T20 match.
TMK, HKV, AP, CS did not disappoint the 150 strong crowd who all stayed back. It seemed to be indeed a TMK fan club.
Srivani Kalkendra unlike in 2015 have installed a roof dome and had electricity supply. Even old newspapers that they gave out to us to dry out the wet chairs.
TMK sang, as far as I can remember
Nalinakanti tanam
Manavinala kincha radate
Flashes of
Reetigowla
Natakurinji
Surati
Shuddha dhanyasi
Khamach
Sankarabharanam
Followed by the Poochi tillana. (He explained how the same Ni did different things in these ragas.)
Narayana guru shloka and song in
Malayalam
O Rangasgayi with no alapana or
swaras
Tani by Arun Prakash abd Chandrashekhara Sarma which made us warm up.
Anadabharavi javali Vanitaro
2 nottuswaras
TMK and everyone else took rhe rain, the wetness, the delay, and the suboptimal settings, in their stride with a sense of humour.
You know what? For me, Ramanavami concert =Pre-monsoon rain!
By the way TMK's voice and mood are in top form. There is a whole Narayanaguru tribute concert on YT streamed on 9 April which is a MUST watch. esp. for B. Sivaraman's mridangam.