P Unnikrishnan Bharathi Kala Manram Toronto Apr 1, 2012

[mahavishnu]

Sri P Unnikrishnan - vocal
Sri Embar Kannan - violin
Sri Anantha R Krishnan - mridangam

Incomplete list... (Lakshman-ji, perhaps you could add to this?)

1. varAlandu - gurjari - S
2. sogasujUda - kannadagowla - S
3. kamAkshi kamakOTi peeta vAsini - simhendra madhyamam - RNS (grahabedam to revagupti)
4. mOkshamO galadA - sAramati - RNST
5. paramapurusha jagadIswara - vasantA (ST)
6. RTP Andolika (with second half of tanam with mridangam accompaniment)
Pallavi line: sEvikka vEndum aiya, thiru chidambaram (Tisra triputa - 2 kalai).
...

At the outset, I must confess that I went to the concert just for the mridangam accompaniment of Sri Anand, who has over the last couple of years become my favourite young artiste. That said, I was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of Sri Unnikrishnan's performance.

Unni actually engaged in solid open-throated vocals (for the most part) and presented akArams where relevant, instead of the muted humming that he has become infamous for in the last decade. A quick glance at the song list would also indicate that he treated the audience and the art with a great deal of respect and sincerity, evident in all aspects of his performance today.

varAlandu is an old S Ramanathan specialty and it got the full and thorough treatment from Unnikrishnan. The kalpana swarams were sharp and captured the essence of Gurjari without any shades of MMGowla. The simhendramadhyamam alapanai was also excellent, the attempt to do a grahabedam to Revagupti was successful.

Embar Kannan played superbly not just in his returns, but in the maintenance of the tonic when Unni launched on the key shift. Kannan's returns were uniformly pleasant and skillful. He is easily one of my favourite violinists in the league today.

The mood of the concert was quite "different" from the typical Unnikrishan show; a bit pensive even. This is to be expected when a ragam like sAramati follows simhendramadhyamam.

AndOlika was nicely handled, although I felt that there was a bit of hesitation in the N2, but with no hints of surutti whatsoever. The pallavi was nicely structured.

This is probably the most impressive Unni performance I have heard in years. The last time I heard him sing like this was in the late 1980s when he sang at the noon slot in the music academy. The main hall was so packed that many of us watched it on cctv in the mini hall.

Big lesson for me. Do not discount any musician. One never knows what they can produce if they put their mind to it and the universe cooperates.

Anantha Krishnan's playing was sheer genius. It was an interesting contrast to the Pudukkottai style that we in Toronto had become habituated to over the last few days. First, it was a kappi mridangam with the resounding thoppi boom that is characteristic of Palghat Raghu (and the great PMI himself). The accompaniment was excellent and adaptive with sweet anticipation.

The tani was sensational and highlighted the variations of the Tanjore school with the unique idiosyncratic twists that Raghu sir has added to it. Anantha has the best blend of kanakku and nadham that I have seen among contemporary young artistes. If he is playing within a 200 mile radius of where you are, just take the day off and go. You will not regret it.

I am not sure if it was the strength of the accompanists or the general intellectual audience of Toronto, but something awakened inside Sri Unnikrishnan. I hope it is here to stay.

[would be much obliged if someone can complete the song list and add their thoughts].

[Lakshman]

I am sorry mahavishnu, I was not able to make it to the concert.

[Sundara Rajan]

I am pleasantly surprised that Unnikrishnan did actually open his mouth and even used akArams. Desirable change !

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
Good to hear about this concert. Takes me back to an excellent concert Unnikrishnan gave more than a dozen years ago during the season. When he and Sowmya sing gurjari, Dr. Ramanathan comes alive for me.

As usual, your review delivers. Want to get your wise words etched in me--if only we can do it: putting our minds to it, and the universe cooperates!