Category Archives: T.M.Krishna

T.M.Krishna’s 4-hour concert

T.M.Krishna – Vocal
R.K.Shriramkumar – Violin
Trichy Sankaran – Mridangam
V.Suresh – Ghatam

Where & When? – Infosys Hall (Mudhra) on 13th January

Concert Duration – 4hrs 15 min

Songs List:
1. Varnam – Kalyani – Ata taalam
2. Meru Samana – Mayamalavagowlai – Short alapana, Swarams at Meru Samana
3. Epaapamu – Atana – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at Rajasekhara sannutaanga
4. Devi Bhrova – Chintamani – Raaga outline
5. Paridaanamichite – Bilahari – Alapana
6. Nenarunchinaanu – Malavi
7. Baalagopala – Bhairavi – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at MaaNikya makuta (Main piece)
8. Raagam Taanam Pallavi – Purvikalyani
Pallavi: Chintita manorata purvikalyani amba devi – Chatushrajati Jampa Taalam (4 kalai)
Swarams in Sankarabharnam, Sri Ranjani, Kalyani, Sama
9. Shringaram (Viruttam) – Raagamalika (Khamas, Kambhoji, Karaharapriya, Hamirkalyani, Dhanyasi, Kapi) – followed by Inta Sowkhya – Kapi
10. Aliveni – Kurunji
11. Santatam – Behag – Raaga outline
12. Mangalam – Sowrashtram
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Double Bonanza!

Yesterday I went to both Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s and T.M.Krishna’s concerts. 😀 I am so happy that I got to hear my favourite singers back to back.

Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert
Accompanists:
Mysore Nagaraj – Violin
K.Arun Prakash – Mridangam
K.V.Gopalakrishnan – Khanjira

Where & When? – Bharat Kalachar on 27th December at 4:00 pm

Concert Duration: 2.5 hrs

Songs List:
1. Varnam – Kalyani – Ata Taalam
2. Parakela – Nattakurunji – Swarams at Parakela
3. Bhuvinita – Sri Ranjani – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at padamule
4. Aadum Deivam – Kambhoji – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at thirupaadham thanjam ena unai adaindhaen (Main piece)
5. Raagam Taanam Pallavi – Subhapantuvarali
Pallavi: ambikai jagadambikai varaaLidho srutiyodu layamum tharaaLidho – Ata Taalam
6. Jaanati Raamam followed by Raamani Bhajitthaal – Maand
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An Excellent Concert!

T M Krishna – Vocal
Akkarai Subhalakshmi – Violin
Arun Prakash – Mridangam
B S Purushottaman – Khanjira

Where & When? – Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium (Brahma Gana Sabha) on 5th December

Concert Duration: 2.5 hrs

Songs List:
1. Terateeyagarara – Gowlipantu – Swarams at Terateeyagarara
2. Sri Valli – Natabhairavi – Started at Anupallavi (Devata saarvabhouma)
3. Amba Neelayadakshi – Nilambari – Alapana
4. Sabapathikku – Abhogi
5. Enduku Dayaradura – Todi – Alapana, Neraval & swarams at Tyagaraja Vinuta taaraka charita (Main piece of the concert)
6. Bogeendra Sayeenam – Kuntalavarali
7. Janaranjani RTP – Pallavi: Paahimaam Sri Rajajeshwari in Kandajathi triputa Taalam – Swarams in Varali, Sahana, Mukhari, Janaranjani
8. Rama Jogi – Khamas
9. Pittham theLiya – Senchurutti
10. Vande Mataram – Desh – Raaga outline of Desh
11. Mangalam/Nee Naamarupamulaku – Sowrashtram
12. Shriya Kaantaaya – Surutti
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T M Krishna’s Kutcheri

T M Krishna – Vocal
Ganesh Prasad – Violin
Mannargudi Easwaran – Mridangam
Purushottaman – Khanjira

Where & When? – Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on 3rd December

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs list:
1. Nada Tanumanisam – Chittaranjani – Swarams at Sadyojatadi
2. Paahi Sri – Ananda Bhairavi – Raaga outline, Swarams at Paahi Sri
3. Manavyala – Nalinakanti
4. Tyagaraja Palayasumam Sri – Gowlai – Alapana, Neraval at Yogadi Sri
5. Sevikka Vendum – Andolika
6. Mohanam – Ra Ra Rajeeva Lochana – Alapana, Swarams at Ra Ra (Main piece of the concert)
7. Shatakaram (shloka) – Ragamalika (Varali, Kapi,?, Behag)
Smarajanaka – Behag
8. Kaana vendaamo – Sri Ranjani
9. Krishnam Kalaya Sakhi – Mukhari
10. Vaazhiya Senthamizh – Madhyamavati
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A Concert Marred by Poor Sound System

T M Krishna – Vocal
Sriram Parasuram – Violin
Umayalpuram K Sivaraman – Mridangam
Sree Sundarkumar – Khanjira

Where & When? – Narada Gana Sabha on 2nd December

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs list:
1. Varnam – Sri Raagam
2. Munu Ravana – Todi – Raaga outline – Swarams at Raja raja
3. Tyagarajaya Namaste – Begada – 7 min Alapana, Swarams at Tyagarajaya
4. Velaiyya Dayavillaya – Saveri
5. Upacharamulanu – Bhairavi – 11 min Alapana, Neraval at Kapata nataka (Main piece of the concert)
6. Modijesi Velara – Khamas
7. Sringaram (viruttam) – Ragamalika – Mayamalavagowlai (Veeram), Sahana (Karunyam), Hamir Kalyani (Hasyam), Atana (Rowdram), Jonpuri (Shantam)
Sapashya – Jonpuri
8. Nadandha KaalgaL nondha – Sindhu Bhairavi
9. Was a raaga outline of Surutti sung by TMK at the end??
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T M Krishna’s Kutcheri

Violin: R K Shriramkumar
Mridangam: Umayalapuram Sivaraman
Khanjira: Sree Sundarkumar

1. Varnam – Reetigowlai
2. Tulasidala – Mayamalavagowlai
3. Kamakshi – Bhairavi
4. Ee Vasudha – Sahana
5. Chesinadella – Todi
6. Gopa Nandana – Bhushavali
7. Raagam Taanam Pallavi – Kedaragowlai
Pallavi – Sarasa daLa Nayana Hare Krishna,
Swarams in Varali, Sama and Hamir Kalyani
8. Marubaari – Khamas
9. Varugalamo – Manji
10. Mangalam – Sourashtram
11. Mangalam Kosalendraya – Surutti
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T.M.Krishna’s “Sri Raamam”

I got this album (released by Rajalakshmi Audio last year) of T.M.Krishna last month. This has Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Krithis on Lord Rama. Check out the website of Rajalakshmi Audio for the list of krithis in this album. This has many not-so-often-heard raagas like mAhuri, kOkilAravam, rAma kali. T.M.Krishna has sung all the krithis with so much bhava! R.K.Shriramkumar plays the violin in this album, K. Arun Prakash the mridangam and V. Anirudh Athreya the kanjira. Everyone knows what a great combo TMK, Shriramkumar and Arun Prakash make. I would rate it as one of the best albums of T.M.Krishna till date!
The first song that I got hooked onto in this album is santAna rAmaswAminam in raagam Hindolavasantam. Every time I start listening to it, I listen to it atleast for a couple of times before moving onto the next song. The Nottu swarams in sankarAbharanam are very nice to listen to (rAmachandram is my current favourite Nottuswaram). I have only one complaint with this album: It would have been nice if T.M.Krishna had sung raaga alapanas for raagas like Hindolavasantam, nArAyanagowlai, mAhuri etc.
This one is a must-buy for all the T.M.Krishna and Dikshitar Kritis fans! If you haven’t got it yet, get it soon!

T.M.Krishna in Chennai Sangamam

I went to a concert of T.M.Krishna after more than a month. The concert was at Nageshwara Rao Park, Mylapore, held as part of the ‘Chennai Sangamam’, a cultural festival aimed at highlighting Chennai’s cultural ethos (as ‘The Hindu’, had called it), that started yesterday. Though it was only a 1-hour concert, T.M.Krishna made sure everyone enjoyed every moment of it!
Accompanists:
Amritha Murali – Violin
Manoj Siva – Mridangam
Umashankar – Ghatam
Songs list:
1. Thoadudaiya – GambhIraNattai
2. Kaalai Thooki – Yadhukula Kambhoji
3. Aazhi Mazhai KaNNa – Varali
4. Nattakurunji RTP – (A quickie RTP – Surprise of the concert!)
5. Chinnanchiru KiLiye – Raagamalika
6. Suttum Vizhi – Raagamalika
7. Senthamizh Naadenum – ? (don’t remember)
8. Irakkam Varaamal – Behag
9. Eppo Varuvaaro – Jonpuri
10. Vaazhiya Senthamizh – Madhyamavati
Highlight of the concert:
Of course, the Nattakurunji RTP! I least expected him to sing a RTP in this concert. Though it was a quickie, Nattakurunji being my favourite raaga, I just loved it! He sang the pallavi ‘nAttakurunji enbaar engaLadhu sirandha’ in two other raagas too (Mohanam and the other one I forgot 🙁 (HamirKalyani?)).
Then, the way he sang Chinnanchiru kiLiye with bhava was too good. After that, someone asked him to sing Suttum Vizhi and he said he was not sure whether he remembered the lyrics! When the girl said that she knew it, he asked her to sit in front of him and tell him if he forgets the lyrics somewhere! If I am not mistaken, it was after the line, ‘vaalai kumariyadi’ that TMK sang ha-ha-ha-ha in a beautiful way instead of the word ‘kaNNama’ twice, before singing the word ! Irakkam Varaamal is yet another song that I like hearing T.M.Krishna sing.
On the whole, the concert was excellent as any concert of T.M.Krishna will be. By the way, it was a nice to hear the concert sitting in the park, surrounded by trees with a surprisingly cool breeze blowing.