Kaambhoji :
His Kaambhoji was incredible. His music charms all ages of people - children, adults and the old too. His prastaram was very apt and every single note was understandable for even kids of the age 5. The miraculous thing which delighted me the most was, all the kids in the auditorium sat silently, listening to his each and every swaram with complete attention and high curiosity towards his swaras. I haven't seen any children disturbing the concert.
He rose to the Gandharam and circled his flow around it with aesthetic ease which comforted us with balanced joy. Everybody was able to sing along with him, the patterns which he chose. In that way, it reached all in the auditorium. The divinity of the Raga Kaambhoji is explored and exhibited with so much of love.
Here is a recording.....
He then shifted to Panchamam... He speeded up a little from there. It was very well represented. All nodded heads to the beautiful phrases. He himself was enjoying it and also getting involved deeper and deeper.
The ends of the typical phrases like - namta namta naM tomta naM ta......
- (g m p, g m p, g m n d p D P.....) sounded special at some places because they were not the usual predictable tanam phrases of Kambhoji.
It was a good & complete team play of both Sriram Kumar and Krishna. Sriram Kumar hardly missed out any phrase. He was almost playing each and every line, ably predicting what Krishna is going to sing. It is a feast to hear Vocal & Violin, having no difference and travelling the journey together, inspiring each other. They both were out of this world and took us out of it too.
Tanam at Panchamam & Daivatham :
The Taara sthaayi Tanam :
He was very immersed and involved in the taara sthaayi part. His capacity was clearly proved in the complexity of the phrases he sang. Throughout his singing, he maintained a peace. It reached climax after the tanam at Gandharam at Taara sthaayi. Even the Taara sthaayi panchamam & nishaadam were touched enough soothingly. Even his sighs were heard clearly! Sriram Kumar played with good momentum and impact and gave a good end to it.
After he winded up the tanam and finished it, Krishna made a very clear announcement that, his Tanam in Kambhoji is an independent piece chosen separately without anything to be followed in Kaambhoji after. He even showed no interest in explaining / discussing the cause.
This pattern seems beneficial to carnatic music in some aspects.
Tanam is usually sung after a lengthy raagaalapana. After such a wide alapana, the tanam may exhaust the listener (I mean the audience of today). I don't mean to condemn or disrespect or harm the traditional concert format. I'm a pursuer of True Carnatic Music. So, I do not really mind to make it more approachable to people by adding any kind of modifications, with due respect to the tradition.
Some may find his format unusual, strange and also alien. But, if we consider his individual items separately, there is no space for any doubt.
Musicians like TMK have the ability to convince people against anything through their music. It seemed completely okay and the new format is refreshing and thought-provoking too.
[continued in Part 4]
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