T M Krishna

தழய தழய கட்டிய எட்டு முழ வேட்டியில் கை அகல அரக்கு கறை, கோபுர பார்டர் சகிதம், நிமிர்ந்த நடை, தீவிர (intense) நோக்கு... அட அட அட....
(I couldn’t have described that in any other language)

TM Krishna is a name that’s synonymous with maverick. He is a non-conformist and taken his music from sabahs to street corners and kuppams (slums). There is ease in everything that he does - his music, losing himself in the magic that his accompanists dole out, standing up for what he believes in - the list goes on.

I have been reading his views on varied subjects and listening to his songs on YouTube for many years now and been a huge fan. This morning, I attended his concert and am still on a musical high. When he sings, he has a subtle arrogance (not indifference, mind you) that comes not just from being extraordinaire, but from being “the man” with his revolutionary thinking and backing it up with action and his words - oh so powerful words! (You almost want to tell him that the subtle arrogance looks so good on him).

He is one of the few musicians who brought Tamil compositions to the forefront. It’s only fitting that he started today’s concert with a Nammalwar pasuram and seamlessly moved on to Thyagarajar keerthani (both in same raga), Dikshitar composition in mayamalavagowlai, a tillana, soulful Kannada song composed by Basavaiah and was rounding it off with an abhang (Marathi land after all!). He got a Standing ovation of course, but people just stood there, frozen, unwilling to accept that the afternoon is at its end. Deepa Devaraj said, “but we don’t want to go” and I sheepishly added, “could we have one more please” - musicians were already packing their instruments, but TMK obliged and indulged us with a Tulsidas Bhajan. What a morning it was!

He would have made a great dancer too - catching a note from here, plucking another one from up above, flying a kite, or shifting gears, and using his long fingers to orchestrate - his fluid movements were as delightful as his music. When an artist of his stature enjoys his performance, resultant is an enthralled audience. His brilliance was so palpable and was shining bright all through 150 minutes. There wasn’t a dull moment.

His carefully selected crew was excellent. The instruments (mridangam, kajira and violin) came alive at their touch and TMK let them weave magic, encouraging them with his shabashes and bhales quite generously but deservedly. There comes a point (rather early in the concert, almost as soon as he is satisfied with acoustics) after which TMK has eyes only for his accompanists. You almost feel like an outsider, if you know what I mean. But that’s just an aside.

Despite the fact that he is neither a purist nor traditionalist, he still gives a sabah goer what he or she is looking for. He is a Carnatic musician at heart and thank God for that. And even more gratitude for taking his music to a different plane and making it accessible to everyone - புறம்போக்கு பாடல்கள் for பாமர மக்கள்.

TMK’s thought leadership is a different subject altogether and that’s for another post. For now, his music is ringing in my ears across ragas and his very animated performance fills my being.

Thank you, #TMKrishna

(TM Krishna for Crossroads at Balagandharva Ranga Mandir, Bandra West on Nov 25, 2018)

women like attention; serve men some solitude, maybe?

A friend of many years sent me a meme last week, which read, “to make a woman happy give her these three things, attention, affection and appreciation” and asked me what I thought of it.  I didn’t respond to him immediately as I didn’t have the emotional space to think about it, then.

Now I am wondering aloud – isn’t this something everyone likes?  Attention, affection and appreciation – don’t men feel nice receiving these? I have never been a man, so I don’t know how exactly a guy feels when he receives a compliment on his tie or on being congratulated on a task well done or on being asked out for coffee (I imagine most guys would do a headstand! No, I am not being arrogant, here).

The problem, like in most gender issues, is one of stereotyping.  “Women like flowers”, yes we do.  Have you tried giving a bunch of flowers to a man? Have you even asked a man if he likes receiving flowers? I have a guy friend who will forgive me all my faults if I bought him dark chocolates. Go figure!  I have known men to like flowers, gifts, compliments and attention – attention with a capital A and capital everything that follows. And I see nothing wrong with that. 

The one difference from my own behavioural pattern and my observation of others is, (most) women need validation (and attention and all that faff) from their significant ones. This is not a need that dies down with time or familiarity. In fact, the more we get it, the more we want it; whereas with men, (and like most things with men) beyond a point, these validations have very little effect on them (or so it’s shown).  Read validation from the “same” person; also please note bosses are exceptions -even if they have had the “same” one for 15 years.

On a more serious note, generations of conditioning may have turned women into insecure beings – gender hierarchies, stereotyping, inequalities that still exist – have a deep-rooted effect on women’s psyche. Their need for recognition and expression is more pronounced, though the innate need is as prevalent in men.  Add to it the burden to appear macho - conditioning that men have received over generations, you get a very confused and complex creature called a man.

So my dear friend, women love all the three “A”s, we also like conversations, occasional solitude and men who are articulate.

p.s: Today is International Men’s Day – to raise awareness about men’s mental health. Here’s to you, gentlemen!
It’s time you guys find the male equivalent of feminism if that means tapping the feminine side of you. It would truly be an equal world!