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)