Rockstar of ragas!

These days a certain Carnatic musician who goes by the name T M Krishna (TMK for short!) has caught my fancy as a subject of study.  And, for good reason too. He is a member of the youth brigade (1976 born, Aquarian) in the Carnatic music world and appears to be on a mission to change the game.

Well, these are not words that you would use when you refer to Carnatic music. Traditions are paramount in the performing arts in India and musicians see themselves as custodians of practices that have been handed over many generations. But to put TMK in the same bracket of musicians would be doing huge injustice to the man for he has sought to retain the traditions while breaking boundaries - real and imaginary - in his own style, but not for a moment diluting the core of our cultural heritage.

First of all, look at the way he dresses. Would you have looked at this picture and thought for a moment that this guy is amongst today's better known and well regarded Carnatic musicians? He looks like any other youngster. But the paati (grandmum) marvels at his talent and sees the divine in him; the maami (aunt) indulges him and wishes that he were her son or at least her son-in-law and the thangai (little sister) would giggle like a silly teenager when thrown in front of him.

This is far removed from the image of Carnatic musicians who sported the trademark white dhoti and kurta and would always be seen in shades of white of the same dress combination. TMK is equally comfortable in his jeans as he is in a dhoti and kurta, it seems. There are pictures of him on the internet sporting colourful kurtas with bright embroidery or zari for embellishments. So, he somehow does not fit the image of a Carnatic musician in my eyes......At a recent concert that I attended, he wore a brown shirt that had white lotuses, in different sizes, printed on them - very Balinese prints. A rasika recently seeing TMK's shirt was prompted to wonder "yenna avar sofa cover thuni vechi sattai techuindurukar" (he has used upholstery material for his shirt!). 

And, then he dons a kadukkan (ear stud). Well, there is nothing novel in it and it has always been a practice for men in TMK's community to wear one. But he has turned the kadukkan to a fashion accessory. They come in different designs on his ear. One fan mentioned recently that he was inspired to pierce his ear and sport a ear stud after seeing TMK with one.

Now look at his face - his beard is here now, it's gone now......and, the newly acquired moustache has a distinct handle bar like look. Recently he has begun wearing spectacles to his concerts. A lady who was sitting next to me at the concert was caught scribbling a brief note to her friend which said "I don't think those glasses have any power, they are merely for style......". Since the time when MS' Kanchivarams were discussed, do you remember a time when an artiste's appearance has been a topic of conversation amongst the Chennai music aficionados? That would have been blasphemy. So, he has managed to stir things up and for good reason too. I am sure that will bring him closer to the younger rasikas.

On another note, I would urge you to listen to TMK sing with your eyes closed or open. I say this because the experience is different and yet the same with your eyes closed or open. If your eyes are closed, you will find yourself transported to a different world - a world that is pure, creative and evocative. If your eyes are open, you cannot miss TMK's mannerisms and idiosyncrasies as he renders beautiful music. He keeps time with both hands (a no-no amongst the traditionalists, I am told), he fiddles a lot, his face is frequently in contortions as he is one with the music that he delivers. But what touches you is the virtuosity and emotion in his singing. That is what gets to you through all the mumbo jumbo.

Another remarkable aspect of this gentleman is that in a concert, he is always commending the performance of his accompanists. He encourages them, jokes with them, takes their inputs when deciding on songs and shares the limelight with them. So, his concerts do not seem like that of a star which outshines the planets that revolve around it. There is a certain wholeness to the presentation in which everyone has a role to play. Individually and collectively the team stands out.

He reaches out to his fans and followers. He is pretty active on Facebook. He takes questions from his fans, advices wannabes, takes a stand, argues vehemently and acknowledges comments. His music reaches thousands of rasikas through webcasts. He has a tastefully designed website. He is technology savvy, it appears, as he relies on numerous gizmos for his concerts. I understand he is particular about the sound system in the halls where he performs. He is known to support several causes and is associated with many social organizations. All these would have been quite unthinkable for musicians of yore and many of them chose to maintain their distance from their fans as they sought to raise their stature by staying aloof.

He is known to be ready for a good fight. Not one to easily suffer insults and ignorance, he takes on the mighty - the sabhas, N Ram and many more. He cajoles his audiences who rise to leave during the thaniavarthanam (solo percussion interludes) to stay, he requests a minute from rasikas who are making a beeline to the exit as he starts the Mangalam (concluding thanking prayer). He is willing to put a fight and not take anything lying down. And, all for a good cause. I believe it is to put classical Carnatic music where is belongs, rightfully - up there, not to be messed around with.

TMK has a reputation. He is supposed to have loved and married a married lady, a fellow performer. He appreciates good single malts, I understand, from an interview of his that I read a few months ago. And, when the new restaurant serving Greek cuisine opened its doors in Chennai, your truly was indeed surprised to see TMK amongst the patrons. These are behaviours and indulgences that do not sit well amongst the so-called traditionalists. Not for moment has any of this rubbed on his reputation of being an erudite and scholarly practitioner of musicology. With him you always feel reassured that this art form is in safe hands.

Disclaimer: I have written the above based on some research, little hearsay and opinions, mostly my own. So, I do not vouch for its entire truth.There is a curiosity about TMK and I have conjured this piece to satisfy that. The pictures for this article have been downloaded from the internet and are not my own.

2011 - Annus Mirabilis!

We ushered in 2011 on the banks of the river Kabini in the Karnataka. Returning from a cousin's wedding in Kerala, we decided to take a short detour to spend New Year's eve at the cosy lodge in the tourist country. Ringing in the New Year with us was an interesting family, originally from Goa, and now spread all over the world. It was a quiet and peaceful beginning to what would be a year to remember!

We stayed over in Bangalore for a couple of days before driving back to Chennai in time for the school reopening. January is at the fag end of the Chennai Season and I was able to catch many of the classical dance shows at the prestigious Music Academy in the city. I spent several days in the Academy auditorium with no client calls to answer or deadlines to meet. Separately, I also caught some matches at the Chennai Open where I witnessed the team work of Lee and Hesh, the power of Somdev and the energy as they all came together. I was savouring my new found freedom from my job of 13 years - mostly glad, partly sad and somewhat nostalgic.

February saw me get a little interested in exploring "what next" in terms of a job. By now I was really in the thick of the "state of unemployedness" which went in tandem with a life that was slow paced. Mistake me not - this state may sometimes be referred to as "drifting" and that can leave you feeling very unsettled! I was also trying to come to terms with not being in a high pressured job and the losses of various kinds that come with it. It made me think about what I wanted from my life and what the many things that we normally take for granted - family, health, security, peace - mean to me. Such soul searching is often called "mid life crisis" for someone my age.

Pilates came to my rescue as I grappled with issues of my weight. Many months later I am amazed at my own ability to twist and turn myself to the instructions of my Yoga teacher. A dear friend recommended a dietician who turned out to be a star as she put me on a regimen that took little away from my plate but added perspective to how I should eat. Having shed 8 kilograms and several inches since then, I think I have found eternal buddies in Pilates and Yoga.

With March came the first signs of my wanting to get back to work and I believed I had found the answers to many of life's questions and dilemmas. With renewed self assurance, I plunged into entrepreneurship hoping that I would be able to call upon my skills and experience as a professional manager to run a company that I could call my own. It was with great pride that I signed the cheque for the capital investment and handed it to my partners as I embarked on the next chapter of my professional and possibly, personal life.

Soon after committing myself as a Partner, it was time for a holiday. After all, it was my company and I could treat myself to holidays as I wished. Believe me, there is nothing further from the truth that believing that you are your own master in the company that you own. And, I say that from experience. Building your own company takes more than double the effort and energies than working for someone else - it is further heightened by your emotional connect with all things associated with the firm that you are a founder of. Some more lessons for me and ones that I will always cherish.

So, off we went to Bali to experience a holiday of a lifetime. With its natural beauty and heart-warming ambience, the place worked like a balm for my soul. Besides visiting the oh-so-touristy places spread around the island, we ate, spa-ed, cycled, walked, rested and generally enjoyed ourselves. As a person from Kerala, I experienced a strange and inexplicable connect with this island and its people. I would never forego an opportunity to go back to the place.

June, July and August were relatively uneventful and the slow paced life was soon becoming a habit. If I said that I was preoccupied with work, I would be lying. I walked to my place of work, came home for lunch, hardly travelled out of town and found time for the many pleasures of life that I discovered or rediscovered. I was back to reading, prompted by friends from college and with two additional eyes that made reading easier. 

We took a sailing boat in September for a trip along the Chennai coastline. The panoramic view of the city from the sea remains etched in my memory. A tree walk later, I was a wee bit more educated about trees in the city. September also was when I managed to watch the entire Kathakali festival organised at Kalakshetra which was a treat.

We were all very excited when a friend of ours declared his intention to stand for the local Councillor's election. Feeling proud and admiring his courage for getting into the election fray, we decided to help him with the campaign. What an eye opener the experience turned out to be.......It got us up, close and personal with democracy and people's power. It is an experience that I will always cherish. That was October for me.

November was a sweet-sad month for me. My mum broke her right wrist bone and my parents moved to our place as she nursed her injury. Although we live in the same city, my parents and us have retained our independent establishments and freedoms. So, this was a welcome change for all of us. We got a peek into the nitty gritties of each other lives and turned a lot more tolerant and understanding of each others' needs. It was a sad day when the Plaster of Paris cast was taken off my mother's hand and my parents decided to return to their home.

December has been unusually cold this year. I am trying my hand at composting household waste. My brothers are in town. The Season is in full swing - music and dance recitals are being staged all over the place. Dhruv's board exams are fast approaching. Another new year is closing in. I am still searching for answers to the questions that I had at the beginning of the year.

As I look back, I am thankful for the wonderful year gone by. There has been so much happiness. Dhruv is close to 6 feet tall and fitter than ever. Marriages have happened to my friends. Many people that I like have had children. I have earned and learned so much. But sadness also coexists.... Sadness that cannot be shared. Sadness that has to be borne alone. When a few whom I loved, have died.....when dreams die.......when there is no hope......when trust wanes........when silence grows....... when actions do not match expectations......
 
But it's the time to look ahead. To a new year.....To a new beginning.....To new dreams.......To new hopes......here's to a wonderful 2012!

Going gaga over garbage!

Now, don't let the title of my post make you think that I am in love with the piles of garbage that is now ubiquitous in the city of Chennai. Ever since the contractor Neel Metal Fanalca (fancy name, eh?) gave the Chennai Corporation a royal ditch, the city has been turned into a large garbage dump. Any visitor to the city cannot miss the mounds of dirty waste that remains uncleared on main roads and narrow streets. In many places the bins have vanished altogether and when they exist, they are merely overflowing with the stuff and they stand pleading helplessness.

I was inspired to compost by my friend, Ambika. She wrote about her experience in her blog and got me excited. I had been reading about composting for a while now did not want to embark on what I thought could be a daunting task. I was introduced to Daily Dump (www.dailydump.org) via Facebook and read about experiences of various folks who had been advised and supported by this organization. Their website is cool and I would urge you to visit it when you want some meaningful fun.

So off I went to collect the equipment (www.dailydump.org/products) for composting from Soumya. For Rs 1300, she gave me a 3 tier composter, a rake (to stir the garbage for aerating it), a bottle of accelerator (a powdery mix of bacteria and fungi that speeds up the composting process), a packet of cocopeat (which helps absorb moisture from the garbage) and a bottle of lemon spray to keep the fruit flies away and make the garbage smell better! I also got an instruction manual (the only one that I have read every word of!). BTW, though based in Bangalore, Daily Dump sells in several cities (www.dailydump.org/where_to_buy) including in Chile and you can even order your Kambha online.

My three tier Kambha!

Lemon spray and the accelerator

Seeing garbage in a new light!

We started dropping the vegetable and fruit waste generated in our kitchen a few days back. We air the garbage frequently, rake it every now and then, add newspaper bits when the moisture seems excessive and give it a dose of the accelerator every week. The design of the Kambha helps in the composting process. Meanwhile, I met Shardha Vamadevan, an architect and fellow parent at my son's school and now a composting evangelist, who has turned my "go-to person" for my composting woes and offers very practical tips to get the composting right. With her enthusiasm, I will not be surprised to see her at my doorstep one of these days, wanting to inspect my composter. While, I wait for my first harvest of compost.

I have started looking at my garbage in a new light. The other day, I saw orange peels ready for the Kambha and hit upon the idea of making marmalade! And, now when I see the piles of garbage strewn all over the city, I am convinced that I do not have to aggravate the situation. Try it, I am sure you will not regret it.