TM Krishna: Live At Afghan Church, Mumbai - Raga Varali

[@anoopchannagiri]

No matter how many times you listen to this, the tears will flow in your eyes. What an environment TMK sets with the raaga bhava and pauses. Many great singers win by singing fast, TMK can lead the pack with slow tempo also. Off-course exceptional co-artists and outstanding sound recording.

[@skanchana2002]

Mesmerising

[@sheelaiyer5557]

What a setting ! God is everywhere - in you , in me and in in TMK ... In temple , church -everywhere

[@mysuruvasudevacharya]

Superb Rendition with Alapana followed by the Krithi ! Kamakshi Bangaru Ragam Varali 39th Mela janya Misra Chapu Talam Syama Sashtri Ktithi ‘Please protect me’ says the composer, invoking the many qualities and symbolisms of the Goddess. His love for his Goddess is very evident in this composition. Is not Saraswati in all sources of knowledge, in all wisdom? When we convert information to knowledge and then into wisdom, what is it but Saraswati pratishTHa? P kAmAkshi bangAru kAmakshi nannu brOvavE || Oh golden Kamakshi,please protect me. AP tAmasamEla rAvE sAma gAna lOlE SuSeelE || Why this inordinate delay? You engross in the music of 'Samavedam' Your character is excellent. C1 kAmakaLA priya bhAmini kAmya kAmadE kaLyANee kAmAkshi kanjadaLAyatAkshi trikONa vAsini kAruNya rupiNi || You are the dear consort of Siva and adept in the art of love. You are the auspicious bestower of boons.Oh Kamakasi,Your eyes are like lotus petals.you dwell in 'Trikona' of the mystical 'Srichakra' You are the embodiment of compassion. C2 pAvani mrudu bhAshiNibhakta pAlini bhava mOchani hEmAngi himagiri putri mahEswari hreemkAra rupini || You are very pious and soft spoken.You sustain your devotees. You dispel our worldly bonds.You are the golden daughter of the Himalayas. You are Maheswari the manifestation of the sacred 'mantra' 'Hreemkara'. C3 SyAmakrishNa paripAlini Suka SyAmalE Siva Sankari Soolini sadASivuni kiraNi viSAlAksha taruNi SASwata rupiNi || You are the protector of Syamakrishna.You are Sankari the consort of Siva with dark complexion.You are 'Soolini'wielding the trident.. You are young with large eyes.Your manifestation is eternal Swara sAhityam : nA manavini vinu dEvi neevE gatiyani namminAnu mAyamma vEgamE karuNa jooDavamma bangAru bomma || Oh Devi, please listen to my imploration.I have unwavering faith in you only. Oh mother Kamakshi my golden idol,please shower mercy Comment :- viSAlAksha taruNI - In the books, this seems to have been translated as Consort of Siva. According to Sanskrit Dictionary, ‘visAlAksha’ is a name of Siva. However, in kASi, Mother is known by the name ‘viSAlAkshi’. Therefore, this epithet could also be taken as ‘Ever Youthful (taruNI), having large eyes (viSAlAksha)’ Raga Varali Janyam of 39th mela Jhalavarali Arohanam: S G1 R1 G1 M2 P D1 N3 S Avarohanam: S N3 D1 P M2 G1 R1 S This raga is mentioned in many of the earlier texts in the names Varadi, Varati,Varali and Varatika and is said to be more than 1300 years old. It is with this name that it is referred in ancient lakshana grandhas like Sangeeta Makarandha and Sangeeta Ratnakara. It is also said that there was a place called as “Varata Desa” and this melody was prevalent there and hence the name Varati / Varali. According to Bharatha’s Natyasastra Varati is recommended in portraying rain, agitation, surprise etc. When it is adorned by dhaivata, it serves contentment, recollecting, concealing one’s feeling. The raga is also used to protray the rasa of Pranaya Viyoga or pangs of separation of lovers. Varali portrays both Karuna and Sringara Rasas. Now coming to the meaning of the term Varali. “Var” in Sanskrit means “to sound” and the term “ali” refers to Bee. So may be the meaning of Varali refers to “Sound/Hum of a Bee “. Varali is also known as Moon. After listening to Varali recordings quite a few times, I think the meaning “Sounds like a Bee” is very apt for the raga. Varali is an asymmetric raga due to the vakra prayoga and a vivadi ragam and the vivadi dosha is avoided by singing the arohana as SGRG which makes it a raga with vakra sampoorna (contains all 7 notes) in arohanam.

[@Nsesh]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge sir. Much appreciated.

[@mysuruvasudevacharya]

@@Nsesh ji My Pleasure

[@subaashris125]

Thank you sir!! Very informative!🙏

[@mysuruvasudevacharya]

@@subaashris125 Ji My Pleasure

[@gangadaranshepherd2724]

TM. Krishnan is amazing in more than one way for his music. He seems to be an institution for the music he loves.

[@srinivasgullapalli4240]

What a great and wonderful rendition. May Bangaru Kamakshi Amma bless all the team members. 🙏🙏🙏

[@SarojaGanesan-w8i]

Excellent .no words to praise

[@seshadrisubramanian]

Wow!TMK at his usual best.Excellent team work needed to sustain this kalapramanam and the team delivered

[@sankarasadasivan237]

What is it that captivates us? Is it the lyrics of Shyama Sastri that advocate total surrender to the Mother Kamakshi? Is it the soul stirring TMKs voice which calls out the surrender spirit particularly while rendering the words Mayamma, Mayamma Is it the Kamakshi her self responding through the Bow and strings of Akkarai Subbulakshmi? No one can fathom! Great performance

[@lalitaramchandra4528]

Or the raga Varali , filled with divinity .

[@vishymeera]

Exalent the music takes mr to near to kamakshi. Most of the time I am listening this song I am 78 but my namskaram to t.m Krishna. My blessings. Saroja ganesan.

[@thelayman6189]

@@lalitaramchandra4528 😊

[@shreyasmuralidharan605]

Mel Kala Neraval, so happy to hear after a very long time

[@bharathipurnaprajna7336]

Superb TMK and team

[@premilakumar2438]

Loving this

[@adityaganesh7041]

Amazing sound quality! Kudos to the sound engineer :D

[@kerishnankeris5430]

Super TM krishna sir.

[@manivannansrinivasan9635]

All-star is accompanying him to bring the essence of Varali

[@babaiyermanispiritualandpo2062]

Super fantastic classical singer of the world.

[@babaiyermanispiritualandpo2062]

T m krishna ki jai ho.

[@vaidyalingasivavaidyanatha3910]

First edition arts, you are the best in terms of quality of coverage 👌

[@prabhakaranthrivikramapuram]

Varali, in the excusit style of T M Krishna.

[@karthickhours9313]

Its very interesting dramatic event. .. very beautiful and nice ... Keep it up

[@srikanthramaswamy3976]

After a long wait... At last ❤

[@revathyhariharasubramanian8134]

Superb varali

[@DhruvaKartik]

It is interesting to see praises of Kamakshi being sung in a church. Were there any Christians in the audience? I wonder how they reconcile this with their monotheistic ideology. This level of acceptance is quite progressive.

[@cibiraj1275]

lol yeah, its still they are in pathetic mode.

[@karthickhours9313]

You people still live in India.... Sound is god

[@cibiraj1275]

so true, thats why you are Mahavakyas :D

[@Butwhy23]

Let me explain. I am an avid carnatic fan and also a Christian. I just don't think about my religion when I listen to carnatic music. I don't know why anyone would assume that i would be thinking about making my religion compatible with a carnatic composition when I am listening to one. In fact I don't even think about any deity when I listen to such music. I am just in it for the 'music' - the raga, the laya, various ornamentations by the musicians and so on and so forth. I don't even understand half the things that are in carnatic compositions anyway and I really don't think that affects my listening. I mean, if the musicians don't have any feel but sings the most 'religious' lyrics, i would probably listen to something else. Also, let me tell you a little story. I was probably in the first standard or something when my parents bought a Christian devotional casette and I saw that all the singers were Hindus. I didn't think that was strange at all. The 7-8 year old me knew that the singers could sing whatever they like. Honestly, the thought that grown adults don't understand this simplest of ideas, is mind boggling. My parents told me to respect all religions. I will go to a procession or festival organized by a temple and take part in whole heartedly . I will cover my hair if I am witnessing a Muslim funeral. I kneel down in front of the altar in the church. I don't see anything wrong with that and I don't see why anyone would think otherwise. The same thing applies for music. The fact that this needs explaining in a 21st India is truly disturbing. What happened when all students at a school sang choirs during Christmas? What happened when all the student would put on flower carpets for onam? What happened when students organize an iftar feast for everyone? Well, nothing. Everyone had fun and the community grows harmoniously. It is really not that hard. Please understand that I am not insulting you. This is more less for the people that replied to your comment.

[@DhruvaKartik]

+Athul Thomas I had assumed that Christians/Muslims were like you and I thought that was completely natural, until I met a few people recently. Let me tell you something about a close Muslim friend of mine. We were picking T-shirts online and he chose one which was completely plain. When I asked him why, he said that simply having a character printed on a shirt, even a Pokemon, could amount to idolatry/sacrilege in Islam. I am sure he would want no mention of Hindu gods in a mosque. When I asked him why he can't be a little more liberal than that, he said that rejecting every other god is implicit to Islam (there is no god but God) and other Abrahamic faiths. And anyone who does not follow this is a "fake" muslim. I had a similar encounter with a Christian friend who was usually very polite. But on one occasion, we were discussing religion and he told me that I would go to hell for not believing in Jesus. When I asked him if he was joking, he denied and said that he truly believed that (I made sure that was not sarcasm). I know that there are many liberal Christians but I am guessing there would also be orthodox Christians at church who share the views of my friends I just mentioned. This is why I was wondering how this concert could have happened. If a Christian attends a non-religious concert hall for Carnatic music, I wouldn't be surprised. But a Carnatic concert at a church is surprising because you need to respect the ideology of the church to perform there, right?

[@reenaphil9283]

beautiful perfomance

[@mizhaavu]

Super TMK...

[@subramanianvydianathan6333]

Great

[@Ramnambiarcc]

Good singing.... Amba Kamakshi.. Mahamaye...

[@sasi.ppulikkasseri7580]

super ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@sangameswariyer7712]

where are the listeners?

[@mohancharlu9153]

Neraval ❤️

[@pradeepchandra4162]

Great performance.. As you are experimenting a lot for making this art from more beautiful.. I have a suggestion. In this art from percussion is not constant.. Not that much rythemic.. A musician need a constant systematic rhythm.. Like in the jazz music.. Jazz vocalist going up down.. Swaying.. Twisting.. Creeping.. Scating.. But the jazz drummer making a base rhythm constantly. .that makes the music so charming.

[@karthickhours9313]

Nice pick up , i checked . Very nice continueion.

[@elpraveenkirubagaran]

wonderful

[@mohancharlu9153]

Aha 😍

[@daranikant]

Trance

[@karthickhours9313]

C 9:14

[@karthickhours9313]

போ!,

[@karthickhours9313]

C 3:49

[@karthickhours9313]

C6:35

[@karthickhours9313]

Abishtu abishtu ☺️

[@karthiks9510]

பல்லவி காமாக்ஷி ப3ங்கா3ரு காமாக்ஷி நன்னு ப்3ரோவவே அனுபல்லவி தாமஸ(மே)ல ராவே ஸாம கா3ன லோலே ஸுஸீ1லே (காமாக்ஷி) சரணம் 1 காம கால ப்ரிய பா4மினீ காம்ய காமதே3 கல்யாணீ காமாக்ஷீ கஞ்ஜ த3(ளா)ய(தா)க்ஷீ த்ரி-கோண வாஸினீ காருண்ய ரூபிணி (காமாக்ஷி) சரணம் 2 பாவனீ ம்ரு2து3 பா4ஷிணீ ப4க்த பாலினீ ப4வ மோசனீ ஹே(மா)ங்கீ3 ஹிம கி3ரி புத்ரீ ம(ஹே)ஸ்1வரீ ஹ்ரீம்-கார ரூபிணீ (காமாக்ஷி) சரணம் 3 ஸ்1யாம க்ரு2ஷ்ண பரிபாலினீ ஸு1க ஸ்1யாமளே ஸி1வ ஸ1ங்கரீ ஸூ1லினீ ஸதா3-ஸி1வுனிகி ராணீ விஸா1(லா)க்ஷ தருணீ ஸா1ஸ்1வத ரூபிணீ (காமாக்ஷி) ஸ்வர ஸாஹித்ய நா மனவினி வினு தே3வீ நீவே க3தி(ய)னி நம்மினானு மா(ய)ம்மா வேக3மே கருண ஜூ(ட3வ)ம்மா ப3ங்கா3ரு பொ3ம்மா (காமாக்ஷி)

[@umeshbhat7250]

Superb

[@venkateshkl7115]

Was this the first composition he sang here?

[@HarishKumar-pu7qk]

i recall a boozar who used to song like this with same facial expression and gesticulation all along the route after boozing from the village toddy shop in the evening which was a source of entertainment to all the villagers

[@mizhaavu]

Harish Kumar that's the song of the sub altern. There are some glorious songs with the smell of soil, composed by the so called boozers. Just that we need the capability and power to appreciate it.

[@vittuvidhyavidhya9863]

Best vocalist..Best rendition... Though I endorse the thought on Brahman everywhere...i admonish that the crowd still aren't there...one may argue that still all crowds aren't of Bhaktas. Ok. But his arrogance of portrayal of periyar who hasn't any thought of divine..leave it atleast human in principles...his support is unwarranted... And by the way any art is a rendering to God be it music..dance... instrument or some sort of cinema Content ( they also do pooja )... If he doesn't like sabhas he should been silently propagating music in his own way rather disturbing.. Temples ofcourse are the only place apt for music and nowadays it is unimaginable to even think of it with Dravidian stocks holding temples and going against it ... The cultural link to art is missing and that is the centre of controversy.. The other way sabhas ( not all ) are run by money and voice ...and this should not deter artists those aiming for excellence... This issue is an eyeopener. Wishing Krishna and it's team all happiness and God bless them to nurture culture and not get in to controversies. TM Krishna sir you are wonderful.. Please play along and step down from insignificant hypes which is definitely not your cup of cake. Wishes and prayers. Wherever you are

[@manojrajappan4033]

As usual scintillating by Krishna...Akkarai accompanying beautifully too!!...though kind of sick of Arun Prakash's mridangam...plays a monotonous style for all types of songs which really does nothing for the song/s played or the beautiful instrument that is the mridangam..the poor ghatam/kanjira player is forced to follow suit in the dead pan style :(

[@Sowmya-Mohan]

Manoj Rajappan Arun prakash plays as per the requirement of the song. Nothing more nor less. Just apt. Many many songs of several artists have been enhanced and stand out due to his sensitive and sensible aesthetics.

[@adarshdatt]

Couldnt agree more with Sowmya Mohan. Arun prakash sir is a class apart. The framework of the accompanists here bring forth an experience of varali on a different plane.

[@sangameswariyer7712]

Manoj - That is the style he adopts . Means he allows more vocals to be Heard with less cacophonic sound. You should Know that some mridangists create such volume that vocals are not audible.

[@DhruvaKartik]

I think you feel that way primarily because Krishna sings in vilamba kala. For that, what Arun Prakash does is apt. It will be very awkward if the percussionists don't follow suit just for the sake of panditya pradarsana.

[@manojrajappan4033]

Humbly agree to most your comments...its the duty ( for lack of a better term) of the accompanying artist to enhance the main, an the performance in general. I was not speaking only about this one...is a trend I have observed ( and my observations are only worth that much!!!) over time and feel that his style does not necessarily enhance the concert. May suit certain songs and Kalas but I think he adopts this to nearly all and does not do justice to instrument's capabilities neither. Also agree with another who commented that some mridangists destroy the concert and its essence by overplaying/grandstanding( some senior artists especially) but there has to be a balance ...is all I am saying...and like mentioned before, my knowledge and ability to comment is very minuscule to say the least. But wanted to voice what I felt. Also the replies to my comments have been so measured and nicely put...thank you for that!

[@cyrildara1336]

Unfortunate misusing the holy sacred Historic Church Premises

[@JayanDivakaran]

First of all sing properly

[@vinodn2689]

Sound is another way to reach h God

[@karthickhours9313]

C 6:35

[@karthickhours9313]

Ahh, next tu