The legendary ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram takes stage in Bandra this Friday with singer TM Krishna to explore a new dimension of Carnatic music that experiments with the roles of rhythm and melody
TM Krishna and Vikku Vinayakram perform against the backdrop of the Afghan Church in Colaba in December 2017. Pics Courtesy/S Hariharan
Jazz is not new to Bandra. The queen of the suburbs has witnessed musicians — legends and amateurs — in the genre perform. It will see one more return to the neighbourhood this week, but with a difference. Ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram and TM Krishna’s concert at St Andrew’s auditorium this Friday takes its title from Dave Brubeck’s famed standard, Take Five, and hopes to explore the form of Carnatic music just as Brubeck’s quartet did with their jazz standard.
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“We are simply five performers on stage together,” says Krishna, laughing away the complex connections this writer has built up. “But there is a comparison to be made. Usually, in Carnatic music, the vocalist leads while the percussion is an accompaniment. With Vikku mama [Vinayakram] and myself, there will be times when his percussion will take over. There is a certain inversion in the role,” he admits. While there is the tradition of the thaniyavarthanam — a phase created specifically for percussion solos, Krishna points out, “It is a solo, and not a space where the melody participates. In that sense, this [the concert] is a novel experience and something we need more of in the Indian classical domain,” Krishna remarks.
This will be Krishna and Vinayakram’s first performance together in the city since their memorable concert at the Afghan Church in Colaba back in 2017. On Friday, they will be joined by Ramakrishnan, HK Venkatram (violin) and Arun Prakash (mridangam).
For the 82-year-old Vikku Vinayakram, such explorations have been part of a lifelong journey. The octogenarian has performed with Indian classical stalwarts such as MS Subbalakshmi and M Balamuralikrishna, and is also a key part of John McLaughlin’s fusion group, Shakti. “I have since played several times in the city, including with Shakti. The audience is aware of Carnatic music as much as fusion. They are well-informed and support music,” he shares over a phone call.
While Krishna will take on the vocals with varnam, kirtanams, ragam, thalam and pallavi, Vinayakram will take on the shiva tandavam, guru vandanam and some special compositions that deviate from the usual thala structure. This includes some verses from the Thevaram — a collection of poems from 7th to 10th century in praise of Lord Shiva. “Normally, most of the verses fall under the eight, seven and 12-beat structure, but the ones we have picked cater to 7 ½ beats,” explains Neelamani Ramakrishnan, who will accompany him on the mridangam and perform konnakol — vocal percussion using rhythmic syllables. “Vikkuji wanted to create something really interesting for the stage. In this segment, I am going to recite the verses in konnakol,” Ramakrishnan elaborates. The composition looks at text itself as a rhythmic pattern and transforms it to speak with the instrument at a syllabic level in a sequence where the rhythm and text match each other.
Neelamani Ramakrishan
This is another incidental connection to Brubeck’s iconic work that also broke patterns with its 5/4 meter unlike the usual 4/4 jazz standard. “Rhythm is tied to calculations. Our [Carnatic] system involves arithmetic and asymmetric progressions and matrices. But Vikku mama would disagree,” shares Ramakrishnan. As a student, he recalls pointing out the mathematical connection in the korvais and tihais, only for his guru to say, “I don’t know mathematics. I know my rhythm.”
Krishna points out that they will only have a couple of rehearsals before the final performance. “I am travelling, and so is he. This again, is quite like jazz. We both know the frameworks of the Carnatic form. Within that, we don’t need details, we just have to respond,” he says, adding that musicians have to be listeners and performers simultaneously.
In the end, it comes down to enjoying the process. “I hope the audience enjoys it as much as we have enjoyed creating and working on it. Since we performed before at the Afghan Church, we hope the combination works once again. Even if you are not familiar with Carnatic themes or notes, the rhythms will captivate you,” Vinayakram signs off.
On: September 29; 7 pm
At: St Andrews Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra West.
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com or box office (4 pm onwards)
Cost: Rs 500 onwards
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