P.Unnikrishnan was conferred the title "Isai Peroli" by Karthik Fine Arts, on Sunday the 6th of December 98.

Was awarded the title "Yuva Kala Barathi" by the Bharath Kalachar, the title "Nada Bhushanam" conferred by the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, New Delhi and the title "Kalaimamani" by the Govt. of TamilNadu.

Received the National Award for the Best Male Playback Singer for the year 1994 for his first ever film song "Ennavale" (Kadalan) and "Uyirum Neeye"(Pavithra).

Received various awards from the Music Academy, Chennai and other prestigious institutions.

Recorded over 600 film songs for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. Has more than 25 albums on cassettes and CD's to his credit.

Is an "A" grade artist of the All India Radio and has given a number of concerts all over India, U.S.A, The Middle East, The United Kingdom, The Far East, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Do you think you are at the peak of your career now?

I really do not think so. I have lots to learn and a long way to go.


You have achieved everything now - you are very popular, doing a lot of concerts and film music, received numerous awards. What next?

I think I really have to be critical about myself, aim for the best, work hard, be sincere at work and make others happy.


Apart from music and cricket, you have any other talent that is unknown to us?

I play a lot of tennis as well.


Which was the toughest song among your film songs?

It was in a Malayalam movie called Devadasi and the music director was Shareth. It was the toughest song I have ever sung.


Does the lyrics or music of the songs you sing affect you?

It very much depends on the lyrics and the tune. Some songs do make a very deep impact on you and keeps lingering for a long time. Some songs do not make an impact and very easily goes out of your mind.


When you sang 'ennavale', you were an executive with Parrys. What did 'ennavale' do to an executive?

When I was working in Parrys, I was also doing classical concerts. But after 'ennavale' my career took a turn and I had to give up my job and that was a good decision because you can only concentrate on one profession at a time.


At the time of recording, you would visualize something and sing. When you see the visuals in the movie, do they match with your imagination?

They are different sometimes. Most of the time the music director explains the situation and the way he is going to film it and that does help getting a fair idea.


We are talking about global village now. How would the reach of western music affect the Indian music?

Already Indian music has been affected by western music. The youth is very much attracted towards pop and rap and to satisfy them, most of the film songs have that sort of tunes.


Do you think the classical music will also get affected?

Indian classical music has its own audience and one has to develop a taste for it and it does not come over night. We must try to attract more youngsters to Classical music. It is difficult but with a lot of young musicians performing and with the support of sabhas we can definitely find a lot of youngsters coming into the foray of Carnatic music.


You would have two different sets of fans for your classical music and for your film songs. Do you find any difference between them?

Oh, yes. Some of the classical fans do not want me to sing film songs. But film songs fans do not have any such demands. They just enjoy what I sing.


Have you felt music as a burden at any point of time in your life?

To be honest, at times because of too many commitments, I have felt so. Especially during December festivals, there are many concerts and I really feel the pressure.

IN THESE days of amalgamating styles it was refreshing to hear someone who maintained the distinctness of bani. But the first part of her concert was listless. What kept you through a ``Ninne Nera''(Pantuvarali) with neraval and swara as if learnt by rote, a Sahana with ``Rama ika nannu'' weak in manodharma, was the voice, clear as a sruti-aligned bell. And Subhashini Parthasarathy did come into her own in Sankarabharanam where the alapana had fidelity to both tradition and individual imagination. "Sarojadala netri'' had a moving first speed neraval, though you wished the singer would split the words more meaningfully (she ended swaras with samagana-VI, and continued the line from``NO-dini"). Neela Jayakumar's violin put in very sweet touches here and enhanced the recital right through. The percussionists (Madipakkam P. Suresh, Krishnapuram KVRS Mani) did a neat job too, with a tani where the kanjira woke up to higher levels of energy and skill. The post tani session had near forgotten pieces from sampradaya sangitam, all excellently rendered, whether the javali ``Smara sundaranguni'' with the special Pharaz of the Dhanammal school, ``Narimani'' in Khamas which had you tapping to its trills, or the gemlike Atana padam of Ghanam Krishna Iyer ``Tiruvottriyur Tyagarajar". The voice got better and better, along with the increasing involvement of the singer, culminating in a ragamalika viruttam of concise loveliness.

Mysore A.Chandan Kumar had all the training in technique he needs. What he lacked was the soul glimpsed in an earlier concert of the season. What his flute produced at the Narada Gana Sabha were musical feats in high speeds, at a volume that was nothing short of an assault on the eardrum. When will our artistes learn that when amplified beyond a point, music turns into noise? Yet you did recognise genuine talent here, attested by the few contoured sangatis and continuous phrasing, particularly on the longer flute. But they were drowned in the circus feats. The violin (Mannargudi Srinivasan) was not up to the mark — the satisfaction came from the mridangam (G.S Krishna).

Melodic curves

With her strong individuality and disdain for glitz, Visalakshi Nityanand gets better every year, though those very plus points breed mannerisms. But at this stage they are not unpleasing.

For starters her emphasis is totally on ragabhava, you see it in her choice of Shyama and Saveri. The alapana in the latter had generous sruti-aligned karvais to anchor a nourishing manodharma. The neraval for the line ``Narayani Shyamakrishna...'' had every note ringing true in both voice and conception. It was also marked by a grasp of the neraval technique as distinct from alapana and swara, not always maintained in present day practice. Most importantly, she forgot the technique to lose herself in the music. The swara passages were not add-ons, they continued the spirit of the entire Saveri mood. The ragamalika viruttam and the old favourite ``Navasiddhi petralum''(Kharaharapriya), were sung in a way that allowed the melodic curves to flow with the lyrical content.

The drawback? It is a major — though not an insurmountable — one. Despite the full-throatedness, the voice production lacked sensitivity. Many passages sounded as if they were forcibly expelled from the base of the throat. This diminished the aesthetic appeal of the recital as a whole. S.Vijayaraghavan and B.Shree Sundarkumar were the accompanists of the session.

Emphasis on content

P.Unnikrishnan's recital at the Narada Gana Sabha (of Tamil compositions alone) proved different from an unsatisfactory performance earlier in the season. On that day the singer gave his no-holds-barred best, with emphasis on both the melodic content and finer aspects of Carnatic music, bearing both overtly and covertly, the stamp of his guru Dr.S.Ramanathan. This was obvious from the alluring Behag varnam and ``Sabhesan sevadi''(Saveri) composed by his guru (its rhythmic stresses sharpened by a vigorous mridangam), and the Devamanohari kriti ``Arukkuttan Teriyum'' popularised by him.

The vocalist also scored in manodharma, Khambodi filled the hall with its resonance, leaving no major avenue untouched in the exploration. ``Kanakkan kodi'' fulfilled expectations in the swara passages, superb even by the high standards of present day practitioners, though the neraval could not rise to the same level. Shanmughapriya was a shorter essay, differentiated also in structure from Khambodi to bring out the contrastive mood of the raga. The tanam was sound, with the enthusiastic violin (Mysore M.Nagaraj) essaying faster sprays in the instrumental mode to complement the singing. The pallavi (in Chatusra Triputa in Khanda nadai) continued the evening of Siva worship, and excelled in the Khanda nadai swara passages where the singer did not lose track of ragabhava in the rhythm pursuit. All this almost — but not quite — made you overlook that Unnikrishnan's voice production remains quirky, wavering through all the vowels except the open mouthed ``a". The tonal variations muffle rather than maximise depth and weight.

The accompanists played a vital role that day. Mysore Nagaraj displayed characteristic sweetness, his violin had wonderful timbre. Karaikudi Mani's extrovert energy was infectious, and B.S.Puroshotthaman continued to impress with his clarity and good taste.

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN

Source : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/01/04/stories/2002010401140600.htm

Treat of vintage music

V. SANKARASUBRAMANIAN

Ragapriya of Madurai celebrated its anniversary with a music festival.

P. Unnikrishnan

Ragapriya, the chamber music club of Madurai, celebrated its 36th anniversary with a series of music concerts. The festival began on August 1 with P. Unnikrishnan's concert.

Beginning with a varnam in Saaranga and Tyagaraja's `Sugunamule' (Chakravaaham), Unnikrishnan proceeded to a methodical elaboration of Shanmukhapriya.

`Aandavane Unnai Nambinen' was evocative without being pompous. Throughout the concert, Unnikrishnan maintained a tempo.

The Ragam Tanam Pallavi effort could have been avoided, because it was compressed in order to accommodate all the routine items.

Stable and fast

Sudha Raghunathan gave a characteristic account of herself. The fare was unvarying in its fast tempo, and in its dependence on sangatis and brigas, and the consequence was that there was no solid impression or appeal created.

Sudha Raghunathan

The main efforts of the day were a Syama Sastri piece in Varali (Karunajudavamma), Mohanam (Raa Raa Raajeeva Lochana Rama) and a Raagam Tanam Pallavi in Keeravani. All of them were elaborately (and predictably) laced.

Imaginative

The rendition of Bangalore M. S. Sheela was a soul-filling musical experience. It was appealing and while it was never found wanting in technical finish and aplomb the overall effect was subtle emotional musicality.

Sheela's opening pieces were a varnam in Sree Raaga and an invocation to Lord Vinayaka in Hamsadhwani, `Vandeham Jagat Vallabam' by Annamacharya.

M. S. Sheela

The items that followed were `Meenalochani Amba' in Todi and `Devi Neeye Thunai' in Keeravaani. In a minute she sketched Kanada for `Inda Kante' (Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer) and the kriti was sung with quiet competence. The artiste employed her vocal resources judiciously and imaginatively.

Evocative

T. V. Sankaranarayanan rendered haf-a-dozen kirtanas in 20 minutes before embarking on a painstakingly delineated Karaharapriya kriti for `Sakkani' of vintage quality.

The Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Mohanam was also a characteristically worked out exercise. `Venkataachala Nilayam' was tastefully presented, brimming with emotion.

Soaked in bhava

Sanjay Subramanian's concert would live in the audience's mind for long. Sanjay's music is soaked in bhava and exuberantly revels in technicalities, and somehow they do not prove to be contradictory elements. There is never a moment of routine. Sanjay started with a Tarangampadi Panchanata Iyer varnam and a kriti in Mohanam with the Garbhapuri signature. After `Parvatha Rajakumaari' in Sriranjani came an exquisite Sahaana and a touchingly rendered `Sri Panchanadeesam.' Todi was suffused in bhava but the kriti was rendered on a faster pace - Tyagaraja's `Jesintella.' Naattaikurinji was the ragam chosen for Ragam Tanam Pallavi. It was enjoyable with all its creative, imaginative intensity and speed.

Crisp rendition

Maharajapuram Ramachandran was his usual breezy self. The songs rendered were not new to the regular listeners of his cutcheris, yet hemade them pleasant hearing once again.

U. Shrinivas

Western influence

Listening to U. Shrinivas's mandolin after a few years gap was a new experience. One could discern a change in his approach. His fingering technique also seems to have changed, perhaps due to western influence. The recital started with `Karunimpa' varnam in Sahana. `Mahaa Ganapathim' in Nattai saw the artiste exploiting the tonal variety of the different strings and some of the touches were suggestive of western influences. The Ragam Tanam Pallavi exercise was in three ragas — Natabhairavi, Kalyaani and Saveri.

The lighter pieces were more weighty — `Enna Tavam Seidanai' (Kapi), `Krishna Nee' (Yaman Kalyani), `Aasaimukham' (Ragamalika), a Sai bhajan in Misra Aaheerbhairav, `Chandrasekharaa' (Sindhubhairavi) and a tillaana in Maand.

Heights of melody

K. PRADEEP

P. Unnikrishnan is one of the few Carnatic vocalists who is a popular playback singer too.

PHOTO: H. VIBHU

STRIKING A BALANCE: P. Unnikrishnan feels that it is important to listen to all kinds of music.

P. Unnikrishnan is one of the few classical singers who can boast a successful film music career too. He has managed to maintain that fine balance between two very disparate worlds with enviable ease. But this, Unnikrishnan confesses, has not been easy. There is always the danger of being labelled `too heavy' in film music or `too light' by high-brow Carnatic aficionados.

Carnatic music first

Explains Unnikrishnan: "For me film music came much later in my career. Of course, my inspiration was always Jesudas whose voice introduced me to music. But it was Carnatic music first and will remain so. Carnatic music is extremely demanding and requires regular practice, regular concerts. One or two concerts a month is not enough, a singer must be able to do at least 10 concerts. "The feel is so refreshingly different. This is the best kind of practise and so it must be regular. Playback singing, at least in Tamil where I'm actively involved now, is not very demanding. It is usually simple tunes and I finish a song, in say, two or three hours. But recording a song the day after a concert becomes bit of a strain. Ideally, it is best to give your voice a day's rest." Unnikrishnan was trained in Carnatic music by stalwarts like V.L. Seshadri, S. Ramanathan, T. Brinda, Savitri Satyamurthy, Calcutta Krishnamurthy and P. S. Narayanaswamy.

Unnikrishnan feels that aspiring singers must listen to different styles of music. "Ideally, a singer must listen to a lot of music, to all kinds of music. It has helped me and I'm sure you'll see the difference if you try. Understanding the varied styles is the key to singing and this is extremely important for one who aims at a career in film music.

"Trends have changed in film music down the years. In the past it was classical, then it moved into what we call `melisai,' folk was always there, and now the various shades of Western like Pop and Rap. Even if you are a classically trained singer it becomes imperative that you become open and flexible to these changing trends, different styles."

However, Unnikrishnan, who made a thumping debut in film music with the lilting A.R. Rahman number `Ennavale... .' (`Kadalan'), which also fetched him the National award, feels that playback singing is no longer a viable, dependable profession now.

"To make a mark now is not easy. There are so many voices that people are not bothered who is singing. Nobody is concerned about who the singer is, the song is what matters. Singers have lost their identity. I was fortunate to come in at a time when there was space for young singers to establish themselves."

But Unnikrishnan is still a brand image that sells. "I must be fortunate. Music directors still reserve some songs for me. Like the recent one in the film `Thambi.' It was a raga-based song and Vidyasagar wanted me to sing it. Set in Reetigowla raga, Vidyasagar wanted it to be strictly within the parameters of the raga. Reetigowla is not an ordinary scale raga like Kalyani or Mohanam. Any improvisation, he insisted, must be only within the raga but yet he did not want it be in the typical Carnatic style. During such instances I have felt that film songs can be difficult. When one works for someone like Raja Sir [Illayaraja], who adds a lot of folkish feel to his songs; one needs to understand the concept to render it well."

Not being able to sing more Malayalam songs and giving up serious cricket have been Unnikrishnan's regrets. Though some of his songs in films like `Devaragam,' `Devadaasi,' Mangalyapalak,' and a few albums have topped the charts, he has never been given his due in his mother tongue.

"A lot of people have a misconception that I'm not a Malayali and have doubts about my diction. There are a lot of young singers around and they may find it a problem bringing me down from Chennai for recordings. Recently, I recorded for a Malayalam film. But I don't know what has happened to it. It was supposed to be a duet with Manjari. I would surely love to contribute more to Malayalam music."

Source : http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/30/stories/2006063000120200.htm

Serenity preserved

INRECO 2771-C-727 - Carnatic classical vocal - Merusamana - P. Unnikrishnan - Price. Rs.50.

UNNIKRISHNAN, POPULAR Carnatic Music artiste and an equally popular playback singer, has recorded six Tyagaraja songs for Inreco with R. Varadarajan on the violin, Mannargudi Easwaran on the mridangam and V. Suresh on the ghatam as his accompanists. ``Meru Samana" in the 15th Mela Mayamalavagowla in which the composer pleads with Lord Raghu Vira who is as firm as the Mount Maha Meru to bestow His blessings is sung at a pleasing kalapramanam with no excessive frills to disturb the serenity of the composition.

Vachaspati is elaborated with care and the uncomplicated prayogas that mirror the raga swaroopa in the different sthayis are totally sruthi-aligned and refreshing. The upcoming violinist Varadarajan responds with a sense of proportion and purpose. The neat rendering of ``Kantajudumi" is given an extra boost by the impeccable percussion accompaniment of the mridangam and ghatam players. The sarvalaghu swaraprastharas in the pallavi maintain the lively ambience. ``Adamodigaladhe" in Charukesi and ``Kulabhirudhunu" in Devamanohari are articulated with felicity and involvement.

Unnikrishnan's alapana of Todi with bhava and Shruti suddha has melody ruling the exercise. His madhyamakala phrasings, brighas and mild attempts at sruti bedham are well conceived and presented with much fluency.

The delineation on the violin is underlined with strong bowing and mellifluous time-honoured sancharas that make listening rewarding. The Misra Jampa Tala kriti ``Dachu kovalena" has a sculpted finish while the expansion of the lyrics, ``Soumitri Tyagarajuni" in the two speeds is impeccable and the impromptu swaraas are crowned with a simple korvai with logical, sound patterns.

One can rest assured that if Easwaran is in charge of percussion, the laya display would only be an extension of the music and his tani avartanam with Suresh amply proves the fact. ``O Rama Rama" in Nagagandhari, one of the Utsava Sampradaya Kritis of Tyagaraja, provides a sedate, soothing conclusion to the album. It is heartening that in spite of his busy schedule as a light music singer, Unnikrishnan has not neglected his moorings in the classical genre.

S.P.

Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2002/04/26/stories/2002042601020600.htm