P. Unnikrishnan

Carnatic Vocal

P. Unnikrishnan

3 minute read

Parakkal Unnikrishnan (born 9 July 1966 in Palakkad, Kerala) is a versatile Carnatic vocalist and acclaimed playback singer. Raised in a musically rich household—his great-grandfather founded the Telugu magazine Gruhalakshmi—he began Carnatic training at age 12 under V.L. Seshadri, later refining his craft with Dr. S. Ramanathan and Savithri Sathyamurthy, a proponent of the Veena Dhanammal style. Balancing academics and music, he held a corporate role before committing fully to his musical career in 1994.

Unnikrishnan is the first male playback singer to win a National Film Award for a Tamil song—“Ennavale Adi Ennavale” and “Uyirum Neeye” composed by A.R. Rahman—setting a precedent in Indian cinema. His artistry extends beyond film into jazz collaborations, including performances with the Eli Yamin Jazz Quartet and Anil Srinivasan in 2008. He holds numerous honors like Tamil Nadu’s Kalaimamani, Isai Peroli, Yuva Kala Bharathi, and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2014).

Unnikrishnan has been a standout artist at the Darbar Festival 2011, delivering vibrant renditions of Raagas Nattai and Hamsanandi at both King’s Place and the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester. Supported by luminaries including violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, mridangam artist Bangalore Praveen, ghatam player R.N. Prakash, and tanpura Priya Prakash, his performances were praised for their technical brilliance, emotional depth, and elegant improvisation—reinforcing his prominence in both Carnatic and global classical music circles.

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Aruna Sairam | Kalinga Nartana Tillana | Carnatic Vocal

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2009, on 3rd April 2009, at the Purcell Room at London's Southbank Centre. Musicians: - Aruna Sairam (vocals) - Jyotsna Srikanth (violin) - Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam) - RN Prakash (ghatam) - Priya Parkash (tanpura) Kalinga Nartana Tillana The esteemed Carnatic vocalist, Aruna Sairam adds powerful dimensions to it, making it the show-stopper of the evening. Giving apposite accompaniment to this experiential performance are Satish Patri on the mridangam, Jyotsna Srikanth on the violin and RN Prakash on the ghatam. Set to Raag Gambheera Nattai in Adi talam, Kalinga Narthana is an attention-grabber of a composition by Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyar’s (1700-1765). More about the music: This thillana emerged in the 19th century and gained popularity with the renditions of the famous Harikatha exponent, Late Brahmashri Needamangalam Krishnamurthi Bhagavathar. Though essentially suitable for classical dance performances and Harikatha (a traditional Hindu discourse that explores stories from epics through music), this piece has become a popular presentation in Carnatic vocal music because of its charming and vibrant gait. Kalinga Narthana is a narrative about Lord Krishna’s mythical battle with Kaliya, the fearsome five-headed snake who boiled and poisoned the waters of the Yamuna River. ‘Kalinga Narthana,’ literally translates to ‘dance of the Kaliya serpent’ and is recorded in the Indian epic Mahabharata, which is also the world’s longest epic believed to have taken place 5000 years ago. Sairam’s poetic interpretation of the thillana is extraordinary. Defying conventions, she adds her inimitable charm and drama to this piece by delivering an upbeat, groovy recitation of the thillana in her sensuous, sonorous voice. As she doles out the syllables of the thillana with authority, Kumar and Prakash play in excellent synchrony, blending their instruments with the mnemonics of the composition. Gambheera Nattai is a pentatonic raga of the Carnatic system that has been derived from Chala Nattai, the 36th Melakarta. It is a symmetric raga that does not contain rishabha and dhaivata. Its arohana and avarohana are as follows: S G₃ M₁ P N₃ Ṡ[a] Ṡ N₃ P M₁ G₃ S[b] The notes used in this scale are shadja, antara gandhara, shuddha madhyama, panchama and kakali nishada. Gambheera Nattai is also known as Shuddha Nattai. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.