Kadri Gopalnath
Sadanada Thandavam
I happened to see Kadri Gopalnath at London’s incredible Darbar Festival, back in April 2011, and I have to say, the man is a G. Down to the golden rings he wears on every finger, the rich green kurta shot through with golden threads, and his gold-rimmed glasses, he literally looked like one of the flashy Venkateshwaras at the local movie-theater-turned-temple in my hometown. And he had the swag of someone who knows he is one of the most intriguing saxophone players in the world. By far, his Carnatic performance, in the ocean of Hindustani music, was spectacular. There’s a certain sort of bended note he can elicit that is simply a wonder to hear. And he hit a groove in his live performance (with a flawless rhythm section that included ghatam and mrindangam players) that had everyone nodding their heads. Of course, he got extra props for bringing all of the Tamilians of London out. Immense performance.
