Tecoma

Tecoma refers to a 2023 Indian Carnatic fusion album recorded live at the Tecoma Studios in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The project emerged from an improvisational session led by violinist Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and mridangam artist Trichur C. Nendunuri, accompanied by V.V. Ravi on ghatam and Neyveli B. Venkatesh on kanjira. The recording captured a single, uninterrupted 78-minute performance released as a digital album on June 15, 2023 under the independent label Rasika Foundation for Arts.

The album centers on a free-form exploration of ragam-tanam-pallavi in Shanmukhapriya, a rare Carnatic raga, followed by a rhythmic expansion in Adi talam and Misra Chapu. Krishnan’s violin introduces the raga with elongated gamakas in the lower octave, while Nendunuri’s mridangam responses employ korvai patterns that syncopate against Ravi’s ghatam phrases. Venkatesh’s kanjira contributes percussive texture through muted strokes and open-toned accents. The performance omits composed kriti sections, prioritizing spontaneous interaction between melody and rhythm.

The recording environment at Tecoma Studios utilized a minimal setup with two Neumann U87 microphones in a stereo pair configuration, preserving the acoustic resonance of the wooden performance hall. The album’s mastering retained ambient room tone, including incidental sounds such as the artists’ verbal cues and instrument tuning. No post-production edits altered the original take. The digital release included a single audio file with embedded metadata noting the date, venue, and artist credits. Physical copies were not pressed, though a limited run of 50 USB drives with lossless WAV files was distributed to patrons of the Rasika Foundation.

Critical reception highlighted the album’s departure from conventional concert formats, though documentation of its commercial performance or chart placements remains unavailable. The Rasika Foundation’s archive lists Tecoma as part of its Live from the Chamber series, which features unrehearsed collaborations in intimate settings. Further details on the album’s production budget, alternate takes, or subsequent live iterations are not publicly disclosed.