How singer Unnikrishnan’s son Vasudev Krishna polished his musical skillset during lockdown

When 24-year-old Vasudev Krishna, son of popular singer Unnikrishnan, sings superhit Tamil tracks from the ‘90s like ‘Poovukul Olinthirukkum’ (Jeans) or ‘Ennavale’ (Kaadhalan), the most common compliment is: ‘You sound just like your dad.’

“Certain musical nuances are similar,” he admits candidly, over a telephonic interview, “In one particular scale, our voice tones are the same. But the similarity doesn’t really bother me.”

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Vasudev does want to create a niche of his own and attempt a radically different style of singing, but that is for later. For now, he is happy doing covers and sharing screen with his father and sister (Uthara Unnikrishnan) on musical collaborations.

Their official YouTube channel was started as a lockdown activity a year ago, but has now, with more than a lakh subscribers, gained a considerable following among music lovers. “We always used to do small renditions and send to our close family and friends, who kept suggesting we take it up in a bigger way. The lockdown in 2020 gave us that opportunity.”

Family notes

They have rendered together multiple songs, notable among them are ‘Manidhan Enbavan’, ‘Kannama’ and ‘Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi’. Vasudev’s rendition of ‘Nilave Ennidam’ and ’Jeevan Se Bhari’ along with his father have earned much appreciation.

“It has been a great learning curve. Working in our home studio and recording these numbers have taught me about the various musical elements that I need to improve upon. Shooting them as videos helped me understand how to present them visually. As I am not professional at mastering or sound engineering, I go with whatever sounds good to my ears.”

Vasudev picks up musical tips not just from his popular singer-father but also from his sister Uthara, who bagged a National Award in 2015 for her rendition of GV Prakash’s ‘Azhage’ (Saivam). “She listens to a lot of Western music; whenever we go for a drive, I make her play stuff and get an idea of what’s happening.”

Just beat it!

Vasudev had a rather interesting debut in the film industry. His first song was a classical melody composed by actor Simbu, for the 2017 film Sakka Podu Podu Raja starring Santhanam. He has also sung numbers in EP Ko 306 and Vishamakaran, but is candid to admit that he needs more experience. “I have not done live shows, nor have I yet worked with multiple composers. I’m hoping to do more of that,” says Vasudev, who spent the last few months listening to Sid Sriram hits, ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ and Anirudh’s fast-paced songs, among others.

The 24-year-old is currently pursuing his Master’s in Automobile Engineering, but says that music, which has been an integral part of growing up, will surely feature in his future plans. “At the moment, we are working on three evergreen MS Viswanathan songs for our channel,” reveals Vasudev, who is trained in Hindustani music under Bengaluru-based vocalist Nagaraj Rao Havaldar, “I hope to improve my abilities and keep my passion for music going.”