Playing the same Carnatic tunes for 100 years – Mint Lounge

Carnatic classical musicians have a rich and varied collection of compositions, going back hundreds of years. Throughout the 20th century, Carnatic composers and performers have continued creating innovative and traditional pieces for vocal and instrumental performances. Yet the works of modern composers donā€™t see much airplay. My article for Mint Lounge looks at how carnatic performers choose their concert repertoire and the factors that influence … Continue reading Playing the same Carnatic tunes for 100 years – Mint Lounge

Navaratri Songs

Navaratri is a festival that celebrates the divine power of the mother goddess, Devi or Durga. It is a time for reflection and rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul. While there are many carnatic krithis that come to mind during Navaratri here are some popular ones that have been composed by different vaggeyekaras (lyricists cum music composers). Do share your favourite Navaratri krithis! Continue reading Navaratri Songs

Remembering M.S.Subbulakshmi

Today marks another birth anniversary of the legendary carnatic vocalist M.S.Subbulakshmi. Like all carnatic musicians I grew up listening to her music. A nice documentary on the legend can be viewed below. A few years earlier violinist R.K.Shriram Kumar had shared his perspective on performing and learning from the legend. To read Shriram Kumar’s reminiscence of M.S.Subbulakshmi click here. The well known playwright and writer … Continue reading Remembering M.S.Subbulakshmi

Guest Speaker – Northeastern University

ā€œI canā€™t remember his name. Isnā€™t he Norah Jonesā€™s father?ā€ I was flummoxed for a moment by this response to my question asking the students to identify who the musician was. Iā€™d just played a snippet of Pandit Ravi Shankarā€™s sitar performance to Francesca Ingleseā€™s ā€œMusical Communities of Bostonā€ class at Northeastern University. The question helped me realize the assumptions Iā€™d made about the audience, … Continue reading Guest Speaker – Northeastern University

Improvisation in music, Thumris, Shivaratri – February 2022

  Even though I publish this newsletter on a monthly basis, events around us such as the outbreak of war in Ukraine this week, gives me pause. As with the pandemic I feel music provides a means for us to cope with our uncertain world and hopefully build bridges across cultures. With this in mind I’ve focused on different music types and their commonalities and … Continue reading Improvisation in music, Thumris, Shivaratri – February 2022

Introducing Carnatic Music at Northeastern University

“What is the composition of the audience that comes to such concerts?” This was one of the questions a student at Northeastern University posed to me earlier this week. I had been invited by Prof Francesca Inglese at Northeastern University to introduce carnatic music to two of her classes ā€˜Topics in World Musicā€™ and ā€˜Musical Communities of Bostonā€™. After two years I was interacting with … Continue reading Introducing Carnatic Music at Northeastern University

Is music timeless or a reflection of the times?

    Golden Era of Bollywood MusicPopular Music is often a reflection of the times that we live in and film songs create strong memories for listeners. The fifties and sixties of the 20th century is referred to as the golden era of Bollywood. Here’s a documentary where actors, directors, lyricists and musicians talk about why this period was so special for Indian music and … Continue reading Is music timeless or a reflection of the times?

Ananya Ashok – Straddling Two Worlds

ā€œAll the action was on the cassette shelf.ā€ That was how Ananya Ashok described her initial years listening to music all the timeā€”whether at home or in the car with her parents. Ananya is a well known carnatic vocalist and veena player (vainika). I had invited her as a guest speaker to my Musical Traditions of India class at Ahmedabad University. In an engaging session, … Continue reading Ananya Ashok – Straddling Two Worlds

Gratitude

Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life – Rumi As schools reopen and classes begin, I find myself reflecting all that’s changed over the last 18 months. I know I have become more aware of the tenuousness of life and all that I took for granted. This has meant some self-reflection and drawing of lessons. However, my decision … Continue reading Gratitude

A Versatile Melody, Ancient Instruments, Engaging Audiences

  A Versatile MelodyMuthiah Bhagavathar an early 20th century composer was challenged to compose a carnatic piece that would appeal to a western audience. English Note his composition popularized by vocalist Madurai Mani Iyer continues to be featured in the carnatic concert circuit. Raga Shankarabaranam in which the English note is composed is a truly versatile melody rich in gamaka. From Tyagarajaā€™s Swara Raga Sudha … Continue reading A Versatile Melody, Ancient Instruments, Engaging Audiences