During the pandemic, while confined indoors is when I started paying more attention to the sounds of birds and how musical they sounded. And as I was learning and setting vernacular poems to music, it dawned on me how often birds were used as literary devices by poets in varied contexts. My fellow musicians Vaibhav Ramani and Phanindra Bhaskara and I are getting ready for … Continue reading Birdsong & Bhajans – The Hindu writes about Udaan
Tweet Pin +1 in Many of us use the arrival of a new year to take stock, set goals and this issue of Music Matters too looks forward and back starting with the origins of the Indian national anthem. The opening of Coke Studio in Tamil is a new start and an innovative qawwali performance by a female singer … Continue reading New Beginnings: Story of Jana Gana Mana,Orchestral Qawwali, Coke Studio in Tamil – January 2023
My article in The Hindu today talks about how rhythm is an intrinsic part of our daily lives. From being a timekeeper to celebrating key milestones, rhythm underpins the traditions that have existed in our culture for a long time. Rhythm forms an integral part of a triad that underpins all the music of India—with melody and lyrics being the other two. The links to … Continue reading Rhythm a unifying force – The Hindu
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 Tyagaraja’s Swara Raga Sudha … Continue reading A Versatile Melody, Ancient Instruments, Engaging Audiences
Communicating through music How do musicians convey their thoughts in their own inimitable manner? With the sounds of the violin, mridangam, nadhaswaram and thavil, five musicians express the reflection of the human spirit on various themes from gender roles, pandemic blues to caste oppression in a lovely musical Rise. The production was commissioned by the cultural organization Dhvani. Learning through music The power of … Continue reading Communicating, Learning, Social Change through Music
My teacher, the late Seetalakshmi Venkatesan, introduced me to the vachanas of the Kannada mystics Akka Mahadevi and Basavanna. As a Tamil speaker, understanding the vachanas was not easy, but over time as I began to understand these works, it began reflecting in the joy I experienced while singing or teaching them. My husband’s epiphany with Bharatidasan’s ‘Thunbam Nergayil’ brought me back to considering what … Continue reading What enhances the aural appeal – words or music?
This article appeared first in The Hindu here. —start reading— “Yevvade Vaaduevvade?” (Who is he?) These are the opening words of a Telugu padam (poem set to music) by the 17th-century poet Kshetrayya. The poet expresses the angst of a woman over her lover’s cavalier behaviour. That the woman is married and the trysts are happening in broad daylight when the husband is away is … Continue reading Padams and Javalis – Classical Love Poems
When hugs become verboten in these pandemic times, how do families demonstrate their love for one another? My article in The Hindu explores how my family is coping with the demands that social distancing places on our daily behaviour. Click here to read the article. Continue reading Save the hugs for now – The Hindu
What is it about #music that jogs memories, alters moods and moves entire audiences? My article which first appeared in The Hindu, talks about how the more you appreciate ragas the greater their influence on your moods. Read the article below. —start text— When you recognise the raga behind the wildly popular ‘Ghoomar’ song from ‘Padmavat’, you are halfway home Do you recall that feeling … Continue reading Moods and melodies – article in The Hindu
In the Sunday magazine of The Hindu today, I write about how the message of the Bhakti mystics is relevant and applicable to our everyday lives and how understanding their works help us cope with challenges that we face today.Here is the article that first appeared in The Hindu. —start reading— The wisdom of the Bhakti mystics Chitra Srikrishna April 20, 2019 16:03 IST Updated: … Continue reading The wisdom of the Bhakti mystics
Chitra Srikrishna 