KRIPA KRISHNAN
In conversation with
Charu Hariharan
Programming , check ! Production of an entire album , check ! Composition for films , check ! Vocals , check ! Mridangam , check ! She has ticked many boxes to say the least , yet , she is ambitious for more . Introducing , Charu Hariharan - currently an all-rounded , multifaceted musician with a special inclination towards percussion . She is breaking barriers and paving a path for women to follow with her charisma and conviction in all that she does . Having said that , she still feels she has just scratched the surface . ‘ The more you dig deeper into something , the more you realise how much there is to learn ’ she says . She describes herself as ‘ Curious , passionate and someone who likes to learn ’ simply put and she radiates this contagious positive and empowering energy .
Percussion , she says , was something that naturally intrigued her ever since a young age . Her mother , Dr . B . Arundhathi , who is a well-known and esteemed carnatic vocalist , used to meticulously observe her percussion accompaniments , acknowledge and appreciate every single detail . Whether that nature was passed down through inheritance or simply mere observance remains a mystery ! ‘ Instead of sitting in front of the vocalist , I ’ d sit in front of the Mridangam and attentively watch how and what they play ’ she says . Having said that , being a vocalist is in her blood and part and parcel of being a member of her renowned lineage . She gives full credit to her parents , who were very keen , understanding and encouraging of her passion to pursue the art of percussion .
The Score Magazine
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Charu started learning Mridangam under her guru Sri . Mannarkoil J . Balaji from the age of 10 . She grew up replicating the rhythms played in Raja Sir ’ s music and essentially reciting all that would play behind the vocals . Although she