The Score Magazine - Archive August 2015 issue! | Page 41

SNEHA RAMESH
You are known to be a child prodigy and started
your stage shows at 12. How did that happen?
Music was a part of our family starting from my late grandfather
Shri. Bhaskara Panicker who was a Nadaswara Vidwan, and
proceeding through my uncle Shri. B. Sasikumar, a renowned
violinist. I grew up in the presence of my uncle, trying to imitate
him and the notes he play on his violin. Thus, violin became a
familiar instrument for me. My natural interest in the instrument
clubbing with my uncle’s classical lessons made the rest happen.
Bringing about a perfect blend of Indian and
International music in the form of Fusion Music is
your specialty. How did you choose to do that?
It was not a planned choice. I used to love every genre of music and
had the freedom to hear it even in my family which had a classical
conditioning. My uncle wanted me to learn classical music to
its depth, I used to learn what he taught, along with listening to
varieties of music individually. So as my thoughts started to take
shape, music appeared to me as a blend of whatever I had listened.
And it evolved out from the thinking process to my instrument
quite naturally.
Playing various genres of music in your beautiful
instrument, Violin is something spectacular.
How do you manage to bring that about?
As I said, listening to different genres of music is also
about listening to various instruments. Guitars
always mesmerised me, western music too attracted
me a lot. So as I hear some interesting notes, it
was my habit to imitate that on my violin. What
I commonly see around is not about mastering
the instruments, but it seems to be only about
imitating the vocals on the instruments. If we
closely observe the westerners, they are more
inclined to be instrumental oriented, while
ours is vocal oriented. I badly wanted to
break from that and hence started to explore
my instrument as it is, trying to play any
note that strikes me. May be that though
succeeded.
Tell us something about your
project "Bhajati"
It started as a thought of Shri. Vijayan,
renowned singer K. S. Chitra’s husband.
He wanted me to do some work with my
violin. The first plan was that Chitra’s
bhajan vocals will be replaced by my
instrument and would be made to an
album. But my concept of music was
something different and I could convince
him with that. The final plan was to do
a different approach for bhajans. I did it,
he took up the marketing part and it won
good recognition from around.
How was your experience being a
part of Coke Studio?
Both of my MTv session experiences- MTv Coke Studio and MTv
Unplugged were beyond words. While for MTv Unplugged I had to
use my acoustic violin for really being ‘unplugged’, I could use my
electric violin and processor for the coke studio. While Unplugged
session was all with the legendary Ranjit Barot, the coke studio
association was with Hitesh Sonik, music producer and Sunidhi
Chauhan’s husband. Mtv was an out of the world experience for
me with some fantastic music and the finest set to perform for any
musician.
You pioneered the resolution of instrumental
fusion music in Kerala and paved a path for many
aspirants. Do you think the scene has changed now
in this regard?
At that point of time, Kerala stood with total ignorance about band,
about instrumental music and totally about the concept of fusion.
It was a difficult kickstart for us. First we had to familiarise people
with what it is. And for that, we had to play some film s ong for
the audience to relate themselves, between our absolutely new
kind of compositions on stage. But it had some bad effect that the
audience wanted more film songs for a easy kind of listening. And
some people went out to buy an electric violin and start playing
a film song for a performance. Film songs played on instruments
thus began to get more popular than what our real intention
was. The musicians as well as the audience comfortably forgot
everything except a film song played on an instrument. I have an
opinion that it is a bad approach as nothing was new thereon. The
scene has of course changed as more musicians have come up with
instruments, more popularity was gained for the genre and more
wide listening happens too along.
You have performed in lot of famous shows across
the globe. How has the reception there been
different in comparison to India?
The best factor is, the foreigners are ignorant about film music.
They await and enjoy every musician for the new things he brings
forth, or the mastery he displays with the instrument. I can play
my own music there, not someone’s music. The Indian audience
are more about expecting things as they presume, and they don’t
want us to break their expectations too. Whereas, the westerners
want us to break their expectations. It happened so once in
Germany that, there was a two day classical concert, the first day
of which was filled with 60% audience. The second day happened
at their request and the audience was 101%, with some seated
wherever they could sit. And after each kriti we played, the next
two or three minutes they stood up and gave a stand up ovation.
That’s the attitude abroad, much refreshing for every musician.
So my approach too would be different in Indian stages and the
stages abroad.
Could you elaborate a little about your award
winning album "Let it B"
'Let it B' is my first instrumental fusion album, with a minute
percentage of vocal usage. The first decision we took was about
the language we should adopt. I didn’t want the album to be just
one among a lot. Hence we started thinking aout Sanskrit. My
mother was a Sanskrit teacher and I am a Sanskrit post graduate.
So we finalised Sanskrit without much confusion. And then it was
about the pick of the artists to be featured. There I had a luck to
get a handful musicians whom I always admire- Sivamani, Louis
Banks, Fazal Qureshi, Gino Banks, Sheldon etc. That way, 'Let it B'
is always hugged closest to my heart always.
What else has Balaleela done? Anything
exceptional you would like to share with us?
Balaleela is officially in its budding stage. Before forming this
band, we all had worked together for many stages in India and
abroad. Gradually the thought came up to flock together for a
better result and ‘Balaleela’ took its origin recently. Dreams are
big, and we await.
Your advice to aspiring Violinists who want to
make it big.
Practice... Practice… and practice. Learn a lot. Listen a lot. Learn
the rules as much and as deep enough to break it. Be innovative
and fly high!
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