Please share a couple of your favourites tracks for the uninitiated – where the Piano has played a key role to create the base of the track , but neither has that been understood of credited to the instrument .
Through Bollywood history , we ' ve had the piano in memorable songs . Who can forget " Yeh Shaam Mastani " in Kati Patang , or in " Ami Chini Go Chini " in Charulata ( Satyajit Ray ). Tamil saw composers like MS Viswanathan and Ilayaraja use the piano in hundreds of songs . In both songs that I mentioned , the piano has been the base on which the melody was formed , plays all the key melodic transitions , and provides the base harmonies - except we don ' t particularly notice it !
Please share your thoughts on collaborations , why has the trend become so important today and whether the current musical climate is doing justice to the very thought of a collaborative space .
Collaborations have always been the way music has progressed , from time immemorial . I don ' t think the idea of collaborations itself is new . Film scores in the early era required as many as 70 or 80 musicians and technicians coming together to produce just a few minutes of memorable melody .
In recent times , thanks to new media and internet media , these craftsmen are also visible to the audience , and has egged people on to be bolder and more virtuosic in their displays . And hence we have a collaborative performance construct that is always changing and being more exciting .
I ' ve worked with classical greats such as Sudha Raghunathan , Sikkil Gurucharan , Unnikrishnan , Aruna Sairam , U Shrinivas , Ravikiran , Jayanthi Kumaresh , U Rajesh and even legends such as Dr Umayalpuram Sivaraman in the South . I ' ve had the privilege of working with names such as Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar , Gaurav Mazumdar , Rakesh Chaurasia and others in the North .
At the same time , I ' ve had the chance to participate in shows celebrating the music of Ilayaraja , while today ' s film music composers in the South are all friends and collaborators .
I ' ve played solo , or my collaborative project of novel Carnatic music presentation with Sikkil Gurucharan , or with dance or theatre , with mythology ( Devdutt Pattanaik ) - and continue to expand the scope and range of possibilities for the piano .
TOUCH commemorates ALL of it - and does so in all the richness and grandeur that the grand piano brings to the table !
Your take on film music ? We hear that there is enough and more interest from music directors down south to have you feature on film soundtracks . Are there specific films you ’ ve played in ?
Film music is at a very interesting juncture in its long history in India . More and more people are getting into the fray , more experimental music is the name of the game – and many exciting young talents are getting exposure . Thanks to my friendship with many of the younger musicians , I ’ ve played quite a few tracks in films in recent times . I am most excited about the upcoming “ rock piano ” track in the film “ Sathuram ” ( Tamil ) , with music by young maestro Girishh Gopalakrishnan . I look forward to the music being made by young geniuses such as Santhosh Narayan , Sean Roldan and G V Prakash , all of whom are great friends .
What was the thought behind Piano Mani ? Was it difficult to add a context considering Mani comes with his own strong brand of musicality attached to his name ?
It was a simple tribute on YouTube to a person I greatly admire both
We don ' t have a scene that specifically focuses on the piano as an instrument enough to sustain a rewarding career . Western classical music is on the rise , largely due to the efforts of individuals , but nowhere close to the effort required to make this a mainstream ideal .
In this context , to play Indian classical-influenced music on the piano , or to even make an aesthetic that is contemporary and new has been an uphill challenge .
personally and professionally – the inimitable Mani Ratnam . I ’ ve had the privilege of doing stage shows with his wife , Suhasini Mani Ratnam , and I ’ ve come to see Mani sir as a master craftsman and a great artiste . It wasn ’ t difficult to come up with a medley of Mani songs – as the aesthetic and artistic brilliance that unites them is unique and easy to work with .
Your association with S . P . Balasubramaniam and the concert you did .
I got to work with SPB for a specially put together “ Unplugged ” concert – and was the start of a lovely association with the great singer . Personally I found him to be a vocal wizard , as fresh as he sounded 40 years ago , and a humble and supremely lovable human being . You can find our work on YouTube .
Where do you take TOUCH to next ? Are you taking it abroad as well ?
TOUCH is slated to release online on November 1 . We are taking it Bangalore . Delhi , Hyderabad and Chennai . Additionally , TOUCH will travel as a concert to Europe and to the Far East by end of this year .
What are some of the key festivals you ’ ve been featured at ? How is your music received abroad ?
I was lucky to be featured in festivals such as the Harbourfront Festival in Toronto ( With Sikkil Gurucharan and Lata Pada ); The Esplanade ’ s Arts Festival in Singapore ( several years including this year ); Alchemy ( Southbank Centre , London ); Indika Festival ( TOUCH , the UK , 2015 ); The Fall Dance Festival ( Dakshina , Washington DC , 2014 ); Parramasala ( New South Wales , Australia , 2010 ); India Beat , Malaysia ( 2011 and 2012 ) and many more .
You ’ re the first person to win the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi youth award for creative and experimental music . Did it alter the way you looked at how your music is received ?
I am very honoured that I was the first person to be awarded the SNA award for Creative and Experimental Music in the youth category in 2010 . Being a national honour , I look at it as recognition for the instrument , and a great fillip to doing more exciting work . I know that this has inspired a lot of other younger musicians , and I am happy that I have been able to contribute this way .
Closing Thoughts .
As a music educator through Rhapsody , I find my work meaningful in enabling children across South India . As a pianist , I find my work highly challenging but of great inspiration to a whole generation that wants to break out and create something new . With TOUCH , I hope to take my journey of “ enabling minds ” further – and look forward to great collaborations in the years to come .
The Score Magazine
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