Q
Your favourite studios to record at ?
There is a studio in Isha Coimbatore that I find comfortable . In Chennai , I usually record at Off beat or JamDub – they both have good engineers with knowledge in Carnatic music and excellent equipment .
Q
What was your most challenging situation on stage with respect to the equipment ?
Just a few weeks ago , I performed in Hyderabad and the thambura speaker was low on charge . The moment I started the concert , the speaker started showing red but I was confident that I can manage with the charging cable . But halfway through , the speaker stopped . I plugged in the charger and it was not charging ! It was going on and off but luckily there was a manual thambura and I managed by putting a mic on the manual thambura . Because of this , the concert got delayed by a few minutes and immediately after that concert , I ordered a new JBL Flip 6 .
Q
What is the nonmusical thing that you enjoy the most ?
Food and fitness . But maybe I enjoy food the most ( laughs
Q
The most unique concerts that you wished you watched live ? There was one concert by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Mama that has been dubbed the “ airport concert ” which I have heard hundreds of times , and I wish I was able to have witnessed it live . There is another video of an intimate chamber concert by Bhimsen Joshi-ji where I wish I could have been . In the nonclassical genres , I wish I could have gone to a Michael Jackson concert back in the 90s or Simon and Garfunkel ’ s famous concert in Central Park . The list is endless -- I am a big fan of the band Queen as well and wish I could have seen Freddie Mercury live .
Q
Songs that you like to secretly hum but won ’ t sing at your concerts
I hum stuff like Bhaja Govindam but never sing it in concerts . Enna appan allava is a viral hit that I get requested a lot . I usually don ’ t sing it in concerts though , as that song has a certain vibe that needs to be performed with a bigger band and certain set up .
Q
Common misconception on Carnatic music you would want to change ?
One big misconception is that Carnatic music is only for certain audience . I think it has to be changed and the genre should reach a bigger audience . Yes , it is technical and can be complex , but we have to somehow package it in a way that can reach more ears , and generally change the ecosystem around it .
The Score Magazine
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