to concert. So there is education that happens on
the stage, apart from the practice sessions at home.
What was the biggest challenge when you first started out?
I found it was challenging to be taken seriously
in Chennai back in 2006, as a kid from the US. I
was very passionate and focused on my training
and honing my skills. But others thought I was
just spending a little bit of time on a hobby and
that I would eventually go back to the US to
pursue a career in a different field. However
I stuck with it, and I eventually got over that
barrier and changed the minds of many around
me. I am grateful that I got the encouragement
finally and have continued support from
musicians and rasikas around the world.
Talk about the importance of lyrical writing
In Carnatic music, it is rare for a musician
to compose and perform their own lyrics.
There have been vidwans and vidushis who
were also vaggeyakaras (composers), but for
the most part we perform the compositions of
the great vaggeyakaras who lived centuries
ago. There is definitely an importance in the
lyrics of these compositions, and we must
try to understand the meaning of the songs
so that we can bring out their beauty.
Upcoming projects
My wife Radhe is a bharathanatyam dancer with
her own solo career. We often get asked if we will
collaborate together and the answer is always
the same – no. Mainly because it is a different
approach and repertoire for singing for dance and
is one I am not very comfortable with. But also, as
my wife says, it is easier to maintain harmony in
the house, if we don’t work together! Having said
that, there is an interesting project we have been
approached to do that we are working on. It uses
both music and dance but in a very different and
new way. So all I can say for now is stay tuned
for something special in the coming months!
The
Score Magazine
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