live and recorded . Playing music is always fun . The part when it is communicated to the audience and their positive response is invigorating and exhilarating .
SELVAGANESH VINAYAKRAM
In your opinion , what is it about the music of Shakti that has kept it loved endlessly in a time of 2 day-long social media trends ?
I am born from a musical lineage and a family that carries a great musical legacy . I ’ ve followed my dad ’ s footsteps and my son has followed mine . Now my granddaughter who jams with me also listens and jives to Shakti . She even enjoys the music of Shakti that was created in the 70s and then in the later 2000s - That ’ s the power of Shakti that will prevail for the ages to come .
What are you most looking forward to in your pan- India tour ? It ’ s definitely going to be fun and a learning experience . This is a family affair for all of us .
What is it that , after all these years , keeps you exploring , innovating , and pursuing music ? Is it the people you play with ? Is it your deep investment in the philosophies and inherent beauty of the music itself ? It is a mixture of both . For the past three years we ’ ve not connected with the audience , we played all by ourselves which was enhanced by our love for the beauty of music . Now we are connected with the audience and other artists , which will give us an all new experience . That ’ s what we are looking forward to .
SHANKAR MAHADEVAN
How have perceptions toward music ( and all art ) changed with the advent of social media ? Have you noticed a difference , especially with regard to Shakti ’ s listenership ?
It is a different time in which you are directly connected with the people who love and admire your music . You just realize that musical pieces that you played years back keep resurfacing , reinventing themselves with new audiences . And every time it comes up , the kind of love and goodwill from people is interesting to see and experience . You get to experience people ’ s energies directly with yourself .
What do you do when you find yourself lacking in inspiration ?
There is never a time when we lack inspiration , but just sometimes you get a creative block or you just think about something and later that trigger or idea is not good or up to the mark . through you like an automated medium . For it to flow naturally , you should be in a joyful state of mind and be at peace with yourself .
Could you give us a glimpse of your mind when you ’ re performing and / or recording with Shakti , as opposed to all your other musical pursuits ?
Firstly , the glimpse of my mind is that I feel extremely proud to be sitting / sharing the stage with these maestros . There might be a million plus singers in the country but I was the chosen one to be able to interact , perform and improvise with these musicians . Being with this group , you realize that it is not only about the music but also about the kind of human beings that they are and that translates into the music .
Everybody is of a particular level and there is no kind of insecurity in their creative world . When you play with a group of such musicians , who are confident about their expertise , they allow you to shine when your time comes . They give you a perfect cushioning and playground to play with your music .
My mind is in a state of absolute bliss , and in a state of adoration , and overall it connects to a lot of love . There is genuine appreciation for each other ’ s talent . Each of them is accomplished in their own field .
So , gear up to experience the magic of Shakti on their 50th Anniversary World Tour ! Get your tickets on Paytm Insider .
I think you should just let the music flow and not dictate terms by saying you have to create music in 5 minutes , nothing like that works . It comes , goes , and stays as it is . You just have to let music pass
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