Modern twist to Carnatic

Raga Parampara’, features veterans like Balamuralikrishna and Vani Jayaram and even Shankar Mahadevan performing classical Carnatic music in a modern format

The raga was Hamsadhwani for sure. And what followed was “Vathapi Ganapathim Bhaje” by Mutthuswamy Dikshitar. The grand voice too was immediately recognizable – the music colossus Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna! But it sounded different. It was a very peppy and brisk number like the following one, “Himadri Suthe”, a Shyama Sastry composition sung by Bombay Jayashri.

We were listening to a just-released audio CD, titled ‘Raga Parampara’ by Ameya Records. These two and the seven other songs that followed were all different in some way from the usual renditions heard at kutcheris and even when sung by the same vocalists. We even heard instruments alien to Carnatic concerts like dilruba, sarod and guitar!

We tried to put our finger on it. Was it fusion? Remix? But one thing was sure – all were foot-tapping numbers. There was “Entha Matramuna” (composer Annamacharya) by Vani Jayaram; “Ksheerasagara Sayana” (Thyagaraja) by Sikkil Gurucharan; “Bhagyada Lakshmi” (Purandaradasa) by the Priya Sisters; “Enna Thavam” (Papanasam Sivan) by Sreevalsan J Menon; “Marugelara” (Thyagaraja) by Mahathi; “Seethakalyana” (Thyagaraja) rendered by a group of young singers, and “Shambho Mahadeva” (Thyagaraja) by Shankar Mahadevan.

Intrigued, we sought details. The album said “Music arranged by AVN Pavan Kumar.” A young, professional keyboard programmer, Pavan Kumar, told us, “My childhood friend and businessman Arjun Reddy asked me for a good business proposition related to our culture and tradition. As a hardcore music lover with experience of working on fusion albums, I suggested this album with Carnatic music compositions presented in a lively, high-spirited way that would appeal to the youth.”

So, they chose famous Carnatic lyrics, arranged modern music and had them rendered by classical vocalists who represented the range of our Parampara from the veterans like Balamuralikrishna and Vani Jayaram to the younger Priya Sisters and Mahathi. “All the artistes sang exclusively for this album. We are grateful that they appreciated and encouraged beginners like us. Musician Rajesh Vaidya and many friends also supported us. Ameya Records was thus born and ‘Raga Parampara’ is our first offering.”

Would this be a compromise with classicism to suit modern tastes? Pavan Kumar and Arjun say ‘no’. They say that rather, their aim is to bring back the youth to our age-old musical heritage by packaging classics in a modern format. “With this album, we hope they will be first attracted to Carnatic music and gradually acquire a taste and appreciation for traditional music in its chaste, classical format.”

They hope to similarly package and present spiritual sthothrams, ashtakams and Adi Shankaracharya’s hymns in future. They say ‘Raga Parampara’ is their attempt to build a bridge between the past and present. We hope it does connect the two.