Music is the tribute: Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival will be held at Shilpakalavedika on Jan 6

Innovation is essential for progress in music creating an experience that is ever unfolding and new. One cannot keep repeating what has been sung or played which audiences can always hear from old recordings. Improvisation is what sustains interest and keeps music dynamic. Those who close their minds to innovation in the name of purity are stuck in a time warp. One has to bring out the essence of music in whatever tradition followed. In Carnatic music ragas have rasas (emotions) which are brought to the fore by ornamentation in the form of gamakas, in Hindustani music it is the meend and in Western music we have the vibrato. One should have a thorough knowledge of music to innovate without changing the basic structure' says Dr. L. Subramaniam world renowned violinist, composer and conductor famed for his unique compositions in orchestral fusion. The musician who studied medicine went on to pursue a career in music inspired and guided by his father, mentor and guru Prof. V. Lakshminarayana who was responsible for popularizing violin as a solo instrument. In collaborating with internationally renowned musical greats and occupying centre stage in the best auditoriums of the world Dr. Subramaniam is living his father's dream and vision for him.

The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival is being held every year in his father's memory as a tribute to his genius and world view. L. Subramaniam and his brothers, L. Shankar and L. Vaidyanthan formed the "violin trio" under the excellent guidance provided by him enabling them to storm the citadels of Carnatic music before they took to becoming soloists. The festival has over the years brought the world's best artists together giving audiences the rarest opportunity to experience musical styles from around the world. It has traveled to 5 continents, over 23 countries and 56 cities so far.

In order to make their technique comparable to the best in the world or better, his father incorporated ways of using cross bowing of all four strings in quick succession as well as using both hands for plucking which gave the effect of an entire ensemble being played, he recalls. So impressed was the great violinist Lord Yehudi Menuhin with him that he worked with Dr. Subramaniam in what was the beginning of many great collaborations. Stephen Grapelli, Larry Corryell, Mark O'Connor and Jean Luc Ponty are a few names from a long list of eminent musicians that he collaborated with. Despite many international collaborations and a meteoric rise as a composer of repute, Dr. Subramniam never forgot his musical roots and all his compositions are raga based harmonies. Back home he was also the first musician to begin the tradition of jugalbandis collaborating with stalwarts like Ali Akbar Khan, Amjad Ali khan, Rais Khan and many others. He gives several solo Carnatic performances as well as collaborates with huge orchestras maintaining a fine balance and excelling in both. "Collaborations are very enriching. All great artists have collaborated with others. It is not like I play something and someone follows or vice versa. Collaborations involve a total understanding of music where, harmony, counter-point and orchestration are used expansively to transcend limitations and create something that did not exist before" Dr. L Subramaniam elaborates.

Dr. L.Subramaniam's wife Kavita, and children Bindu and Ambi travel around the world performing at various venues and mesmerizing audiences as they stand apart as a musical family par excellence. The Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence (LGCA) that they started two years ago at the Vishwakarma University in Pune offers BA, music and honours courses which incorporate the best of Carnatic, Hindustani and world music and offer excellent training along with workshops by eminent musicians from all over the world. Ambi and Bindu have been visiting various schools and holding workshops with the aim of having music incorporated as a course of study at the school level Dr. Subramaniam proudly reveals stating that this is an activity taken up through the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SAPA) established for this purpose. "Improvising with the seven notes makes you spontaneously creative. One extra beat, one higher note can change the raga. One learns to be precise and clear and great scientists like Einstein too learnt music. You may not become a performer but music helps you excel at whatever you do" says the maestro

As the festival is into its 29th year the legendary violinist who has held thematic festivals like "Violins for Peace', 'Visions of India' and "sounds of India" in the past has chosen a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the theme this year in view of the Mahatma's 150th birth centenary. Hyderabad has been a regular destination as he has a legion of admirers here and ranks the Shilpakala vedika among auditoriums with the best acoustics in the country. Featuring the Symphony Orchestra of Castile and Leon from Spain this year's thematic concert is replete with special compositions by the maestro put together with great attention to detail. The Padma Bhushan awardee and recipient of a string of awards believes that music is a unifying force going beyond borders. "When you sing together the nationality of the musician or differences between nations are forgotten. Music helps understand culture. It brings peace and harmony. It forges understanding and instills a holistic approach to life".