Roopa Mahadevan, a US-based vocalist and founder of the music ensemble ‘Roopa in Flux’, grew up in Bay Area, which gave her a lot of South-Indians for company since childhood. Her parents wanted to introduce her to Carnatic music (not to turn her into a performing musician though) early. Her family lineage, with a percussionist father, mother having learnt Bharatanatyam and her grandparents known for their involvement in music sabhas contributed to her musical interests. It was during college that a gamut of cultural influences made her think in depth about the structure of the Carnatic form and how it’s important to cater to an audience who might have not heard it before. Art has been the lens through which she understands various cultures. A trip to Chennai and training under a couple of gurus, besides a few concert experiences, helped her come up with ‘Roopa in Flux’.
“We are an ensemble, all of us come from diverse backgrounds (like Carnatic, Hindustani, jazz and Maquam). Rather than sticking to one genre, we want to go beyond permeable boundaries of many music forms. Instead of taking the pressure to create something which we’ve already heard, we enjoy the process of exploring ourselves and creating something new,” she says. ‘Roopa in Flux’ was possible because the co-musicians complemented Roopa in every way possible and gave her opportunities to experiment. Rohan Krishnamurthy’s expertise at mridangam and his knowledge on jazz form ensured his space in the group, while Roopa discovered Anjna as part of her regular collaborations for independent events.
While Roopa says there’s a definite trajectory to what they perform, they ensure there’s a spontaneity and an organic flow in their act. Ahead of their performance ‘Essays by Roopa in Flux’ in Hyderabad, the musician clarifies the word ‘essay’ conveys the conciseness in descriptions, they’re of different purposes catering to different audiences. “It was just to lend an openness to the event.”
Having finished their concert tours across Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai as part of The Park Fest, the group finds catering to different audience in each city a challenge and a learning process. “Chennai was a difficult city to cater to, you’ve an audience that savours Carnatic music. Though what we do is set in a similar space, we make a conscious departure from the form. They embraced what we did. This is a form that goes beyond a particular structure associated with Carnatic music, so we need audience feedback time and again,” Roopa adds. What helped their cause in Kolkata was the crowd’s approach that they weren’t here for a regular Carnatic music concert.
With respect to collaborations, Anjna, the violinist, insists that it’s important to think of music as one and not as a merger of several disciplines. “I’ve had stints across Carnatic, Hindustani, jazz and play for dances too. The musical structures across various forms are so hybrid, there are so many influences and time-bound changes that you can’t call it pure. Guy Mintus comes from the Arabic region that has a musical structure similar to our ragas but he doesn’t restrict himself to one raga.” The group feels the seamless blend comes across when we forget multiplicity and remind ourselves that we’re creating something natural. The mild departure from the Carnatic tradition doesn’t discount the musicians from their rigorous routines with the classical form too. “Unless you accept and relish the world you’ve come from, (like how we’re very rigorous in our Carnatic music routine) the changes cannot happen,” Anjna adds.
(Essays by Roopa in Flux is on at The Park, Somajiguda, Hyderabad on September 16, 7 pm)
