F or many years now, Sreevalsan J. Menon has been the only Carnatic vocalist from Kerala who has been singing consistently in the senior slot in the hallowed Music Academy in Chennai. As he get sets for another concert at the same venue on December 30, Sreevalsan says each concert is unique and special for him as there is an emotional and spiritual investment. “I give 150 per cent to every concert of mine,” he adds. Without transgressing the classical frame of Carnatic music, Sreevalsan has found his space in cinema too or what he calls ‘functional music.’ In a freewheeling interview on the telephone, the agriculture scientist and vocalist-composer talks about music, musicians, his musical legacy, critics and more.Edited excerpts from the interview:
What is the USP that you bring to your concerts, especially during the Music Season in Chennai when music is there in the air?
It is certainly a huge privilege. As the prime disciple of Neyyattinkara Vasudevan sir, I have a musical legacy that any musician would be proud of, one that goes back to the bani of Ramnad Krishnan and Semmangudi. In addition, I bring that certain aesthetics that I believe is unique to Kerala.
Can you explain that a little further?
It is not cerebral, rather a celebration of the mystical, an inward process that evolves, for instance, in the music of MDR and K.V. Narayanaswamy. Musicians from Kerala bring with them the nuances of the music that is embedded in the indigenous rhythm and tones of the State. One does not necessarily have to showcase that by singing a Kathakali padam or Sopana Sangeetham. Greats like Chembai Vaidyanathan and MDR believed that it was essential to have that aesthetic finesse to your concert, something that had nothing to do with intricate kanakku or techniques. It was more of sowkhyam, in the way one explored a raga, the serenity with which one unfolded a kriti or highlighted the sahityam or shaped the kalpanaswaras. Chembai made it a point to sing a Kathakali padam in all his concerts. I may or may not sing a Malayalam kriti but I ensure that my music stays true to my musical mooring. Even today, many Carnatic singers from Kerala like Mavelikara Subramaniam, Govidan Namboothiri, V.R. Dileep Kumar and so on uphold this aesthetic legacy. There is a restraint. For instance, the Anandabhairavi in a Kathakali padam and a Carnatic kriti is different, although both are from the same frame of swaras. So my concerts carry the flavours and accent of that tradition and music.
Recently, you composed the theme music for a video promo of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation that went viral. You have also found a comfortable space in films, working with auteurs like Shaji N. Karun and newcomers too. How difficult or easy is it to compose for films and promos?
I see film music as ‘functional music’. Since childhood, I have been a huge fan of movies and music also. So I was quite happy to work in films as and when I got the opportunity. But film music has to be in sync with the film director’s vision of the theme, his story, characters and mood of the movie. There are constraints but it is challenging to create that music which fits the bill and also attracts listeners. One must remember that film music has a huge audience in India and we have some gems in this category. Having said that, I must say that I have always ensured that my classical concerts remain chaste and pristine. I don’t sing a film number or a light song in my Carnatic concerts. There is a difference between the two and I understand that.
But there are Carnatic musicians who will have nothing to do with film music…
There are, but that is their choice. For a long time now, some of our greatest Carnatic musicians have had a long and symbiotic association with the film industry. Even today, many of our leading singers have sung and worked in movies. Perhaps some of these musicians who are against the idea of classical musicians working in movies have not got a chance to work in films and some may not have the confidence to rise up to the challenge. Each to his/her own. Movies are a great way to reach out to a larger audience.
Which is more creative, being a composer or a singer?
I find the creative effort of composing a song challenging and I enjoy that. But once I score the music and it is recorded, I am done with it. I let it go into the public realm and I have nothing more to do with it. However, as a Carnatic vocalist, each concert is different, the audience is different. There is an emotional connect with my listeners, my accompanists…There is nothing preset about how much time I will spend on a raga or a composition. Even a kriti that is sung depends on my mood at that point of time. Moreover, after every concert, I am constantly evaluating my own performance, wondering if I could have sung a niraval in a particular way or delineated a raga. That is ongoing.
What is your opinion of critics and music reviews?
They are entitled to their opinion. If there is a bad review, it is not in me to abuse the critic or call them up and exchange words. By nature I am a peaceful person and I don’t enjoy sparring. I am my harshest critic and after the training I have had from someone like Vasudevan sir, I am confident about my music.
CALLING THE SHOTS
My fascination for films does not stop with music. I have always toyed with the idea of making a film myself and sometime next year, in 2016, I plant to direct a film. I am working on the script. Anil Radhakrishnan Menon read it and suggested a few points. Once the script is ready, I plan to start working on the film.
