On a monsoon day in September, the Boston Brothers rain strings of kritis in Bengaluru. “My 17-year-old brother Pranav and I are rehearsing for the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana,” says 20-year-old Tejas Manjunath, adding, “Kannada is such a beautiful language. Pranav and I felt it was apt to perform popular Kannada bhavageethe, devaranama and kritis written by eminent writers such as Kuvempu, Shishunala Shariff, Da. Ra. Bendre, Kanakadasa, Purandara Dasa, Nisar Ahmed and Hamsalekha, B.R. Lakshmana Rao and others.”
Well versed in the local music tradition, Tejas and Pranav who were born in Boston began training in the violin in the US, until a few years ago, when their family moved to Bengaluru.
“Tejas was an eighth grader and I was in sixth grade when we moved here. When we were recently invited to play at the Phoenix MarketCity, the organiser asked for the name of our band and the first thought that came to mind was Boston Brothers,” beams Pranav.
Back in Boston, there is tremendous support for Carnatic music say the brothers. “We were fortunate to be in Boston as we were exposed to world music including Indian music -Hindustani, Carnatic and various dance forms. Further, we were privileged to listen to some of the most famous and decorated musicians and host many of them at our home. There is a lot of respect for our Indian traditions, art and music forms in the US. Concerts and workshops are attended not just by people of Indian origin but by Americans as well,” says Pranav.
Back in Bengaluru, as the brothers gear up for their upcoming concerts, they work on an expansive repertoire including diverse genres. “Our repertoire includes Carnatic and Western classical compositions, Kannada songs, Bollywood, Western pop and a combination of various styles. We try to play different ragas at each concert, especially the main piece. Since we have a good understanding among ourselves, it is easier for us to complement each other. During the concert, we get requests from the audience for certain ragas or kritis. We try our best to incorporate them. If we don’t know the kriti, then the first thing we do is to go home and learn it,” says Pranav.
With such winsome attitudes to excel in what they do best, the Boston Brothers have been awarded the Nada Chintamani and the Pratibhakankshi, taking their music to many destinations across India. While the people who attend classical concerts in India are fewer than what they’ve seen in Boston, Pranav and Tejas find it fun to perform for the serious enthusiasts. “We have realised that for our music to reach a wider audience, especially in a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore, it is important for us to be versatile. Luckily for us, our training in both the Western and Carnatic styles have helped us tremendously,” says Tejas.
Looking ahead, the Boston Brothers have little doubt that the violin will remain part of their lives as they strive to travel around the world with their duet performances.
The Boston Brothers will perform on October 4 at the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, Yelahanka, October 15 at the Girinagar Sharada Temple, November 8 at Phoenix MarketCcity, Whitefield, November 14 at the Chamber Concert, Bangalore and December 31 at the Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai.
