Online concerts, chamber music recitals at home, initiatives to help musicians and artistes in distress, robust practice sessions and more have kept Carnatic musicians all over Kerala extremely busy even during the lockdown. An outpouring of melody on social media is giving listeners enough food for the soul. “The concerts have been a message of resilience and hope for all of us, a reminder that this phase too will pass and we will soon be celebrating all the art forms,” says young Carnatic vocalist N.J. Nandini. Her Facebook page is alive with her rendering of Carnatic compositions, both rare and popular. Nandini also participated in ongoing online concerts organised by Panachikad Dakshina Mookambika Kala Mandapam and Mani Krishnaswami Academy. Most of her solo recitals had only the tambura in the background.
Percussionist and singer Charu Hariharan feels that the lockdown has given her plenty of time to listen, create and play the mridangam although she misses the interactive warmth of live concerts and audiences. She and her brother Sreekanth Hariharan, playback singer and vocalist, have been on a musical high during this period. Recently, she posted her take on konnakkol, which she has been doing for a year now, from the page of Berklee India Exchange’s playlist of #TakaDimiTuesdays.
Charu Hariharan
Kochi-based Priya R Pai has uploaded several videos of her in concert with her two daughters, Shradha and Shreya. The sessions are visually and aurally pleasing as they take up kritis and select film songs as well. “I have been teaching them since they were children and we used to sing together. When they were kids, there was a difference in our sruti range but now we are on the same wavelength, musically and aesthetically. In fact, some of the Telugu songs we have sung were chosen by them,” says Priya.
Priya R Pai with her daughters Shradha and Shreya
Many well-known musicians tuned in with their children to come up with some interesting recitals. Sreevalsan J Menon, Kavalam Srikumar, Palakad Sreeram and Baby Sreeram, Udupi Sreedhar and son Udupi Srikanth.... came up with soul-stirring melody and rhythm to entertain their listeners. Sreevalsan says that although his son S Narayana Menon, a student of engineering, is more into Western music, he was not averse to the idea of singing together with his father. “A former student of Ranjini Varma, he had stopped learning music formally when he was in class seven. I never forced him to learn. Now, when I suggested that we tune in for a song, he was game,” he says. In fact, after more than 50 days of the lockdown, Seevalsan says that he was getting set for a round of music at home in the company of Edapally Ajith Kumar and Vazhappilly Krishna Kumar past Tuesday.
However, most of the well-known Kerala-based artistes did not stop with renditions on social media. They point out that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown have wiped out the season when artistes earn the most from recitals at temple festivals, which take place across the State.
NJ Nandini
“The online concerts and live music sessions showcase our passion and dedication for music and we do it without any monetary benefits. However, the Chennai-based Mani Krishnaswami Academy, which has been uploading some superb recitals, request listeners to pay ₹50 for the concerts. It is voluntary. While 50 per cent goes to the artiste, the rest goes to the organisation, which is into many philanthropic activities,” says Kavalam Srikumar. The singer and composer adds that if the situation does not improve, musicians may have to think of ways to monetise their online activities to earn a living. Srikumar is part of Singers’ Association of Malayalam Movies (SAMAM) and their effort is to raise money for indigent musicians deprived of their livelihood because of the lockdown.
Kavalam Srikumar
In fact, it was to help such struggling musicians and dancers that Sreevalsan Menon, violinist Edappaly Ajithkumar, percussionists Balakrishna Kamath and Vazhappilly Krishnakumar and dancers Methil Devika and Rajasree Warrier came together to form Musicare Kerala. Formed in April this year under the guidance of director-cinematographer Shaji N Karun, the organisation was able to channel contributions from donors to more than 600 classical musicians, Melam artistes and dancers. “Abu Dhabi-based Sarvamangala Trust led by Ajay Kumar and Advaitha Dasa Foundation led by Binu Panicker took the initiative to collect the funds for the artistes,” says Sreevalsan.
While the renowned singers and artistes are doing their bit to lend a helping hand to the needy, all of them chorus that they miss the feedback and applause of live audiences. “It is a different feel altogether. In a live online session, you can see the listeners waving, hearts floating up and comments too but the sound of applause and the feel when you connect with live, discerning listeners do wonders for a musician in concert,” says Nandini.
