To be born amidst a family of artistes is truly a blessing. It comes with great privilege that needs to be checked responsibly. To use that privilege in ways that would bind different traditions and cultures, to further the arts and make it accessible to a larger audience is the task of any true artiste. L Subramaniam’s musical genius needs no introduction. As an artiste, he has relentlessly pursued his own music as well as World music in many ways. Entering into its 29th edition is the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF), organised in the memory of his father, mentor, guru and the legendary violinist Prof. V. Lakshminarayana. Through the years, the festival has brought in artistes from all continents, consistently experimenting and never restricting itself to what is traditional.
Prof. V. Lakshminarayna
Says Subramaniam, “Music in itself is an extremely powerful medium to communicate, without the barrier of language. It also projects our culture, our philosophies, our ways of thinking, rituals while interacting with different people and artistes. It brings in peace and harmony in a different way. But I think involving other global players in this takes it to the other side of the coin. To collaborate with your own people is one thing, but global collaborations bring in brilliant inputs, expressions and emotions. The total impact leads to understanding of different cultures from our side, because from our side, unless someone is extraordinarily artistic or is financially capable, she/he cannot go to different countries. We try to bring them to the doorstep, so that they are exposed to international arts, including instruments which have never been brought to India before.”
It is his father who largely left an imprint on the young boy. “After his passing in 1990, my sister Viji and I wanted to do something in his memory,” says Subramaniam. Lakshminarayana was not simply a violinist. His grandeur also lies in the fact that he put the violin on the global stage as a solo instrument. The festival began in Chennai’s Madras Music Academy, where TT Vasu, a close friend of Subramaniam’s was the President. It was only a matter of time before Subramaniam’s music, along with the festival met legendary artistes. His collaborations and recordings with icons like Stephane Grapelli, Yehudi Menuhin, Herbie Hancock, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Joe Sample, Staneley Clarke, George Duke, Larry Coryell, Tony Williams and Maynard Fergusson only added to the opulence of the festival. The festival does not stop with concerts and performances, but foundation courses with Subramaniam Foundation and the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa) wherein the students are introduced to different schools and the artistes who conduct workshops. “We focus a lot on practice. You cannot read 200 books on how to sing a raga, you have to sing it and then go deeper. It is important in our theory to learn other cultures as well, learn about Western music, which is very strong in harmony. It is also important to be familiar with forms like Latin American music, African and Indonesian music. The structure in itself is very interdisciplinary,” adds Subramaniam.
Ace singer and his wife Kavita Krishnamurthy has played a pivotal role in inspiring his music and creative faculties. He remembers when they first met for a project called Global Fusion Album for Warner Brothers in Bangalore. “For the album, I had representation from five different continents. I was living in the US at that time, which is when a friend suggested that I listen to the tapes of a few singers whom I could use for the recording. I heard her voice; it had a bigger range, different emotions and a kind of depth. Kavita had never done any fusion work at that time, when I approached her. She came and did the first piece, some time in 1999. It was a huge success musically.”
Musical tribute
Kavita Krishnamoorthy
For its 29th edition LGMF is also celebrating the 150th birth year of Mahatma Gandhi. The festival starts in Delhi with a musical tribute by Subramaniam and Kavita featuring Symphony Orchestra of Castile and Leon from Spain, followed by Hyderabad and Pune. The concert at Hyderabad will also see performances by his children’s band ‘SubraMania’ and his granddaughter Mahati. The performances will feature ‘Spring Rhapsody’, one of Subramaniam’s own compositions published some time back alongside the bhajans ‘Raghupati Raghav’and ‘Vaishnav Jan Toh’ followed by a composition which is a tribute to Purandara Dasa.
“We have grown so much as a family of artistes. Ever since, we have been trying and experimenting with many things. Most of the compositions I do for orchestras are raga based contemporary compositions. They have branded it as fusion whereas what I was doing for orchestra was based on Western harmony and raga harmony. Music is like an ocean and I want to explore as much as possible. It makes me travel both literally and virtually. It has a healing quality wherein everyone finds something,” he says.
The LGMF book was just released, too, recording and documenting up to 25 years of the festival. The LGMF awards this year will be conferred upon violinist TN Krishnan and mridangist Chandramouli. As to his winter concert in Delhi, Subramaniam chuckles, “I am looking forward to the concert but not to the cold.”
The Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival 2020 will be held on 4th January at 6 p.m. at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi.
