Music is an ocean whose depth is difficult to be defined. As far as music is concerned, it’s a truism that it soothes our mind and fuels our creativity. The spirit that it drives to create new patterns and tonic differences is a fact that cannot be denied. The ancient and popular form of music in South India is Carnatic music.
Carnatic Music is supported by various elements of which the main components are shruti, raga and tala. These drops make up the vast and mighty ocean. Though there are only 7 swaras(notes), the differences in tone results in the building up of 72 melakarta ragas.
I started learning Carnatic music when I was 3 years old from my guru Smt. Rekha Rajan.
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About my guru:
My guru Smt. Rekha Rajan made her musical debut at the age of 5 at the ThyagarajaUtsavam conducted the BhajanSamaj in Delhi and was a regular artist at Yuvavani, AIR’s youth program. She has been a regular performer in temples on festivities like Ramanavami, Krishna Janmashtami, Vinayaka Chaturthi, Skandashashti, Mahashivaratri, Navarathri, and Mandala Pooja conducted by institutions like the Tamil Sangam, AsthikhaSamaj, and SangeethaSabhas across Delhi and Mumbai. She has also sung at the inauguration of numerous international events in Delhi presided by various heads of state, prime ministers and presidents. She has presided as a judge at various college cultural festivals and cultural bodies in Delhi and Mumbai. She has been conducting the ThyagarajaUtsavam in Mumbai over the past few years, where she gives an opportunity to her students to sing on stage.
Apart from being an accomplished vocalist, she is also a BharataNatyam dancer trained by SonalMansingh and Leela Samson in the Pandanallur and Kalakshetra styles.
Her mother and guru the Late Smt. Radha Krishna was a disciple of Sri Thirmalachariar, a doyen of the Alathur tradition and refined her musical prowess under stalwarts SwarnaSaraswathy, SarojaKhokar, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Raja Radha Reddy, SonalMansingh and Leela Samson across the world. She was an awarded Carnatic Classical Guru in Delhi for over 45 years and conducted a 10-day ThayagarjaUtsavam from 1976 till her demise in 2009.
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My mother has also been learning music for a long time. Since she constantly sings a lot of songs, it has helped me a lot in the process as I have been able to pick up the lessons and nuances faster.
I started my training in music with traditional basic lessons such as SaraliVarisai, JandaiVarisai, Mel StayiVarisai, Alankarams, DhaatuVarisai, Geethams and Swarajati. For the past 13 years, I have learnt about 26 Varnams and 75 Kritis. In addition, I am learning Raga Alapanas, KalpanaSwarams and the Shastha Pancharatna.
The following is my journey of music from my first performance to the latest one.
My first performance at the Ayyappa Temple, Mumbai on 18th October 2012
Mana vinala Kinchara at Saint Thyagaraja Utsav in Mumbai on 10th Jan 2015
The following is a performance with my guru Smt. Rekha Rajan and my mother Smt. Kavitha Srinivasan at Shree Ayyappan-Guruvayurappan Temple, Mahalingapuram, Chennai on Shasta Pancharatnam.
The Shasta Pancharatnam as the name suggests consists of five kritis in praise of Lord Ayyappa and is set to music in the five immensely popular ragas namely Natai, Gaulai, Arabhi, Varali and Sri. These are the same ragas that the Swami ThyagarajaPancharatnam is set to. The Shasta Pancharatnam was authored by the famed musicologist, flautist and composer Late Shri.P.N.Krishnan and set to music by his wife Late Smt. Akhila Krishnan. Late Shri.P.N.Krishnan composed a number of kritis in Sanskrit and Tamil in praise of the various gods of the Hindu pantheon and was awarded the title of Sangita Sahitya Ratnakara by the Asthika Samaj of Delhi for his outstanding contribution to music.
(January 4, 2023)
Continuing my journey into the world of music….. and it is a journey that never ends!:)
Chinmayi Srinivasan's personal website 