INTERVIEW WITH NITYASREE MAHADEVAN

"The blending of Film and Carnatic Music. Your response to this trend?

This has been in vogue for a long time now. A classical-based raga song is definitely a hit. Classical Music has a charm of its own. Classical Music might sound heavy. It is like a jack fruit. It might have thrones outside, but the fruit inside is worth getting.

Yeah! It is very effective. As far as the technical aspect is concerned, it is very clean. Computers have helped Carnatic Music in many ways. Today, we have a number of web sites which give a lot of information on Carnatic music.

They are associated forms of music. Only the style and some times the voice modulation differs. Ghamakam ( modulation) differs.

We have lot of Jhugalbhandhis (Synergy of different forms of Music) these days. Classical musicians in the South handle a lot of Hindustani Ragas. I do not know how far the North Indian Musicians have adopted our classical ragas. As far as we are concerned, we give a lot of importance to technical aspects of music tala (beat), pallavi (Sentence of a song) etc. But the focus of Hindustani is on Voice culture, practice and on sruti (Pitch).

No serious hobbies in particular. I would like to read books on music and listen to good music. That's how I spend my time when I do not have a kutcheri (concert). I go out shopping or will spend time with my family.

(Pauses). I think that is yet to come. Last year, I participated in the Asian Music Festival. I represented India in the 'Asian women in world music' section. It was in New York. I took Hindolam (raga). The appreciation that I got there was something unique. The appreciation that India got there, was totally different. After my concert, a Korean came and she was in tears and told me "there is something emotional and divine in your music". That point in time, I felt really proud that I was born in India and had taken up classical music.

Chennai is the seat of Carnatic music in the whole world. If you have to prove anything in Carnatic music, you will have to prove it first in Chennai. If an artist is accepted in Chennai, then he or she gets almost universal acceptance. But other parts of India are also doing well. During the Music season people flock to Chennai from all over the world. Chennai has carved a niche of its own.

Unlike sportsmen (who have a sports quota), there is no incentive to musicians at a young age. Keeping the future of Carnatic music in mind, I feel this has to be corrected.

I cannot say. As far as I am concerned, I would like to widen my repertoire. I would like to learn and improve my music. I want to learn as much as possible in my lifetime and would like to deliver quality music to the audience. Music should elevate the thoughts of people, give them peace of mind and bliss. I think this a big thing. I would like to work towards it in all possible ways to spread Indian Music.

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