The Music Box.
Entries about the music I like.
U Srinivas – Pancharatna Krithis Trio Mandolin
On the fifth day of the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival, thousands gather to perform Thyagaraja’s most revered composition, Pancharatna Krithikal, in unison. This set of 5 songs is considered an especial composition in the Carnatic canon. It’s a set of five krithis in five ghana ragas (special ragas whose uniqueness is brought out especially when played in medium tempo).
L. Subramaniam — Kalyānī & Sarasvatī
I gravitated to two L. Subramaniam albums in particular - Kalyani and Sarasvati, both released on Water Lily Acoustics. You’d assume this gravitation had something to do with my new-found non-zero understanding of Hindustani classical music. You’d be wrong. I just really liked the album covers. And of course, the music too.
Sankarabharanam
I wish I understood carnatic music better than I do, which is not well at all. As with so much art, film serves as a great gateway. Sankarabharanam is a classic of Telugu cinema, and really of Indian cinema. It’s story, centered on a carnatic music maestro and his relationships with his daughter and disciples, required an immaculately composed soundtrack carried by a tremendously skilled vocalist. It found this in composer KV Mahadevan and vocalist SP Balasubrahmanyam, my gateway to this music. As someone who grew up with SP’s voice in Roja, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Maine Pyaar Kiya, et al, I was affected by his passing. I have since been listening to a lot of his music, including his unbelievable work on this album; in my view, a must-hear.