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.