In my childhood, like many Tamil houses, I used to get paraded around during Navarathri being asked to perform a Carnatic song on Goddess Devi or a kriti by Saint Tyagaraja. Two rewards motivated me to get done with the act as soon as possible. The first one being my ability to showcase the return-on-investment on my Carnatic music lessons, and the second being the traditional cup of the Sundal at the end of it (chickpeas).
As the years went by, and the more I listened to "popular" music, I started to dig into the roots and the theory behind Carnatic Music. As a Carnatic student, I was expected to maintain a database of Tamil songs and their respective Ragas in my head and be able to find the closest match of notes on demand. I took this national sport (a nation run by Carnatic enthusiasts) quite seriously, when it came to deciphering the notes down to it's last semitone. Only until...I forgot to really enjoy the music being played.
My first album Shrilogy (Shri-trilogy) represents the sounds in the mind of of girl born into Tamil culture, fused with the sounds of the modern world around her. Shrilogy, is an album, that reflects all the contemplation in my mind that unfolded into my music arrangements. The album features three songs:
1. Shri Kanthimathim: Kanthimathi is a venerated goddess, whose power resonates the sound of the Mantra Hreem. She walks through the tombs of a crystal studded mansion near the banks of the River Tamaraparani, trying to find her lost treasures, beyond and within. This song visualizes the search for the divine power through some electronic musical patches.
2. Shri Ipanema- The Bossanova song "The Girl From Ipanema" tells the story of a beautiful girl who walks by a beachside bar in the Ipanema neighbourhood in Brazil. Now she hums in the Carnatic music style, walking along the banks of river Kaveri in the south of India. This track is a manifestation of the debate in my mind about the position of Indian music in World music.
3. Shri Hanuman Chalisa- Electronic Tribute: MS Subbalakshmi is a household name in the field of Indian classical music. One of her contributions is the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It consists of 40 verses (chalisa) composed by the Indian poet and saint Tulsidas. In the electronic edit, some verses more loopy than the others.
Stay tuned to this Youtube Playlist for the release of the Shrilogy.
