Symphony of sounds

WAY BACK in 1966, Pandit Ravi Shankar collaborated with Yehudi Menuhin for an album titled "West Meets East". Then, in 1974, jazz guitarist John McLaughlin teamed up with young Indian musicians, violinist L Shankar, tabla player Zakir Hussain and ghatam artiste 'Vikku' Vinayakram to form an acoustic group, Shakti. There was energy and intensity in their music. And it became a rage.

These efforts saw the beginning of a new genre of music, namely fusion. Ever since, there have been several attempts at global fusion, some successful, while others not so well received.

The latest to join that bandwagon is the violin duo, M. Lalitha and M. Nandini.

Born to Muthuswami and Subhalakshmi, the sisters proudly trace their lineage "to all the three members of the Trinity - Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri - as well as Muthiah Bhagavathar. An unusual occurrence."

Their grandfather was the famed violinist V. Lakshminarayana, under whose tutelage the sisters began their musical journey. They have also studied vocal music under the doyen, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and their mother. Of course, "our uncles L. Shankar, L. Subramaniam and L. Vaidyanathan have been a great influence. We admire and respect them a lot."

The girls who have studied in Church Park and Queen Mary's, have also a strong base in Western Classical ("We have passed exams conducted by the Trinity College of Music, London") and world music.

So what are these Carnatic violinists doing with fusion? Explains Nandini, the younger of the sisters, "In 1996, we were invited to perform at the International Music festival in Norway, the only Indians to play there. The organiser, who was very happy with our performance, wanted us to jam with other musicians and create something new for the finale. We got together with artistes from Senegal, Cuba and Norway. When the artiste from Senegal played a tune on the kora (a stringed instrument), it sounded like Kalyani raga. So we composed something and asked them to play it in their own styles. That is how it all began, and we realised the potential in this genre."

Lalitha, who was recently awarded a doctorate for her thesis on "A Comparative Study of Violin Techniques in Western and South Indian Classical Styles", adds, "Also our parents wanted us to experiment with different styles. They felt this could take Carnatic music to other parts of the world, and bring world music here."

The girls enjoy listening to all kinds of music... from Beethoven to Bach, to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ali Akbar Khan, to Yehudi Menuhin and Itzhak Perlman. Recipients of several awards including the State's Kalaimamani Award, the girls do not rule out a career in tinseldom. "If we get the right opportunity, why not?"

Their fusion album, "Revelations" features guest violinist Here Rimestad from Norway and Australian Carl Rathus playing the Shakuhachi (a bamboo flute with five holes, this traditional Japanese instrument is often associated with Zen meditative music), along with a host of Indian artistes.

The opening track sounds like a variation of Bach's toccata and fugue, with elements of jazz and Carnatic styles thrown in.

The tani avartanam in the pacy "Vital Force" in raga Hemavathi, enlivens the proceedings, while "Remembering Norway", a short piece, is a lovely, energetic tribute to the folk tradition from the Scandinavian country.

The album is very much on the lines of the fusion experiments that the girls' uncles have tried before.

Meanwhile, Lalitha and Nandini have a couple of Carnatic releases in the offing and hope to continue their experiments with fusion.

SAVITHA GAUTAM

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