15 minute read
Artist Feature - Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh
from June 2021
How did you come to take up the Veena? Can you share some snippets from your student life?
Advertisement
I come from a family where music has been the mainstay for the last 6 generations. But we have predominantly had violinists - legendary violinists like my uncle Lalgudi Jayaraman, my mother Smt Lalgudi Rajalakshmi and Smt Srimati Brahmanandam. The next generation is also replete with violinists. So, my mother got me started on the Veena because her elder sister, Smt Padmavathy Ananthagopalan, was the only Vainika in the family. So, at the age of 3, I started learning the Veena. I don’t think I had to make a conscious choice. At 3, one hardly knows. I just found myself playing the Veena. I think it’s perhaps a case where you don’t choose the instrument; the instrument chooses you.
When I went to live with my Guru, Smt Padmavathy Ananthagopalan, in Chennai and learn in the strict Gurukulam tradition, she would have a big yearly chart; Not a monthly, weekly or daily chart but a yearly chart with a plan for the entire year detailing out what to do and when. Then there would be a meticulous timetable for the day - Wake up at 4 AM and practice till 7; Do the homework and go to school; Come back and practice Veena; Study for a bit; Listen to a concert and put Talam for several Thani Avartanams; Learn a new lesson and practice that. So there would be no time to think.
Smt. Padmavathy Ananthagopalan
The one thing I remember very vividly is the beauty with which my Guru planned the time for me. That taught me how Time Management was the key to acquiring more input in your most impressionable age and when your receiving capacity is at its maximum. If the motivation comes later in life, it is a different thing. But there are certain periods of our life when we are most receptive, and our retention capacity is at its peak. At that age, when the input is given, I think that makes a considerable amount of difference.
It is said that to become a master at anything one needs 10,000 hours of practice. Do you believe so too?
Practice is the key. Perfection is a myth in part. Because Art can keep getting better and better, but it can never be perfect. There is no "perfect."
My Guru believed that practice was the ultimate key. Not just picking up the instrument and playing something, but mindful practice. Students often say that "I played this so well at home, but I am making mistakes in class." Because there is no supervision at home to correct when the mistake is made, they assume what was played was right. That is the great advantage of the Gurukula system, where the teacher gets to listen as you practice and corrects you then and there. Practice with such awareness is meaningful practice and not just playing what comes nicely to you. One needs to divide practice time purposefully between technique, repertoire, creativity and innovation for growth as an artist.
As an artist, what gives you the most satisfaction in a performance? What is your favourite composition? What is your favourite ragam?
There is something called magic that sometimes happens in concerts when the Shruti is perfectly aligned; the instrument is in perfect pitch; your form, hand, mental state is in perfect tuning. You and your co-artists are in the same vibration energy cycle. You are all in sync, your mind-body is in sync, your soul is in sync, and you communicate that energy to the audience.
In that moment when everything is in sync, not a whisker moves, and everybody is on that divine plane - tuned to that vibration which we can neither see nor touch or quantify the magic of music. When that happens you realize, it was a magical moment. You try and strive for it every single time, but that divinity happens once in a way, and when that happens, it gives the greatest satisfaction of being a musician, of rising to a higher plane within your self and also making a difference in somebody else’s mental soul, their state of happiness and peace.
"In that moment when everything is in sync, not a whisker moves, and everybody is on that divine plane. "
There are so many favourite ragams that I cannot name a single one. And similarly can’t name one favourite song. Few of my favourite ragams are Nattakurunji, Shanmukapriya, Purvikalyani, Behag, Kapi. There are several favourite compositions some favourite for me to play and some to listen to. So very difficult to name just one. But one of them is Amba Neelayadakshi.
As a quintessentially Indian instrument, does the Veena have acceptance on a global platform? What do you see as the nuances of performing to a global audience vis-a-vis Indian audience?
The Veena is such a divine, ethereal, mystical, grand, beautiful, national instrument of India. In a great way, the story of India and that of the Veena run parallel. In the western world, just the Veena kept on the stage; its appearance is so Grand, so quintessential, that everybody gasps. There is a feeling of wow when they see such a beautiful instrument. Globally the reception has always been very warm and positive. The audience like the unique sound / twang of the Veena. It is not like any sound or instrument they have seen before. It is also a very unique Indian instrument.
As for performing internationally, sometimes you feel it is easier to play for an audience who do not come with pre-conceived notions or already have a lot of judgment, expectations, prejudices, likes and dislikes. It is like a clean slate, and you feel very happy to go and make that first drawing on it. And the response has been very beautiful because instrumental music itself is de-regional and de-religious, and they lap up the sound from the Veena.
Playing to an Indian audience again cannot be generalized either because there are audiences who know the music, and there are audiences who do not. For people who know, you can try more complicated compositions meant for connoisseurs' delight. For the people who are not yet initiated, you try playing lighter stuff for them to savour and gradually get the taste. Again, playing in North India is very different from playing in the South. You try to play the music that they are familiar with. It is always helpful to take them from the familiar to the unfamiliar. In India itself, there are several types of audiences - People who know the songs, people who are moved by bhakti, people who look at Carnatic music as an art form. Each audience is different; each hall is different. Each concert is different. The way you tailor each performance is therefore very different.
"Carnatic music is my mother tongue. It has been my life, my way of expression, my companion & my identity. It is the best language in which I express myself."
Any memorable / stand-out performances from the many you have given over the years? Any Awards that you cherish above others?
There are several memorable performances, each for different reasons. One such performance was a concert with Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji at Bangalore's Chowdaiah memorial hall. Not having played with him earlier, I was full of questions - How will this work? How will the Veena sound with the Tabla instead of Mridangam and Ghatam? Will I match up? Will people like it? Should I play pure Carnatic music? Or should I play different patterns? All buzzing in my head. But once the concert started, my fears were all put to ease. Zakir Ji is like the God of percussion, and it felt like you are being take care of by the God of percussion, and you are making this melodic journey together for the thousands of people who are there. That joy, freedom, protectiveness and the beautiful amalgamation of melody and rhythm is truly memorable.
Dr. Jayanti Kumaresh with Table Virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain
In terms of Awards, yes, several awards have meant very dearly. It wouldn’t be fair to say that one means a little more than the others. However, one award was interesting because it was delivered by a courier just a month ago. When I opened the door, there were three big boxes with a six-feet tall Kutthivalakku (lamp), which had to be fitted together. It contained a shawl, citation and a beautiful Navaratna mala along with the award itself.
Awarded by her Guru, in the company of her mother and Kumaresh Ji.
Of course, there have been several awards - like Kalaimamani, Sangeetha Choodamani, Veena Vaaridi but this Shri K S Narayana Swamy award from Shanmukhananda Sabha during the lockdown when you are not performing, and everyone is inside their homes, not travelling and feeling a bit low due to the pandemic really pepped me up and made me very happy.
How do you prepare for a concert? What goes into the planning, preparation and execution of a concert? How do you choose the songs / raga?
Planning a concert is an art by itself. The minute a concert gets booked, the planning starts. Where is this venue? How will the acoustics at this venue be? Who are my co-artists? What would sound best with these co-artists? Have I played in this venue before? How will the sound be in this venue? What is the occasion - is it Rama Navami or a corporate event or Navaratri. The timing of the concert - is it a morning concert, is it an evening concert, or a late-night concert. The duration of the concert. So, it is not just playing anything.
Apart from all of this, what do you feel inspired to play on the day of the concert? You might feel inspired to play something that was unplanned. And your physical and mental health on the day of the concert plays a great role. There may also be some requests Somebody may request to play Sahana, or the organizer will say yesterday only they played Kalyani. Or to play something specific that has not been played yet in that concert series. So, all these factors determine what we play at the concert.
A Kutcheri in flow
How do you and Shri Kumaresh Ji complement each other in your musical pursuits?
Kumaresh Ji and I come from different schools of music. Different instruments, different expressions, different audiences. So, we have a lot to share in terms of musical content, and what we can do in the Veena I do, and what can be done in the Violin he does. So when we play together, each of us try and see that we cover different aspects of the music so that the audience gets a 360 view of the entire spectrum. We try and do variety - if one does Bhava, the other does Speed. If one does a big Tanam, the other does the Kalpana Swaram. So, there are several aspects that we try to cover. Our repertoires are quite different, so when we play together, we try and create our own repertoire, our own compositions and play it exclusively for the Strings Attached series.
Where did the idea of the Cup O' Carnatic series come from? Is there enough innovation in Carnatic music to engage and make our music relevant to the audience?
Communication is the key to any art form. About 4 years ago, we were discussing about doing something to bring Saraswati Veena and Carnatic music closer to the next generation and to make certain aspects of music easily comprehensible. That is how the idea of Cup O Carnatic came up. People would write asking several questions - where to buy a Veena, how do I improve my Talam. So we thought we would do a series like this and in a fun way, and that was the genesis of the Cup O Carnatic series. The response was huge with millions of views that we did Season 2 and Season 3. A couple of years ago we did a 30 day web series "Season of Carnatic" leading up to the Chennai Margazhi season discussing 60+ ragams for audience to easily identify when they attend concerts.
During the pandemic times, we came up with Cup O Carnatic Fun series where we wanted to show how versatile Carnatic music is by linking it through many popular tunes like Harry Potter, James Bond, Game of Thrones and more. That got an extremely amazing response. Recently we came up with the Cup O Carnatic Kids series, which is exclusively for the kids and the kid in all of us, however old we are, highlighting stories that we have all read from Panchatantra Jataka tales told with the help of music; the music is introduced; the ragas are introduced and it's like listening to the story all over again. The response has been so overwhelming that we are getting several requests to continue this kids series.
Cup O' Carnatic Series
Carnatic music is tethered to our religion and its soul. Do you see that as a limitation for our music to reach a broader audience?
Instrumental music in general, as against Carnatic music, is a sonic experience. It is a beautiful aural experience without having to worry about knowing the Sahityam, the God or the religion. The beauty of the instrument, the tone, the dynamics, all this catches the listener, which is why instrumental music has had an appeal worldwide. It does not have any dividing aspects. It is all-inclusive and can gel with any type of culture. As an Art form, I would say Carnatic music is religion oriented but not religious music. Of course, definitely at one stage, it is entertaining, at another educative and elevating. So, it's more for the soul than for something worldly like religion and anything that divides people. So, I think it's common for mankind generally.
Who has influenced your style of playing the most? Are there any musicians - outside of your Gurus - whom you get inspired from?
Inspiration for me comes from everywhere. Definitely my mother, my Guru Smt. Padmavathy Ananthagopalan, Dr. S. Balachander sir, my uncle Lalgudi Jayaraman, my husband Shri Kumaresh, Brother-in-law Shri Ganesh, nephew Shri Abhishek Raghuram. Tell me who is not an inspiration. Even my youngest student is my inspiration. And it need not be connected with music. When I see someone work very hard towards a goal, I get inspired to do the same thing in my music. When I see someone practicing it could be cricket, it could be tennis - or somebody in the road trying to dig a borewell with a single-minded purpose, it somehow motivates me to come back, pick my Veena and practice harder.
I have had several influences on my music. In addition to my Gurus and family, several great Hindustani musicians like Ustad Amir Khan, Kishori Ji, Zakir Ji. So many people and so many influencers. I listen to all kinds of music and like to take away something from that - something as a listener, something as a performer. Every single opportunity is something for us to learn.
What role does silence play in music?
This question about silence is very pertinent to ask a Vainika because, unlike a flute or violin or vocal, there is no sustenance in Veena. When you play a note on a flute or a violin, you can go on and sustain it. However, In Veena, when you pluck the string, the note stays for some time and then the sound dies. Then there is another pluck. So, this essentially gives a silence between two notes, two phrases and two sentences. So, silence helps us understand the next note in a better way. When a passage of music comes through the Veena, it is a passage that has better punctuation - more semicolons, more commas, more full stops. The silence gives more meaning to the music.
What do you feel is often misunderstood or overlooked about Veena as an instrument?
One thing is regarding the way a Veena should be amplified. One school of thought is that only when it is played acoustic with an external mic the real feeling of Veena comes through. But Veena is known as the Gamaka Vadya. There are so many little techniques, nuances and dynamics in the Veena, which would be beautifully amplified with the right contact mic or pickup. Veena is no longer the chamber instrument people thought it was. It can enthral a crowd of more than 50000 people, and still, every nuance can be heard and enjoyed with the right technology. We should be more open to amplifying the Saraswathi Veena.
What is your advice to students taking up the Veena or any other art form? Do you see this as a viable career option?
One can choose to take music as a career. But it is more important that music should choose you. Because not everybody who aspires to be a musician can be one. It is not enough if you have talent or creativity. It is not enough if you get the right Guru, the right direction and the right opportunities. There has to be expression, communication, and divinity in your music.
Music will certainly give back in more ways than you know.
Luck and timing are important too. There are so many things that have to come together to be a successful artist. But music is such a beautiful thing that Saraswathi Devi gives us so many ways of making a living - you could teach in a school or online or privately. One can become a music professor, a musicologist, or a critic. There are many options. To become a Doctor, one spends 12 years in school, 5 years doing MBBS, 2 years of MD and then further specialisation. Similarly, to become a musician, if you put in the same amount of work, one is bound to be successful. But learning music for 2 years & expecting to be a full time professional - sorry, that is not happening. If you are willing to put in the effort, music will certainly give back in more ways than you know.
Performance 1 to Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yv4ea1pFp4
Performance 2 to Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFLh4uYxbe0&list=RDsFLh4uYxbe0&start_radio=1
----
