On Carnatic Music ...

[Guest guest]

" Music is a beautiful mode of expression that transports people into a

different world of total bliss.

 

" Music -- and especially Carnatic Music -- is a medium through which

the minds of both performer and listener become deeply engrossed in

the Nadham that soothes the mind and fills the heart.

 

" Carnatic Music is a musical system that has 'Bhakti' as its prime

bhavam. It is the aural equivalent of having darshan in a temple or a

holy dip in the Ganga to wash away our sins.

 

" Music is capable of carrying people into the world of Ecstasy and

Divinity. "

 

- Nithyaree Mahadevan, Carnatic vocalist

[Guest guest]

" It takes a while to properly understand Carntic Music. But once the

taste has been acquired it will give hours of pleasure, diversion and

solace.

 

" The majority of the compositions are dedicated to a Deity or one of

its forms. Hence religious fervour is integral to Carnatic Music. I

see myself as a means of conveying the meaning of the words to my

audience.

 

" Shruti Maatha Laya Pitha is the science of our music. Perfecting the

tuning and the melody represents the 'Mother' principle, whie rhythm

or Laya personifies the 'Father.' We have at our disposal an

incalculable number of mathematical permutations; combinations of

rhythm and of syncope.

 

" The role of silence is also important because it enhances the beauty

of the song and lends depth of meaning to its interpretation. Silence

interrupts the flow of melody for sure, but sometimes it brings a

welcome relief!

 

" It is my responsibility to communicate the appropriate emotions in

order that the song succeeds in arousing their sensibilities. The

music has to be at once seductive and yet serious.

 

" The energy which drives me to sing may be experienced only by a

female singer. At times I melt with my whole being into the expressive

words. At other times I am in perfect attunement with the pulse of the

Cosmos and I sing with gusto!

 

" I have even gone into a divine-inspired trance. I may be reeling with

joy or I may feel myself to be no more than a means of expression, so

utterly am I subsumed and dominated by the vital force and energy of

the music. "

 

- Sudha Ragunathan, Carnatic vocalist