by Bhargavi Chandrasekharan
Clad in crisp white traditional attire and armed with a powerful voice, “Gaana Padhmam” Sanjay Subrahmanyan, a Carnatic vocalist is one of the contemporary greats of Indian Classical Music. It comes as no surprise that he has been chosen for the prestigious “Sangeetha Kalanidhi” (literally “treasure trove of music”) title this year, the Oscar of Carnatic music, being awarded by the Madras Music Academy since 1942. In times when popular exponents are openly challenging the unyielding structure of Carnatic Music, Sanjay has been a silent crusader fighting the system from inside, infusing novel ideas without disturbing the uniqueness of this art form. One wonders why exactly Sanjay has been the king of hearts, fans, patrons and critics alike for the past three decades*, given the “knowledgable crowd” of Carnatic music diaspora is equally unforgiving. Is it his simplicity, hard-work, respect for rasikas, emphasis on aesthetics and a sincere approach to art or the famous crackling laughter? “Perhaps, all the above” is what we think. Proof? Read on.
1. Sangeetha Kalanidhi …would you call it a 100 in Lords? 🙂
Not just one hundred! Maybe a record number of hundreds!
2. In one of your recent interviews, you talk about your initial days, where you struggled to learn the complexities of music. It was a bubble-breaking moment as some of us were made to believe that great artists are born over-achievers…
Even born achievers have to work hard. Even for those that are naturally talented and manage to learn and acquire skills easily, they still need to get it all together so to speak.
3. In a documentary on your life titled “Arar Asaippadar”, you mention that your approach to music is secular. Can you throw more light on that?
Secular in a purely musical sense. I do not believe in schools, bhanis, or exclusivity. I am neutral to all musical styles and content. I like all ragas, all composers and I like to absorb the best of everything.
4. So, when you sing ‘Manamu leda?’ by Saint Tyagaraja, you are in fact dwelling upon the nuances of Hamir Kalyani and not Lord Rama?
I wouldn’t say that. There are occasions when the music dominates the lyric, like when you sing 16 sangathis in ‘Darini telusukonti’ or perform rhythmic manipulations on a single line of an RTP. On the other hand, lyric gets prominent at times like when singing viruthams or tukkadas where the audience get drawn in by the content and emotion of the words.
5. You are one of the very few Carnatic musicians who has an enigmatic reputation of being a puritan’s delight as well as a closet reformer. How do you react to such tags?
Personally I am happy to just sing. Tags are for the intelligentsia to come up with!
6. On the note of reformation, do you think that Carnatic music with its rigid route to find an evening slot in Music Academy is in a way esoteric and undemocratic, strictly catering to a certain section of the society?
Times have changed. The internet is redefining the way we see things. Carnatic music is also following suit very quickly. It is so much easier to reach out to your audience online with very little cost and effort. So talent will always find a way to break any rigidity that the system imposes.
7. How do you see yourself as a guru in the changing times? How different are you from your own?
I try to be like my gurus in a lot of ways because they themselves were very different from the earlier generation. I also am not too demanding on my students and I allow them to follow their own paths. I have definitely not asked them to wash my Dhotis. 🙂
8. You lay particular emphasis on the articulation of sahitya. Have you had to perform a song where you don’t fully understand the import of the lyrics or agree with the lyricist?
Yes there are such instances. Some of the lyrics can be dated in the sense they were relevant to the time period in which they were written. Also, I am trying to work on those areas more these days, to understand the lyrics better, especially in languages that I do not know.
9. Give us an idea about the way you set sailing on your musical quests and the painstaking research ensuing them.
Musical quests have been on my mind for long but started gaining ground more recently after I read a book called “The Happiness of Pursuit” written by a guy who travelled to every country in the world! Researching into compositions is something that I got from my Guru Shri Calcutta Krishnamurthi and I just follow his methods mostly. These include looking up old books, researching in the library, searching for renditions if they are available to compare and see how the versions differ. Then work and come with your own interpretation of the songs.
10. How would today’s Sanjay rate his debutant-vocalist-younger self?
I don’t believe anybody can be rated at such an early stage. Artists develop over a period of time. You can probably comment on the lack of preparedness if any. I believe everyone has the ability to evolve, change, grow and get better with hard work.
11. There is a murmur amidst the Mylapore mob that the younger musicians today are more interested in showcasing their virtuoso than on the proverbial ‘sowkhyam’ aspect of music. Your thoughts?
The fire in the young should be allowed to burn as brightly as possible. If your priorities today are to dazzle the audience then do so by all means. Sowkhyam is something that comes in naturally over a period of time if one is sensitive. It cannot and should not be force fed.
12. And…you are a voracious reader as well, that is apart from being a full-time musician, a gadget freak, an updated netizen (where we came to know about your fitness regime!) and a sports enthusiast. How really do you find time?
There is plenty of time to do a lot more things than what we think. It’s just a question of looking after your priorities.
13. What are the challenges a professional Carnatic musician faces on his way up to the coveted Sangeetha Kalanidhi-dom?
Plenty – Opportunities, politics, acceptance by the audience, health and fitness…..
14. Rapid fire questions
A ragam that can cool us down on a hot afternoon –Cucumberdhwani? Seriously I’d say any ragam that just pops up into your mind at that moment.
Your idea of vocal perfection – Perfection is a myth.
Favourite musician/s outside the world of Carnatic music – Ilayaraja, P Susheela, Asha Bhonsle, BB King, Mozart, Amanat Ali & Fateh Ali……
Favourite lyricist/s you adore – Subhramania Bharathi, Bob Dylan
Picture Courtesy : www.sanjaysub.com
Sri Sanjay is not only a good singer but also an intelligent person. I enjoy both his concerts and his interviews.