The concert was held on 15th July 2019 at the SNG Hall, which is situated in the Karama locality in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The venue is a multipurpose hall and serves as a common location for concerts and dance performances alike. The concert was performed by a solo violinist and the venue was appropriate and suitable for this style of music and method of performance. Many South Indian classical artists frequently perform here and there is ample audience space. Further, the acoustics of the hall are well suited for concerts of this genre.
The soloist who performed was Anand Vishwanathan, popularly known as “Bombay Anand”. He is a South Indian classical/Carnatic violinist and is generally known for this style of music. In the Indian tradition, the violin is played sitting down with the head of the violin resting on the foot of the violinist. In Carnatic music, it is common for artists to be either named after the city they are from or after the instrument they are known for. This violinist was born and brought up in the Indian city of Bombay, now known as Mumbai. Bombay Anand is one of the senior disciples of renowned violinist, A. Kanyakumari. “He is one of the most sought-after violinists in Carnatic music circles” (Soorya). He has given concerts all over the world, from Chennai to San Francisco and had been playing for nearly thirty years. He started learning violin from Shri. Borivili Kannan in Mumbai and went on to complete the seven-year music course from The Fine Arts Music School, Chembur, Mumbai in 1993. He then received advanced training in Carnatic music with particular focus on violin accompaniment for vocal music (Soorya). He is a very decorated artist and has won many awards. In 2001, he was awarded a Scholarship from the Government of India’s Cultural Ministry for advanced training in violin. He also received the ‘Best Violinist’ award from the Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Fine Arts Society in December 2009.
His concert went on for over two hours and he played compositions from many prominent Carnatic composers. The concert featured many compositions of the “Trinity of Carnatic Music”; Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. Any Carnatic concert is incomplete without their masterpieces and this one featured ‘Vathapi Ganapathim’, ‘Siva Siva Ena Radha’ and ‘Amba Kamakshi’, among others. Their work is inimitable, and the Trinity of Carnatic music are known for redefining Carnatic music by changing the norm of Carnatic music at that time (Pannikar 44). They were active between the 18th and 19th centuries and composed music in the Sanskrit and Telugu languages. They were all born in the present Tanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Trinity’s music and compositions are recognized as stylistically unique, and there was a clear originality in the way they handled ragams (Pannikar 45). Ragam is one of the four fundamental concepts in the Carnatic tradition and can be considered as a precise melody form similar to a musical mode in Western classical music, although it is a lot more complex. It has no exact translation in the Western musical tradition however (Lochtefeld 545). The Trinity’s music serves a spiritual and religious purpose, like most of Carnatic music. Carnatic music originated in ancient Hindu texts and many compositions are a form of prayer and the compositions are written in praise of the many Gods there are in the Hindu religion. The Hindu religion was dominant in that part of India at the time and Hinduism was a central part of the culture of South India. These compositions reflect this culture very well and the music is also a big part of the culture. In any musical performance in the South, their music is an essential part of the concert and is also played in temples and other places of worship. Anand also played songs written by the great composer Purandaradasa, “considered to be the ‘Pitamaha’ (Grandather) of Carnatic music because he codified the teaching of Carnatic music by evolving several graded steps” (Iyer 93). He performed one of Purandaradasa’s most famous ragams, ‘Mayamalavagowla’. Purandaradasa came much before the Trinity and wrote many devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna, one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu, one of the central Gods in Hinduism. He was influential in bringing Carnatic music to the mainstream and “was one of the most important music scholars of medieval India” (Narayan 108). He was a prolific composer, but his most important contribution came in the way he taught Carnatic music. The method he laid down was highly systematic and encompassed all the basic concepts of the genre. All of the songs Anand performed can be classified into the Carnatic (South Indian classical) music genre. The choice and order of musical selections provided unity and created contrast in the concert. The concert began with ‘Vathapi Ganapathim’, which was very apt since the composition is in praise of Lord Ganesha. All Hindu functions begin with prayer to this God and the selection of this track was perfect. ‘Siva Siva Ena Radha’, a more sombre and fast paced song came towards the end and provided a fitting finale. It was a very effective program.
The concert focused primarily on the melodic aspect of these compositions, as the only instrument was the violin. The harmonic facet of this music was also present and was provided by the sruthi box which is meant primarily to establish the sruthi for the musicians. Sruthi is “the smallest interval of pitch that the human ear can detect and a singer or musical instrument can produce” (Koskoff 936). The box acts a drone by constantly playing the (Do) and Pa (So) swarams throughout the performance. The harmony provided by the sruthi box is a fundamental but crucial element of Carnatic music as it lays the foundation for the music which is to be performed. The music performed throughout the concert was carried forward by just the violin, with the sruthi box constantly playing in the background. As mentioned earlier, most Carnatic music serves a devotional purpose, which is expressed through the lyrics. Since this concert was instrumental, there were no lyrics but the spiritual aspect of the compositions which were performed was still evident; something which came out through the calmness of the violinist. The serenity with which the concert was performed made it seem as if he was using his music as a form of devotion. I will describe the song ‘Muthai Tharu Bhakti’, which was composed by Arunagirinathar, a great poet and saint in the 15th century. It is a very fast paced track (168-200bpm) and involves a complex fingering and bowing technique. It is a short piece and is loud throughout with few changes in dynamics. The pace and complexity of this piece ensure in instantly capturing the attention of the listener and keeping it for the duration of the piece. Carnatic music pieces are not generally this quick and hence hearing it live is always a treat. This is from the book Thiruppugazh, a composition of Arunagirinathar and has no defined form. However, poems and compositions from the book possess “supreme lyricism coupled with complex rhymes and rhythmic structures” (The Hindu), and hence the track can be considered Thiruppugazh form. In my view, it was one of the highlights of the concert.
The audience had people from all age groups, from 5 to 85. There were about 75 people who came that day and there were a good number of men and women. The typical audience member was from the Southern states of India, dressed in the traditional Indian attire and had a fair understanding of Carnatic music. The audience was what I expected for that venue, and the hall was completely packed. The audience was highly appreciative of the concert and commended the violinist. In Dubai, accomplished violinists such as Anand seldom visit, and the majority of the audience was interested in hearing a disciple of the great Kanyakumari. They were interested in the performer and the way he performed classic tracks. The audience gave a standing ovation for Anand’s performance of ‘Siva Siva Ena Radha’ as it provided a fantastic ending to the concert and his rendition of the popular Tyagaraja composition was truly distinctive. The performance was very convincing, and the performer struck a chord with each and every audience member as his style reflected his many years of experience. Personally, it is one of the finest Carnatic concerts I have attended and the best violin concert I have attended, irrespective of the genre. Anand’s take on the compositions by the greats of Carnatic music brought them back to life and his mastery with the violin was inspiring.
Works Cited: Koskoff, Ellen. The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Routledge, 2013. Print. Lochtefeld, James G. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, 2 Volume Set. The Rosen Publishing Group. 2002. Print. Iyer, Panchapakesa. Karnataka Sangeetha Sastra. Zion Printers. 2006. Print. Panikkar, K N. Culture, Ideology, Hegemony: Intellectuals and Social Consciousness in Colonial India. Wimbledon Publishing Company. 2002. Print. Krishnan, V S. Thiruppugazh — Musical Way of Worship. The Hindu. 11 July 2003. Online. www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/07/11/stories/2003071101270600.htm Sree Lakshmi Vandanam. Soorya Singapore. 10 January 2015. Online. www.sooryafest.org/events_20150110.htm Narayan, M K V. Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant Purandara Dasa. Readworthy. 2010. Online.