BENGALURU: Sid Sriram is no stranger to the music scene. After working his magic in Mani Ratnam’s Kadal in 2013, the US-raised singer has had a slew of playback stints to his name, while also balancing his independent ventures. Ahead of his gig at Echoes of Earth 2018 – the city’s very own eco-conscious festival happening in Bengaluru over the weekend at Embasy International Riding Schhol. Sriram caught up with City Express on how he kept his love for Carnatic music alive while growing up in the US, plaback music and more.
How did you keep your love for Carnatic music alive after moving to the US as a toddler?
Carnatic music was all around me while growing up, and I soaked all of it in. My parents noticed my deep, natural inclination towards music, and my mother started teaching me when I was three. I got to perform on stage for the first time later that year. Carnatic music is my foundation and fountainhead. Whether it be my work in singing film music or creating my original music, my Carnatic foundation gives me a way of contextualising, digesting, and expressing music ideas.
Tell us about your
journey and how coming from a family of musicians has shaped you.
I learned to trust my musical instinct early on, which then really helped sculpt my emotionally open, engaging approach to both creating and performing music.
Was diction and pronunciation a problem when you started performing in India/ doing playback singing?
I wouldn’t say it was ever a problem. My work in film/playback music has definitely pushed me to refine my pronunciation. When I record now, I don’t have to think about it at all anymore. Everything flows naturally.
How do you balance your independent ventures and your playback singing career, and which do you prefer doing?
My debut into the world of playback singing was AR Rahman sir’s song Adiye from the film Kadal. AR sir brought together Tamil fisherman folk with the R&B/Blues genre in such a genius way and I couldn’t have asked for a more impactful introduction in to the industry. The song was the first-of its-kind, truly groundbreaking. Through my career in film music, I’ve intentionally not sung a ton of songs, but I’ve been blessed to sing songs that become trendsetters. This spirit breathes through everything I do musically/artistically. Though my work in film music, my original music and my Carnatic music are vastly different from one another, the creative source for everything is the same.
My forthcoming debut, self produced LP – Entropy – is the first time that I’ve allowed all the shades of my identity to clash, coexist and intertwine with one another.
How do you manage to break the notion that Carnatic music only appeals to a niche – which usually doesn’t include youngsters?
I’ve always believed that Carnatic music is a highly accessible and dynamic form. It’s emotionally engaging and exhilarating to perform. My work in singing film songs has allowed me to build an intensely dedicated and passionate fanbase. It’s been really exciting to watch the crossover of new audiences into my Carnatic concerts. The audiences at my concerts range from Carnatic music connoisseurs, to listeners who have lost touch with the form but want to get back into it, to completely new listeners.