Violin prodigy Ambi Subramaniam recently enthralled the city with a jugalbandi performance.
CE chats with the musician about his band, performing worldwide and their family’s music academy
CHENNAI: To be born into a family of musical geniuses, it’s natural to feel intimidated by people’s expectations. But Ambi Subramaniam has proved himself above and beyond, staking claim to a great musical lineage. The son of renowned acclaimed violinist and composer L Subramaniam, Ambi has been described as a virtuoso, carving a niche for himself in a league of legends. In the city for a jugalbandi performance recently at Krishna Gana Sabha, CE caught up with him for a quick chat.
“I guess when you’re young you don’t really feel the weight of expectations; I was playing the kind of music I liked and I was keen on following it,” recalls the 25-year-old, about the first time he played solo in 1999; he was seven. “I just played for the sheer joy of it! But as you grow up, you become more aware of the nuances; you listen to other musicians play and it helps you evolve.”
Ambi has performed all over the globe at several prestigious music events, both with his father and solo, including at the Dussehra Festival at Mysuru Palace, the Menuhin Festival in Gtaad as well as performing for late President APJ Abdul Kalam at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. He also has a band called SubraMania, with his sister Bindu Subramaniam.
“SubraMania is a very different project. A huge chunk of what I usually perform is classical music, while the band is more inclined towards contemporary world music,” says Ambi. “It helps that my sister is also a trained singer-songwriter in English from Berklee College of Music, and I’d describe our sound as more soft-rock with Carnatic influences.”
Recently they collaborated with a Flamenco guitar player from Spain and a gypsy musician as well to try out different influences in music. “We’ve had some interesting conversations, including with acclaimed saxophone player Ernie Watts,” he adds. “The beauty of improvised music is that you really don’t know what you’re going to get at the end of the session! It also helps me push my music in a different direction.”
As standout moments among his performances, he recalls when he and his father were recently invited to a concert, which celebrated 100 years of Yehudi Menuhin by his foundation. “We were part of top performing violinists invited from across the world. It was very inspiring to see others — all of them legends in their own fields. Another one would be when we performed in Millennium Park in Chicago, easily one of the best outdoor venues for music, which produced some terrific sounds,” he shares.
But is there a difference between how foreigners appreciate classical music and our own attitude towards it? “There is a very different etiquette that foreign audiences observe. For example, in India if you play something that the audience likes, they will immediately respond with applause and adorations. In the West, audiences do not respond until you finish your piece/concert.”
He illustrates this by recalling an experience when he performed in Poland. “I was performing for an audience I couldn’t entirely see, because they had switched off the audience lights. Every time I played something good, there still was no response. But at the end, they gave me a standing ovation!”
Ambi is also active in his family’s academy, the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts. “Through it, we intend to get talented kids into music early. From the time I was three, I have been constantly learning something new because I was always exposed to new music. We want to replicate the same process, and encourage children to start young to help them transition into professional musicians with a global perspective,” he explains.
That’s why they conduct workshops in world music — with the result that some of the senior students (who are only nine years old!) are comprehending music at a semi-professional level. He is also actively promoting music among school children, through the academy.
For details about the workshops, visit www.sapaindia.com