CHENNAI: Still high on their energy-packed performance in the dance drama Mahabharatham at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival that also had the legendary kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj, Carnatic vocalists and siblings Anahita and Apoorva Ravindran are gearing up for another unique performance at Apparao Galleries on Saturday.
For the singer siblings, performing has been an integral part of growing up, like any typical activity that two sisters would have engaged with.
Performing for over a decade now, the graded artistes of AIR have sung in cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, apart from the Cleveland Aradhana and the IFAASD Festival in San Diego. Anahita and Apoorva are recipients of the Government of India scholarship for Carnatic music.
Trained initially in music by their grandmother Shanthi Jayaraman, the sisters, who are two years apart, began performing regularly even before they were in their teens.
Anahita, the older sibling says, “When it came to music, there was no grandmother-granddaughter equation. However, my grandmother and my parents made it an interesting atmosphere for us to learn. For the varisai, they made every stair a note and we practised every time we went up and down the stairs. My parents ensured that we also took time out for studies. We had to make the time ourselves and even when we had exams, music never took a backseat,” she adds.
For the past seven years though, the sisters have been under the tutelage of Chitravina N Ravikiran. Apoorva says, “We are extremely lucky to have him as our guru. He is a big inspiration. He knows our potential and taps it to the fullest.” The sisters also find vocalists Ranjani-Gayathri to be a big inspiration as performers.
Incidentally, given their years of performing together and sister connection, they tell us that intuition plays a big role in the success of their shows. Anahita clarifies, “There are times when the audience requests for a composition that we might be singing for the first time. In such cases, you never know what the end result is. Every concert is an experience.”
Apoorva, who also plays the violin, accompanies her sister for concerts. “When I am on the violin, I have to follow Anahita and that’s not the same as singing together,” she explains.
Anahita is the lead singer for Vyjayanthimala’s dance programmes. The youngster says, “Working with her can teach you a lot. She is a perfectionist and practises till you get it right, even if that means she has to perform with you, till it turns out the way she wants it.”
Having had the best of the gurus, from Dr Subramaniam for thiruppugazhs, Dikshitar compositions from Kalpagam Swaminathan, and Ravikiran, they say that they only missed being part of the golden era. “It was the time of GNB and MS Amma. But we are also fortunate to be part of the current scene that offers a lot of opportunities. There is immense competition and it makes you work harder,” says Anahita.
Adapting to a more non-traditional venue at Apparao Galleries for their next performance this weekend, the artistes stress on the significance of creating an atmosphere. “This cannot be approached like a sabha performance. It will be an intimate audience and we plan to have raagams like Shahana and Aahiri, apart from a few fast-paced numbers,” says Anahita.
The concert will take place on Saturday, May 24 at 6 pm at Apparao Galleries, Nungambakkam. Contact 9941012385