CHENNAI: Forty-seven years of enriching experience has made brothers Ganesh Rajagopalan and Kumaresh Rajagopalan nothing but a dynamic violin duo in the Carnatic music fraternity. The brothers made their public debut when Ganesh was seven and Kumaresh was five. It’s the same camaraderie, mutual admiration and jovial understanding they share on stage to date. CE spoke to the violinists on the sidelines of their performance on the concept Ragapravaham at Brahma Gana Sabha on Tuesday.
Musical bond
“Ragapravaham is based on the concept called music beyond lyrics. These are original compositions exclusively designed for melodic instruments that bring out the tonal variety and dynamic structures of music instruments in its totality within the strict boundaries of raga and tala. This is one of our important projects and it has received a great response from the audience,” said Kumaresh, who meditates and prays before every performance. The duo believes that their mood can deeply influence the music that reaches the patrons.
Their musical training started at home under the tutelage of their father TS Rajagopalan. The brothers have given four concerts and have three more to go this Margazhi. “Our music festival has inspired other cities to start their festivals which is a positive development. In the 70s and 80s, there were only a handful of sabhas. Now there are plenty of extra slots and budding musicians. We’re moving in the right direction,” said Ganesh, dressed in a crisp cotton kurta like his brother. The duo has gradually shifted from panchakacham dhoti to this attire with time. “Our wardrobe is simple and there’s no pressure to dress up a certain way,” he said.
Companions for life
Apart from concerts, the duo is busy round the year with workshops and classes for aspiring students. “Music has to be memorised and repeated for a musician to get disciplined. This has to be inculcated at a young age. Unlike vocalists, we don’t have standard skills. We are working on one. Once they get the basics right, they’re open to adopting a style of their liking. We don’t want the youngsters to wait for 47 years like us for a standard syllabus, but do it at the age of 25 and take it forward to the next generation,” said Kumaresh.
The brothers have collaborated on projects with several musicians and have played for film music. Both of them are equally active on social media. They have healthy arguments but resolve issues sensibly despite being poles apart. “My brother is like the immediate guru to me. There’s nothing like sharing the stage with a phenomenal artiste like him in our journey so far. That apart, it’s common for siblings to have a conflict of opinions. Once we get on stage, we leave everything behind and perform together along with accompanists. We complement and inspire each other. Our goal is to surprise the audience and not ourselves,” said Kumaresh.
Bow vows
The musical chemistry between them on stage is a delight to watch. The duo intersperses their performances with audience interaction. They want the music to appeal to the uninitiated as much as the connoisseurs. “We performed at Mylapore Fine Arts when I was 10 and Ganesh was 12. A 67-year-old rasika walked out while everybody was coming in. He had complained saying we were not serious enough. There was a certain kind of seriousness and discipline expected from performing artistes. While rasikas say they know music, we say we understand the art form. That’s the difference between how we perceive and consume this form,” said Kumaresh.
The duo is working on new compositions, Ragapravaham and something special for the children in 2020. Kumaresh is in the process of tuning Saundarya Lahari in a krithi format. “It’s wonderful to see many youngsters take up music as a profession. We notice many of them coming for concerts. Schools must include music in their curriculum. It will help develop the creative trait in children at a young age and instil discipline. Music is a unifying factor that will bring people together,” he said. The duo wants to bring instrumental and Carnatic music to centre-stage.
The brothers will be performing on December 29, 5.30 am at Panchamukha Anjaneyar Kovil, Chittirai Kulam, Mylapore. For details, call: 24992777
December 29, 6.30 pm at Sivananda Gurukulam Isai Vizha, Sivananda Memorial Auditorium, Maraimalai Nagar. For details, call: 9841002319
January 1, 4 pm at Bharat Kalachar, YGP Auditorium, T Nagar. For details, call: 28343045
