CHENNAI: Bold voice, command over ragas and excellent academic credentials. Immersed in Carnatic music for over four decades, well-known vocalist S Sowmya began her journey as a child prodigy at the age of six. Admired for her humility, self-discipline and a charming persona in the inner circles of the upper echelons of the music world, Sowmya holds an exemplary track record of prestigious awards and accolades, with Sangita Kalanidhi being the latest.
A vocalist, vainika and researcher — Sowmya is the second youngest and among the few female artistes to be given the coveted award. It’s widely acclaimed as the highest honour in Carnatic music bestowed by Madras Music Academy. She will preside over the 93rd annual conference of the academy scheduled to be held from December 15, 2019, to January 1, 2020. In a freewheeling chat with CE, the accomplished musician discusses her ideas for preserving age-old ragas, love for traditional Tamil folk music, and using music as a tool for social service.
Excerpts follow:
What does Sangita Kalanidhi mean to you?
I’m excited and honoured. Cliches apart, it instils a certain amount of responsibility. To chair or preside over the morning proceedings at the conference is not a joke. I take it seriously. I’m giving it a lot of thought and preparing to address different topics. It’s going to be interesting work.
Is there anything in particular about Margazhi that has changed over the years?
There are many sabhas. But the number of slots has decreased. When we were juniors, we had one junior and a couple of senior slots for the day. It was competitive. Unless we had the merit, proved ourselves, it wasn’t easy. The standards were high. By reducing slots, we can improve the quality of performance today as well.
What can we expect from you this season?
Firstly, my morning sessions, where I also hope to get enriched. Secondly, I’m fighting for the cause of promoting handloom saris by artisans. I’m not a fan of pattu sari. I’m rather known to wearing handloom saris like Chanderi, Benarasi and Kalamkari. I want to give this dying art a new lease of life by spreading awareness among rasikas and talking about it after my concerts. I’ve tied up with a city-based brand called Weddings and Marigold for that.
Art, they say, is seamless. Yet, we find boundaries and biases. How can performing arts and artistes break this wall to include more communities?
Earlier, (Carnatic) music was restricted to a particular region in its natural form because musicians did not travel geographically. Eventually, we started embracing different forms and ragas from all regions. We have something called marga ragas, which were indigenous, and desi ragas which we eventually accepted with time. For instance, in the south, we sing Hindustani classical ragas of north Indian origins like Bahar and Hamir Kalyani. In the north, they sing ragas of South Indian origin like Charukesi and Simhendramadhyamam. Musicians adapt and sing. It’s been happening for years. When the music got codified and became classical, certain changes were made to understand the art better and make it disciplined. There are only seven musical notes but don’t we explore more with our creativity?
We’ve heard about your love for the veena and your PhD research on the mridangam. Can you tell us what makes these instruments special?
I’ve been playing the veena since the age of eight through Cultural Talent Scholarship for Instrumental Music from the Department of Culture, Government of India. It gives a different insight into what we sing. It’s like a graphical illustration and you can see the microtones. You get precision from the instrument. As kids, we were also told that learning the veena would complement our singing.
And, mridangam, because I wanted to do something related to science of the percussion instrument in south Indian music. I noticed that my colleagues encountered difficulties while playing the instrument because of the temperature changes when we travel to different countries. My on-going research work is on enhancing the tonal stability of the instrument.
How do you manage to dabble the roles of a reality show judge, teacher and performing concerts?
My father M Srinivasan, who was a chemical engineer and a Carnatic musician, always spoke about fixing priorities. He was an inspiration. If you love something then you would always find time for it. The challenge is when you have to manage the house and concerts. I don’t accept concerts on festival days. Unless I set an example for my son he wouldn’t follow. I never travelled out of the city during Navaratri season. To unwind, I cook and it’s also my hobby. I make multiple cuisines, bake with young musicians and there is always someone to eat at home.
How does having a double-degree in Indian Music help in the present scenario?
There’s nothing called theory or musicology. These are just written documents of what was prevalent in those days. Many of the age-old concepts are still relevant in present-day compositions. After all, it’s an oral tradition. We learned from developing what was already studied by our ancestors.
Sadly, many ragas are going into oblivion these days. We must start going into the mind of erstwhile composers. It gives you ideas and perspectives. We need to preserve that rich legacy.
Are you active on social media?
I’m a silent spectator and don’t post unless it’s necessary. I do attend many concerts and give feedback — sometimes even if they’re not willing. We run a page called Sukrtam Foundation along with the younger musicians where we do social service activities involving music.
You are a passionate promoter and practitioner of Tamizh Isai — the ancient classical and folk music traditions. What are your efforts in keeping the traditional folk music alive?
I owe it to my guru Sangita Kalanidhi S Ramanathan. He was very involved in Tamizh Isai. His thesis was on the music in Silapathigaram. I used to accompany him to Tamizh Isai Sangam on research. He used to give many lectures on kavadi chindu (folk music), Thevaram, Thiruppugazh, Thiruvasagam, Kamban, Muthu thandavar. I was exposed to the real Tamil traditional music through him. He used to take me for pattimandrams as well. Slowly, I developed an interest. I continue to go for these lectures on Tamil music and make notes. People need to look at Tamil Nadu as a whole and all art forms as one. Failing to do so has only led to factions in society.
Your future plans?
I’m working with people with special needs. I want to do a lot more in that direction, not just as a therapy but as a vocation to them. I also urge younger musicians to help me out. Secondly, I want to document the relevance of old music by using social media in a useful way. This is a way to encourage youngsters to step up.