CHENNAI: Margazhi, the month of music, holds a significant space in the hearts of rasikas, the enthusiasts of Tamil culture. At Taj Coromandel, the Rendezvous with Sudha Ragunathan, held recently, the Carnatic vocalist took the seasonal festivities to another level, celebrating traditions.
The musical meet-up
The tête-a-tête dwelt on the musical journey of the veteran in conversation with Subhasree Thanikachalam, a cultural philanthropist. “It (Margazhi) has always been very close to my heart as I made my name with it. I remember playing tambura every Margazhi with my guru and since then I have been walking one step forward,” Sudha shared.
Following the Guru-Sishya tradition, Sudha learned Carnatic music from the legendary ML Vasanthakumari, for 13 years. She recalled the journey, calling it more of a natural learning rather than a rigid structure. “There was a lot of struggle and observance throughout the journey. The way she used to sing was just like a flow. I used to write notations of the songs myself, at home to match with MLV amma. I think only that brought the alertness in me,” she said.
The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee commented that music is a meandering process. “It’s a process where you finish planning for one, and there’s the next. The only thing that withstands, is patience and you’ll see it (the craft) getting polished as the time goes on,” she said. For any artiste, receiving awards, Sudha mentioned, is a good incentive but it also comes with a responsibility to respect the art in a deeper sense of introspection.
Sudha noted that the contemporary status of classical music is growing in two parallel ways — emerging as an independent art form, and fostering cross-cultural explorations through fusions. She said, “ People on an international scale, have open hearts to enjoy the divine rhythmic renditions of Indian music. It’s just about introspecting on how the innovations can be carried out.”
The conversation flagged off with Sudha singing compositions of music maestros, and a high tea curated by the masterchefs of Prego.