At the MS Subbulakshmi Arangam, a music performance doesn’t need a microphone to reach every listener. The steady rhythm of the mridangam, the smooth flow of the violin, and the singer’s expressive voice can all travel clearly through the space, carried by balanced acoustics. The walls and ceilings are shaped to guide the music, letting every sound be heard in every corner. Soft notes, pauses, and crescendos, all remain equally warm and clear. In such an arangam, the audience doesn’t just listen to Carnatic music. They are surrounded by it, feeling each moment as if it’s meant personally for them. And when Margazhi arrives, this auditorium feels destined for it, just as the music and the space complete each other.
Driving this destiny home is Soulfest 2025, a four-and-a-half-day Margazhi festival, from December 24, featuring musicians and instrumentalists, curated by Gowri Ramnarayan, writer, journalist, and playwright. The festival starts on the first day with two solo concerts by vocalists, Vignesh Ishwar and Sikkil Gurucharan.
On the second day, N Vijay Siva will be putting together a special concert. “One simply has to pay tribute to Muthuswami Dikshitar in this year’s programme, and who better to bring his genius alive than Vijay Siva, whose guru was DK Jayaraman, DK Pattammal’s brother,” she says. The stalwart siblings spread awareness of Dikshitar’s magnificence, Gowri adds. But before the special concert, Amritha Murali and Nisha Rajagopalan will be performing songs of Dikshitar’s disciples. “This way we pay tribute to Dikshitar but also acknowledge and celebrate the songs of his disciples because he has inspired his disciples to not just remain as musicians but to compose music too.” Between the two concerts, vocalist Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath will take the stage too.
A thematic concert leads day three. Archana and Aarathi have called their concert ‘Basha’ and are determined to sing in as many languages as possible. Singer Bharat Sundar will follow the duo on stage.
Gowri’s picks this year also include two instrumental solos. One of them will be led by violinist RK Shriramkumar, the Sangita Kalanidhi designate this year, and a flautist Sruthi Sagar, both of whom will be performing in the evening and morning slots respectively, on December 27. Between the two performances, representing the Musiri school on the 125th birth anniversary of Musiri Subramania Iyer, is Brinda Manickavasakan. The festival will conclude with a performance by TM Krishna on the final day.
What truly binds the performers for Soulfest 2025 is not just the love for music. “It is the auditorium,” Gowri says, concluding that almost every artiste agreed to perform because they love returning to the acoustic haven located inside the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai.
Tickets are available at theticket9.com