Lakshmi Sreeram
In an effort to highlight the similarities and differences between Carnatic and Hindustani music — the two main branches of Indian classical music — classical vocalist Lakshmi Sreeram has collaborated with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) to design a two-hour lecture demonstration. As a performer of both forms as well as a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Sreeram is well-acquainted with the histories of the two different schools of music that developed in different parts of the country.
“I will focus on the Khayal genre within Hindustani music and will demonstrate how both Khayal and Carnatic music have broadly similar elements of presentation and yet the treatment of these elements is very divergent,” says Sreeram, 51. The lecture demonstration will explore the fundamental differences in the texture of these classical forms, which essentially result in distinctly different listening experiences. She says, “These would be gamakas and some aspects of laya. I will then talk about the principles of raga and tala that underlie both musical traditions.”
Born into a Tamil family, Sreeram was eight when she began her training in music. “We were all exposed to classical music and dance in some way. I was eight when my father arranged for a music teacher in Chennai to come home and teach me and my sister.” Apart from sustained music training, Sreeram also pursued a Ph.D in philosophy, and has written several articles and research papers related to classical music.
A story that she identifies with is that of Narada, a devotee of Vishnu, who believed he was the sole maestro in his ability to perform ragas and raginis. He was made to realise by Krishna that his arrogance was hurting others and he was told to redeem his imperfections rather than reveling in delusion. Sreeram says, “Being a performer, I strive for perfection. I am my own harshest critic. When you are a musician, or any artist for that matter, you are overtly sensitive to mistakes and slight changes. This propels you to keep working until you master your piece.”
The lecture demonstration “Uttar Dakshan” will be held on Friday, July 21, at Little Theatre, Mumbai. Time: 6:30 pm.
