“I was quite a playful child,” Sayee Rakshith laughs. Playful, of course, is an understatement and yet, it didn’t deter his father, a music enthusiast himself, from enrolling Sayee in violin classes at age six.
“There were no musicians in my family, but as Sathya Sai devotees, my family had wonderful music sensibilities,” Sayee adds. These sensibilities landed him at the doorstep of his first guru, violinist T.V. Ramani, who was tasked with the responsibility of grooming Sayee.
No easy feat for Ramani, as a young Sayee would often skirt class for a bout of television or street cricket. “He was extremely patient with me, practically a father-figure to me,” Sayee reminisces. Fostering a strong sense of interest in both Carnatic music and the instrument itself, Ramani mentored Sayee for five years before an illness left Ramani unwell and Sayee, lost.
“Because of Sir’s illness, I took a break for about a year. At that time, I found that a classmate of mine was learning from Kanyakumari amma. I loved his playing. I knew I had to learn from her,” Sayee says.
Transition phase
And yet, it was three years before that transition could take place, with Sayee first coming under the tutelage of Kanyakumari’s disciple K.G. Rajesh.
“He was someone who developed my curiosity in music. He would urge me to attempt different swaras and musical ideas on the violin, which helped my interest grow,” he says.
With his creativity sparked, Sayee came under the direct tutelage of Kanyakumari — affectionately called ‘Kanya Ma’ by her vast sishyakulam — three years later. Then began an ongoing seven-year journey of what he calls “disciplined but exciting” training.
“Learning from Kanya Ma, I realised that playing violin was a serious venture. Practice was essential, and I had to reach a certain level before performing. Amma was very clear about that,” Sayee says. He calls it one of the “best lessons” she ever taught him compelling him to work hard and live up to expectations.
Academic pursuit
Now, as a second-year Commerce student at Vivekananda College, Sayee finds his academic pursuits equally engaging. Yet, ask him what the future holds and Sayee simply smiles. It’s an unsure smile because as he says, it’s “too soon to tell.”
“I’ve been extremely fortunate in many ways: my parents’ support, the support from my schools for my music, and the support of my gurus in my education. But where do I go from here? I’m not quite sure,” admits Sayee talking about his future course of action.
“I’m definitely interested in other types of music too — blues, jazz, there’s so much out there.” With a strong Carnatic base, Sayee says the rest is simply semantics.
“Of course, we have a responsibility to do justice to our art form, especially on stage. But there’s nothing wrong with experimenting across forms. At the end of the day, it’s all music.”