Riduan Zalani is just unsheathing his rebana, a Malay drum, as we catch up with him for a quick discussion. He, along with a host of other musicians, is preparing to travel to Chennai on behalf of their institution, the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). But they won’t just be spectators this Margazhi: instead, they’ll be one of the most unique additions to this year’s Music Season. It’s also an added feature of a festival that celebrates a decade in Chennai this year.
“It’s my first time to Chennai, and I couldn’t be more nervous and excited,” he tells us. Under the guidance of guru and mridangist Tripunithura Sreekanth and alongside four other consummate percussionists, they will present Laya Sangamam, a ratnavalli, as a part of the three-day festival. It is sponsored by the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai, in a first-time partnership.
“When we began the festival, we featured some of Chennai’s most eminent artistes. Over the last few years, we’ve chosen to showcase our students and faculty members in order to help them get some exposure and widen their artistic reach beyond Singapore,” says SIFAS’ principal Shankar Rajan.
And that’s not the only development. For the first time, due to popular demand and what Rajan calls a greater open-mindedness to all music, the Festival hosts some of SIFAS’ prime Hindustani artistes and professors. “It’s an honour,” says Kathak artiste Jyotika Joshi. Originally from Delhi and a student of the Jaipur gharana, she has something special planned for her return to the Chennai stage.
“Usually, we dance to the bols of the tabla. But this time, I will be dancing to the jathis of the mridangam and will be accompanied by many other instruments like the flute, sitar, Chinese and Malay drums as well,” she expands. Presenting a Vishnu stotram followed by a pallavi, it’s one of the many performances that will break the bounds of convention during the festival.
“For many of us, it’s a novel experience. As a jazz bass player who’s been studying the mridangam for the past seven years at SIFAS, just being a part of a rhythm ensemble is a challenge itself,” says Tony Makrome. Taking part in Sreekanth’s Laya Sangamam, he says the process of collaboration through konnakol has brought the artistes together in a deeper manner.
The attempt to curate something different starts long before the ideation phase. Instead, it begins with the auditions, a highly rigorous process that results in only a fraction of the applications getting a chance to be a part of the prestigious festival.
“We invite a Chennai judge to audition our applicants every year. This year, it was KN Renganatha Sharma. By seeing his musicality, our applicants are immediately inspired to work hard and present their best,” says Narayanan Balasubramaniam, vice-president, performing arts, SIFAS. Overseeing the auditions, he calls them a potential “launch pad” for the many aspiring artistes that are at SIFAS .
Of course, not every performance is a complete departure from the norm. Take, for instance, Hindustani vocalist and sitar player Susanta Choudhury’s presentation. While he will be joining other artistes to present both a mallari and the aforementioned pallavi, he proudly calls his contributions “reflective of classical Hindustani music amidst many Carnatic presentations.”
On SIFAS’ decision to host the festival during one of Chennai’s busiest artistic months, Rajan says, “Getting an audience is actually not a worry. We have always had a high turn out. Chennai is the nicest in December — from the weather to the ambience, with a multitude of concerts happening at every street corner. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn and improve their listening and performance skills.”
The partnering with the Kalakshetra Foundation is a result of SIFAS over 35-year association with the premier institute. While Rajan and Balasubramaniam agree that many of these young artistes may or may not pursue music or dance as a profession, the holistic growth they experience as a result of the arts is reason enough to get involved. “We’re building the interest in young people, slowly and surely,” Rajan assures. It’s a gradual process with major benefits, and the administration knows it. “We’re not just a place to build careers. We’re building better people, more creative minds, through music and dance of all forms.”