Young veena players have reinvented the instrument for wider reach

Raman Balachandran. , Photo courtesy: The Hindu

Picture a concert hall full of audience members maintaining pin-drop silence. A series of intensely imaginative notes are being presented with some harshness on the veena. meet us And it’s almost time for the final note. It’s one of those days when a particularly confusing Kanakku unexpectedly pops into place. The mridangam and ghatam players focus completely on tracing the pattern and in that moment, the three instruments become one, resulting in a spectacular display of teamwork. Venika was the young Raman Balachandran, who is expanding the potential of this ancient instrument and in the process has shown how it remains relevant.

Collaborations between instrumentalists are nothing new. However, in the Karnataka region Vainika has mostly performed with violinists and flutists resulting in the famous ‘Veena-Venu-Violin’ combo. But young veena artists like Veena Venkataramani are exploring new concepts and combinations. Veena’s ‘Vadhya Milan’ series is an interesting watch as she also enjoys playing various instruments like Chitravina, Sarod, Sitar, Keyboard and Nagaswaram apart from violin and flute. The series also features some prominent percussionists who play the Mridangam, Kanjira, Thavil and Konakol.

Veena Venkataramani. , Photo Courtesy: Srinath M

So what is it that makes the Veena so attractive across generations? Perhaps it’s the enduring sweetness, strangeness and majestic appeal. But it is a difficult instrument to learn. It is also large in size and requires careful electrical amplification, as it is traditionally a chamber music instrument.

Over the years, many people have felt that the length and size of the traditional Saraswati Veena makes it difficult to carry around. Furthermore, acoustic pickups gave the harp an unusual sound that changed its natural character.

innovations in veena

One of the first innovations in the last two decades is Radel’s electronic harp Sunadavinodini. Although artists are divided when it comes to using the electronic veena for performance, it has gained immense popularity among students who are part of the Indian diaspora abroad. Besides this, there are several other modified veenas – the Madhura veena developed by Kannan Balakrishnan, the Chandra veena made by boutique veena makers in Kannur and the Sarasvitra of Baradwaja Raman.

The new interest in the instrument can be attributed to the open-mindedness of its new-age practitioners, who are experimenting with its strings to create a diverse sonic landscape. They are using social media not only to connect with their audience but also to educate them about the intricacies of the instrument and explore its potential.

Jayanti Kumaresh. , Photo courtesy: The Hindu

online series

Jayanti Kumaresh is famous for her online content which attracts audiences across the world. His series Cup O’ Karnataka aims to popularize Carnatic music in general and Veena in particular. Launched in 2017 and running for over six seasons, the series explores ragas from different perspectives, taking viewers through Jayanti’s musical journey and even includes a section for children.

JT Jayaraj Krishnan and Jayashree Jayaraj Krishnan. , Photo Credit: Thanthoni S

Veena players JT Jayaraj Krishnan and Jayashree Jayaraj Krishnan regularly organize Veena Utsavs to celebrate the birth anniversary of Muthuswami Dikshitar and even retrace his musical journey by visiting and singing kshetra kritis in various temples. The husband and wife duo regularly share video clips on Manodharma, focusing on ragas and tanams on Veena. Harnessing the power of technology to reach the musical audience, the couple has also developed an app that presents authentic veena renditions of Dikshitar’s (the composer was also a Vainika) compositions.

focus on rhythm

Vainika has realized that effective performance requires building skills in addition to her regular veena lessons. Often encouraged by their gurus, they seek guidance from other practitioners to focus on aspects such as rhythm and tempo. Young Veena artiste Sai Harinani, a disciple of veteran Venika and musician RS Jayalakshmi, learns the finer aspects of rhythm from senior Mridangist Melakaveri Balaji. Some of these classroom lessons shared on social media explore the ideas of swarakalpana and pallavi in ​​complex talas, korvais and kurappu patterns, making them a useful resource for percussionists and singers. Raman Balachandran conducts stamina workshops where veena students who want to improve their dexterity and dedication to rhythm sign up in large numbers.

Collaborations between instrumentalists are nothing new. The benefit of musical families like the Karaikudi family in the academic discourse of veena learning has been huge. Karaikudi S. Subramaniam developed the COMET (Correlated Objective Music Education and Training) system of music education, which assimilates ‘traditional Gurukul methods of teaching’, with the aim of harnessing the full potential of music by exploring universal musical principles related to various disciplines. Is.

Veena Utsav

B Kannan. , Photo Credits: Murthy M

Instrumentalists need opportunities to shine in their art. There is also a need to foster a sense of community among the traders, and Veena festivals have made this possible. The grandest of these festivals is the Veena Mahotsav run by Kannan Balakrishnan. Starting as an offline festival at a small venue in Chennai, it has expanded its reach to accommodate veena players from across the world in its online format.

Chennai-based music organization Mudhra also organizes a Veena Utsav every year on its digital platforms. Thus, the instrument retains its relevance by constantly reinventing itself to suit the growing needs of music lovers. Although the veena has been hailed as the national instrument, the extensive contributions of veena scholars to the larger Carnatic music discourse need to be highlighted more often. Active audience participation should be ensured in Veena Kucheris as there is a widespread tendency among Rasikas to prefer vocal concerts rather than instrumental ones.

There needs to be incentives in the form of economically attractive concert prospects for the next generation to take up this instrument. There is a need to encourage instrument learners and listeners to preserve this tradition.