Two brothers in concert in two cities

One of the most interesting aspects of Carnatic Music is that it conforms to ‘more-the-merrier’ concept.

A musical programme that comprises multiplicity of vocalists and instrumentalists challenge each other is a delight to every listener.

It would not only bring out the nuances of the Indian fine arts but also demonstrate the ability of the artistes to interpret various ragas.

Unique journey

New Zealanders would have a unique experience of visiting the world of melody as Malladi Brothers (Ravikumar and Sreeramprasad Malladi), arguably among the most promising and prominent exponents of Carnatic Music.

They will perform at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar School in Epsom, Auckland on March 29 and at the Sacred Heart College, 65 Laings Road, Lower Hutt on March 30.

They will be accompanied by. Avaneeswaran SR Vinu on the Violin and. Tumkur Bhadrachaar Ravishankar on the Mridangam.

Their concerts in Auckland are being organised by Rasikas NZ and the Sangeetha Bharathi School of Music and in Wellington by the New Zealand Indian Fine Arts Society.

Budding artistes

A senior member of the Indian community, who attends all music performances told this reporter at a recent flute concert (see separate story in this Section) that it was gratifying the increasing number of our young men and women learning various forms of Indian Classical music and dances, with many of them aiming to achieve academic qualifications.

“Music and dance schools are attracting people of Indian origin and other ethnicities and these students seem to be dedicated and committed to the art that they learn. There was a time when there was more interest in film music and dance but this trend seems to be changing,” he said.

Distance Learning

During a telephone conversation with Indian Newslink (March 1, 2014), Ravi Malladi had said that modern communication technology had extended distance learning to Indian classical music and dance.

“Students are able to engage in learning sessions with us through ‘Skype’ and other online methods. Telephone connections through the Internet also bring together teachers and students. We have a number of promising students learning through these methods,” he said.

Great Masters

Known for their large repertoire of Carnatic Music compositions, the Malladi Brothers are chips of the old blocks, their grandfather Malladi Sriramamurthy and Malladi Suri Babu. Initiated into the family’s tradition, they later came under the tutelage of Sripada Pinakapani, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and Voleti Venkatesvarulu, rated among the foremost vocalists and teachers in South India.

In a feature article that appeared in The Hindu (August 11, 2006), journalist Aruna Chandaraju said that getting a good Guru was all about one’s good fortune.

“Their grandfather taught them basic exercises adopting a highly valuable method. Saraliswaras were taught, not straight and plain, but replete with gamakas. So were the jantiswaras and alankaras. This not only increased the Malladi Brothers’ swara gyaanam, but also helped them understand the right proportions or optimum levels of gamakas.”

Carnatic Music differs in connotation among people. For some, it is a spiritual experience, while for others it is a form of entertainment but invoking the finer qualities of piety.

Viewed from any prospective, the forthcoming concert of Malladi Brothers in Auckland and Lower Hutt would be an event to remember.