Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Variety is in tune with her

S. Aishwarya

"I don't practice before shows"

Sudha Raghunathan — PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM

TIRUCHI: Variety is her `mantra' at every concert. Be it the December music festival or an international concert, Sudha Raghunathan makes it a point to deliver different packages on every possible occasion.

"It is a self-made challenge and a demand that makes me stick to the `manodharma' of Carnatic music," she says. That art has been imbibed in her from her association with her guru M. L. Vasanthakumari, who seldom practised before concerts. "Singing songs without prior practice gives me a kind of tension before I start my concert. And the tension checks my confidence level."

The wavelength of the audience, she feels, should be determined before every performance. "Talking to the organiser is crucial, especially at international concerts attended by the non-Tamils and at times, even non-Indian audience at large. But beyond everything, there is a bond between every musician and the audience that helps us ascertain their tastes."

On the common conception that well-known accompanists don't prefer to perform for the female singers, Ms. Sudha Raghunathan feels it is widespread in the field of Carnatic music but nothing can be done about it. "They have their own reasons for that and I respect it." But she admits, at times of performing intricate `krithis', she had to be careful not to walk out of the lines of nascent accompanists. "Otherwise, it is better to bring in variety even in the background score. It refreshes both the audience and singer."

Having sung scores of numbers in almost all ragas, she has an inclination for `prathi-madhyama' ragas that are comfortable for women as they tend to perform in high pitches.

Ragas apart, the language of songs is what hooks the audience till the end, she says. "Oothukadu and Bharathiyar compositions reach the Tamils fast."

A new addition to her variety list, her to-be-released album on `Thirupugazh' would be "with a tint of contemporary modification in the background."

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