Master of melodious strings
RUPA GOPAL
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Child prodigy to maestro — `mandolin' Shrinivas has come a long way.
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I used to find Todi difficult in the early days. I honed it by listening to T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai again and again.
DEDICATED: Mandolin U. Shrinivas
"I call the newspaper office (to speak to someone) and am put on hold, which is no hardship at all, as the melodic strains of the mandolin gently relax you. Not difficult to guess the artiste. It is Shrinivas, the child prodigy, who has gone on to make a mark in the field. Awards and accolades have been showered on him, the latest being the one conferred by the Tirupati Music Festival Committee held at Tirumala recently.
Born in Palakol, Andhra Pradesh, on February 28, 1969, Shrinivas grew up in an atmosphere soaked in music. His father Satyanarayana was a music teacher. In typical polite fashion he settles for a conversation.
``My father wanted me to study well, he thought education would secure my future. But I happened to have an ear for music. I used to just pick up the mandolin at home, and play it. My father's friends began telling him to teach me music. At the age of five I began learning varnams, and then was put under Subburaju, my guru, who had also been my father's guru. He was a vocalist, and I had to listen to his singing, and then play the same on the mandolin. It was he who brought us to Madras," reminisces Shrinivas.
Coming to Madras opened the proverbial floodgates. Concert opportunities began pouring in, and senior accompanists had no hesitation in playing for the young prodigy, such was the quality of his music. Already armed with a rich repertoire, Shrinivas lost no time in adding to it. His idols were T. N. Rajaratnam Pillai, GNB, MLV and Flute Mali. His eyes and face light up at the mention of these names.
`I used to find Todi difficult in the early days. I honed it by listening to TNR again and again.
Continuing in the nostalgic vein, Shrinivas says, ``It was my dream to meet Mali. When he had a fracture and was in a hospital near my home, I rushed to see him. He hugged me and cried, saying he had heard a lot about me, and told my father to take good care of me. I also went to see Mali in the green room of Krishna Gana Sabha, before he played his last concert. He scolded me for coming, instead of practising at home."
Music has brought fame, and with it came travel. So he must have developed a special affinity for some places?
Shrinivas loves walking in New York, and also likes London, Paris and Singapore. And back home? ``Thanjavur," comes the reply. ``I love playing at Tiruvaiyaru," he says.
Shrinivas loves Italy for two reasons. He was enchanted by Venice's beauty, while on a day trip with Michael Nyman, a composer with whom he had made the album, ``Sangam," for Warner Bros., and set a piece in the raga Suddha Saveri. The second is more mundane — food!
Gourmet
"I love pizza, pasta, spaghetti and also Mexican food. Punjabi dhaba (not spicy please) food also tempts me. But above all, Pulihorai is my favourite, as also simple vatha kuzhambu and roasted papad," says this gourmet.
What does he do, apart from music? Shrinivas's hobbies are seeing movies and window-shopping. Of late, he has developed a passion for driving. A fan of MGR and Amitabh Bachchan, he recalls how MGR after listening to him on television, found his address and sent home his best wishes. ``I was just a small boy then, and was so impressed by his greatness, and spontaneity," he says. Shrinivas attributes his success first to hard work, and then to God's grace. He has a penchant for playing rare ragas, while also being traditional in his fare. He respects rasikas more than anything, as good listeners are essential to the growth of music.
Fusion music too is beautiful, he feels, and a part of the quintet of his Shakti Group is the versatile Shankar Mahadevan. Guitarist John Mclaughlin adds to the talent of this group.
No less a person than Beatle George Harrison had been moved by Shrinivas' music, in London. He came backstage to meet him, during a concert.
Shrinivas's younger brother Rajesh too is now an adept performer, initially taught by the father. Duet concerts by the two brothers have now become popular.
With Sai Baba and Paramacharya as his guiding lights, it is Shrinivas's ambition to set up a World Institute of Music, and train students, sometime in the future. One hopes his dream comes true.
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