On song and in form
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O.S. Vaidyanathan recently visited Delhi for Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha's Thyagaraja Music and Dance Festival.
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O.S. Arun
O.S. Arun is no stranger to the world of Carnatic music. Neither is the high-flying young singer a stranger to the Capital. Delhi is where he grew up and Delhi is where he got his training in music. This city too is where he was launched as a performer, both as a soloist and as an accompanist to classical dancers. In Delhi recently to participate in the Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha's Thyagaraja Music and Dance Festival, Arun revisited the old haunts of memory.
Arun, whose official name is O.S. Vaidyanathan, though audiences and friends alike tend to omit the formality, presented kritis of Tyagaraja at the festival, which has earned itself a place as a landmark on Delhi's cultural calendar.
"I have been greatly influenced by the work of Sri Tyagaraja, and participate along with others in singing pancharatna songs at his samadhi in Tiruvaiyaru, near Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu, every January," says Arun. It may sound like stating the obvious, but perhaps it needs affirmation, considering he is fond of innovation and experimentation too.
`Cosmopolitan perspective'
Arun, a Delhi University alumnus, reminisces, "Living in Delhi gave me a cosmopolitan perspective, and though I shifted to Chennai a few years ago, as most of my work is there, I still look forward to my visits to this city, which, I feel has changed considerably, particularly on the cultural level, as more and more events are being organised now as compared to earlier days."
A disciple of his father, the well-known O.V. Subramaniam, Arun might be considered a natural in that he is part of a large family known for its high calibre of musical talent. But such advantages can hold one back. While artistes crave to get a foothold in the Capital, believing this is where the action is in terms of getting programmes and foreign tours, he chose to leave a comfortable position in the field and start afresh in Chennai, where the competition was obviously more intense.
Though he has a wide repertoire, including devotional songs in Hindustani, Marathi and Telugu, classical music, and compositions for various productions, which have won him an ardent fan following, he is not so keen on singing in films. "I feel it is not my cup of tea, and am not comfortable with the type of songs being composed these days and prefer to stick to my love for Carnatic music and bhajans."
Arun, who has performed extensively in India and abroad (where he is engaged in collaborative works with jazz musicians) was recently conferred the Kalaimamani award by the Tamil Nadu State Government for his achievement in the field of music.
"The award, which was presented by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa means a lot to me."
As a tribute to the fine arts, a forum that has earned him so much adulation and fame, Arun has set up the Alapana trust "with the sole purpose to conduct programmes and other related activities, like lectures and workshops, to enrich the knowledge of art lovers."
APS MALHOTRA
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