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‘The grammar is intact’
Sikkil Gurucharan and Anil Srinivasan on their new work, which premieres at the Friday Review November Fest.
Why Colour of Rain?
Srinivasan I see Carnatic music as rain pouring down from the heavens, cool, fresh and pure. With my piano, I create rays of light to evoke rainbow colours in the falling waters. Also, when you look at Carnatic music from a Western classical perspective, new elements – colours – come into focus. This will be different from what we did in Madirakshi, with more sounds and percussion, though we will keep the grammar of both styles intact.
Gurucharan The voice and piano will remain dominant, but we are including other instruments to refract more colours. The sarangi will provide a resonant continuity of tone, especially for the Hindustani ragas.
Did you feel any initial reluctance in blending disparate elements?
Srinivasan Of course. I had to exercise tremendous restraint, keep my piano simple, Spartan, to provide percussion and harmonic underpinnings to Charan’s melodising. No unnecessary embellishments either. This was a challenge and continues to be.
Gurucharan I lost my fears and doubts when I found how my voice is respected in this experiment, my manodharma given full freedom and scope.
Have you learnt anything new in this adventure?
Srinivasan Yes. The colours of rain! In the restraint this experiment demands, I have discovered unexpected nuances in both harmony and melody. The limitation spurs me to be better, finer… I have started revisiting the grammar that I thought I knew and finding how much more I have to learn.
Gurucharan I have learnt to use my voice to evoke the varying emotions in the lyric, and bring off modulations more precise and intense.
G.R.
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