Setting the rhythm
MADHUMITHA SRINIVASAN
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A piano and violin player, and member of the Cincinati children’s choir, Vidita is set to take the music world by storm.
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Sweet surprise: Vidita.
Music is an ocean; we cannot even attempt to learn or know it all. Everyday new discoveries are being made about its depths. And in one such instance, a piece of Indian music history was brought out of obscurity by Kanniks Kannikeswaran, a musician, composer and indologist based in Ohio, U.S.
The ‘Nottuswara Sahityas’ were songs composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar with Sanskrit lyrics set to traditional western English tunes that he was exposed to in his lifetime — 1775-1835, a period during which the British lived in India. It is said that he was inspired by the tunes played by the British band and these tunes are reflected in these sahithyas.
This genre, that has 39 compositions in all, has been made available to all by Kanniks who produced and released the album — ‘Vismaya – Nottuswara Sahityas of Dikshitar’, in Chennai recently.
Listening to the album, you will notice that it is not a bold, adult voice but a soft, young voice. That voice belongs to Kanniks’ 13-year-old daughter Vidita Kanniks, a VIII grade student who has arranged the music for one and played the chords on the piano for another.
Catchy tune
A piano and violin player, and a member of the Cincinati children’s choir that performed in the Broadway show — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat”, Vidita has been learning Carnatic music from her father since the age of five. “It (singing) is something that I love and enjoy” says this Harry Potter fan. And her Carnatic and western music learning never mix because they are both distinct in their own way. “In Carnatic, you learn by the ear and in western music, you have to follow the notes.”
The work on the album started two years ago in an effort to make the songs available to Kanniks’ students.
But then the thought of ‘why not make it available to everyone world over?’ struck him and Vidita who was helping her dad with the rough recordings, was made to sing for the entire album, that was launched by director Rajiv Menon.
Vidita describes the recording experience as ‘fun, hard work and a lot of learning’. “I am lucky to have got this opportunity at this age” she beams. She has also performed in a 10-minute programme for A. P. J. Abdul Kalam when he was visiting Kentucky, which was a ‘phenomenal success’. Vidita accompanies her father on his lecture demonstrations and has sung the introduction piece for his production — ‘Shanti – a journey of peace’.
She is very happy when “the kids listen to the songs and see me as the akka who has sung all those songs.” Interestingly, Vidita’s five-year-old sister has also rendered a part of a song in the album.
For more details on the album visit: www.kanniks.com.
The 2-CD album, priced at Rs. 300, is available at all leading retail outlets.
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