Sudha Ragunathan’s tryst with the city, Carnatic music, and Margazhi Utsavam
Sudha Ragunathan
Carnatic musician Sudha Ragunathan talks about her memories with the city early on, how the city contributed to what she is and the Carnatic music season. “When I lived in Bengaluru earlier, I used to visit Chennai for summer holidays. The summer wasn’t as intense as it is now. I used to love playing at my aunt’s house, hanging out on the beach and eating mangai sundal. This city nurtured me and I am what I am due to Chennai. When we talk of Chennai, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is music and for me, music means carnatic music. We have Margazhi Utsavam for over 30 days in December and it is one of the largest festivals in the world for music, dance and drama.
“In Chennai, the gravity of listening to this music among the audience is really high. As artists, we travel around the world and we strategise, conceptualise and try to plan it as differently as possible. But in Chennai, the seriousness with which we sing, dedication, discipline, everything comes to an optimal point. The audience in Chennai is very knowledgeable, open to experimentation and innovation. They listen to all genres of music.
“When we sing during the Margazhi season, we wait for the review in the Friday Review in The Hindu. That takes us through several layers of audience, even those who did not attend the concert. All artists are keen that their concert is reviewed by The Hindu.”
To watch the full interview, visit: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-pd4hvyme-/?igsh=MTRuaHBrb2xiNTR6aA==
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