Music is never casual for this ensemble of L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy

HYDERABAD: Music has ways of triggering both parts of the brain to work at the same time and helps increase creativity of a person. Music is a way of self discovery.

Sum up violin maestro L Subramaniam, a Padma Bhushan awardee, and his wife, Indian playback singer and a Padma Shri awardee herself Kavitha Krishnamurthy. This couple make a perfect ensemble with superlative successes in creating albums, accompanying legends and acing solo performances. Of course, the jugalbandi of the couple enthralled music-lovers across the globe.

L Subramaniam and Kavitha Krishnamurthy are in Hyderabad, organising the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival 2023. The festival would be organised in Shilpakala Vedika on January 28. The event would start at 6:30 pm.

He says, "I started the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival in 1992, in memory of my late father and Guru, Professor V. Lakshminarayana, who was responsible for bringing the Indian violin to the global stage. When he passed away in December 1990, just a month shy of his 80th birthday, my (now late) wife Viji and I felt that the best way to honour his legacy was to start a music festival, that could bring together some of the greatest musicians from around the world and create a platform for collaboration and global understanding.”

Speaking about the festival, Kavitha Krishnamurthy said, “It brings me immense joy to organise the music festival in Hyderabad. We have done many concerts in Hyderabad and the audience here are so loving towards art and culture. We did not organise any concert for three years due to covid. But now we are back with the 32nd Lakshminarayana Music Festival. Artists from around the world are coming to perform – both dance and music.

This festival aims at connecting art and culture from various geographies on the same platform.”

In a tete-a-tete with NewsTAP, Kavita Krishnamurthy and L Subramaniam shared what music meant for them in their life.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Is classical music important to succeed in film industry?

Kavita Krishnamurthy: Classical music is nothing but training yourself to hit different notes, sing in different pitches, different ragas and much more. So definitely, having a classical music training enhances one’s singing. Sometimes musicians need to sing songs different from their comfort zone. Classical music training comes in handy then. However, to become successful one must continue to practise.

Q. They say that Raagas have healing powers and raaga music therapies are being offered. Do you think the Raagas can actually heal? Have you had any personal experience?

L Subramaniam: Music has healing powers, basically because music directly affects your nerves. It has calming powers. Not just physically, but it can heal mental conditions like anxiety and depression too.

In the Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence, where we offer a Bachelor’s course in music, we not only just have a syllabus where people learn a set of compositions in their course duration, but we even enable them to enhance their knowledge through music.

In the Centre of Excellence itself, we have seen effects of music on pregnant women and postpartum mothers. So, yes. I do believe in music therapy.

Q. Do you think the development of technology and media have created a negative impact on classical music?

L Subramaniam: In the olden days, there was no social media or ways to gain quick fame. People used to perform in concerts. That’s how great personalities became legends – by performing in multiple places over the years. Now it's a completely different case. People make songs in studios, cut and stick one one sentence. Publicity is more and visibility is more. So it is easy to gain recognition and fame.

However, classical music has its own preciousness and power. It would never die.

Q. Being a family full of musicians, are there days when the entire family is practising together?

L Subramaniam: For me music is very serious. It is never casual singing or practising. Even when we sing as a family it is very disciplined singing. For me, music comes from my father. My children are also musicians. My wife is a world-class singer. We sing together. My children rehearse in their own timings. We have our time.

Q. What is the message that you would like to give to the youths of this generation who would like to pursue classical music?

There is a whole world full of music. It is definitely possible to make it big with classical music. However, there is no shortcut. One must methodically train and with passion, achieve success. There are educational courses in music for this generation, unlike our days. So it is definitely much easier to pursue in this generation.