Witness the magic of Carnatic music unfold at this venue in Bandra

A two-day event recreates the magic of the Carnatic season in Chennai at a venue in Bandra

As the weather cools down, the streets of Chennai come alive. There is a buzz among Carnatic music aficionados. Debates on kutcheris (Tamil for concert) and raga control rage over cups of flowing filter kaapi. This is officially the Margazhi (the Tamil month from December 17 onwards) season. While Mumbai has its own clusters of South Indian culture, it might lack the same buzz or appetite for Carnatic music.

That undergoes a passing change this weekend with the fifth edition of the Mumbai Margazhi Mahotsavam organised by Banyan Tree. The events will feature reputed names such as Malladi brothers, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi as well as the duo of Ranjani-Gayatri, among others, to go with lecture demonstrations by author V Sriram and Dr Chithra Madhavan.

A Kanyakumari at an earlier concert

For vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri Balasubramanian of the Raga duo, the season encapsulates devotion and art. “I remember growing up in Matunga; our grandmother would wake us up at 4.30 am in the morning. There would be processions of chanting that would pass down the street, and we would go to the temple to have hot pongal as prasad,” she shares. Gayatri adds, “It is a month of devotion, and has a beautiful connection that emerges in the form of musical expression.”

For veteran violinist A Kanyakumari — a regular at the Chennai season for the last 55 years — the kutcheris are part of a comprehensive tradition in Carnatic music. “The season began as a short event in the early 19th century. Over time, the number of sabhas has significantly grown to provide platforms for both emerging talents and seasoned veterans,” she says.

Vikku Vinayakram (left) and V Selvaganesh at a previous edition of the festival

As special as it is, performing in this month can be challenging. Gayatri tells us, “There is something different about the pressure an artiste feels during this month. You do not worry about whether people would be in sync with the music. The audience at these concerts have a very keen and profound understanding of music. So, the artistes push themselves to give their best from their years of experience and explorations to discover what is the best in themselves.”

To this end, the duo has been preparing a new repertoire. “Every piece we have performed this season has been fresh to us. We have worked on compositions that we have not tried before. It has been a lot of breaking new ground for us as artistes,” she reveals. This includes a new ragam-tanam-pallavi set to murchanas (raga rotations) that they performed recently.

Kanyakumari adds, “Certain musicians prefer meticulous preparation before their concerts, ensuring every detail is carefully planned. On the other hand, some musicians embrace spontaneity, experimenting with various elements directly on stage.”

Mahesh Babu, managing director of Banyan Tree, points out that the season is more than just music. “The queues outside the lecture halls, and even food canteens can be quite long in Chennai during the season. And they are debated about just as much as the music,” he jokingly says. It is this holistic experience that the Mumbai edition hopes to recreate in Bandra this weekend, Babu adds.

Mahesh Babu

The line-up promises a congregation of talents from the instrumental and vocal genres; young newcomers and reputed headliners as well. “This is a time for the music community as well,” Ranjani notes, “You will find many musicians catching up on concerts, supporting each other, even attending morning academic sessions, discussing and engaging in question and answer sessions. All this is part of the Margazhi experience.” It is time for Mumbai to sip on its filter kaapi and sit back to enjoy the same.

On: January 6 and 7; 10 am to 1 pm, 3 pm to 9 pm 
At: St Andrew’s Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra West.
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Call: 9223231359 for details
Cost: Rs 500 onwards

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