Music Matters

BB King, one of the legendary musicians of the Blues passed away yesterday. Why was he so popular? When his voice carressed and moaned on the microphone, you alternatively rejoiced and cried – the highs

One talks about Yashodha and her famous son Krishna in the same breadth. The stories that describe the relationship and interplay between this mother and son are well-known. There are several songs in different languages

With Mother’s Day coming up this week, I thought of several songs that featured the mother as a central theme.  In his composition Mathe Malayathwaja in the Carnatic raga Khamas, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar describes the

As the month of March rolls on, thousands of children across the country write the 10th and 12th board examinations. Its a time fraught with tension for students and their families. Music is known to

  I am always wary of reading books on music as I find most of them pedantic. The breadth of classical music can be a daunting subject for any writer. However some books stand out

The song Chaiyya Chaiyya plays on the lawns of the Mehboob studios in Bandra, Mumbai. After the first few lines of the song, the music is switched off. I ask the kids in the audience

 Photo credit: Bhoomija   As the last quarter of the year rolls round, Devi or the Mother Goddess figures frequently in classical concerts. Bhoomija, a Bangalore-based trust that promotes performing arts presented a special concert

Last week we looked at how music from Europe such as Gregorian chants and Hungarian music had traces of classical Carnatic ragas. This week let’s look at music from African countries such as Algeria, Egypt

Bhairavi, Amirkalyani, Rasali – One common, one not so common, one rare. These were the ragas that veteran vocalist T.V.Shankaranarayanan presented at his concert last night at the Nadasurabhi annual festival in Koramangala. Rasali is

World music – as it’s been termed has continued to gain popularity. The term today encompasses, practically anything that’s not of Western European or North American origin. Whether Ravi Shankar in the sixties, Sting’s flirtations

Javalis are lyrical compositions with Shringara rasa or romantic love being the central theme of the composition. Veteran musician Neela Ramgopal gave a lecture demonstration on Javalis at the morning session of the 46th annual

“My Economics teacher is just brilliant – he makes me think outside the box!” My daughter came home brimming with excitement after her day in college. Her enthusiasm made me recollect my own experience with