An Artiste of the Millennium: Ilaiyaraaja at 75

epOs-Music, Studies in Cognitive Musicology, 2012

This study enables us to examine the music culture of an exceptional artist. This study purposively selected an individual musician namely Yāzhppānam V. Thad-chināmūrthy to study his excellent contribution to the development of Periya Mēlam music which earned him a reputation as master of thavil instrumental music that made a significant benchmark in the Indian and Sri Lankan Periya Mēlam music culture. This study examines how this charismatic character became an extraordinary figure of music which needed to be explored anthropologically and ethno-musicologically. Although post-modernists have forcefully emphasized on multi-dimensional aspects in the study of music, the way they stress the possibility of different talented musicians deserve scrutiny.

The Hindu, 2024

's latest book is an invaluable addition to the few on Indian music. The book is not only an evidence of her scholarship and intensive research in a subject that many do not know about, but is also a riveting page turner. Her evocative bring alive the world of music in that era. Confining herself to the period between 1748 and 1848, "one of the most significant periods of change for Hindustani music", Katherine rues that the period has not been "properly mapped". The reason, "a pervasive belief" that the musicians were illiterate. The 2000-year-old tradition of writing sangita shastras stopped during this period, and Musicians from the Mughal era who shaped Hindustani music Katherine Butler Schofield's Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India presents a well-researched slice of music history.

AEMR, 2020

This is the Review of “The Musician and His Art: Essays on Hindustānī Music by Deepak S. Raja with a Foreword by Daniel Neuman, New Delhi: D.K. Print World.” This review was initiated through a request made by the author, which I was glad to accept.

Gulmohur Quarterly , 2024

This is a reflection on Kaifiyat exploring its various themes, artistic sequences—that have been presented in the film in a non-linear dreamlike form, drawing at length on a long-form interview that I had conducted with the filmmaker.

MUSICultures, 2017

Abstract: The musical lives of Mukund Nayak, awarded India ’ s Padma Sri medal for artistic accomplishment in 2017, his eldest son Nandu, and his youngest daughter Chandrakanta lay open the tensions and contradictions in the competing modalities of modernity that are transforming regional music across India today. Rather than a series of successive stages or neat dichotomies, their musical modernities are complex, coexisting, and overlapping, shaped by place, identity, politics, economics, gender, and idiosyncratic, individual experiences. Their conflicting and fragmentary strategies to sustain their inherited knowledge and livelihoods have left the next generation without a clear path to the future.

ARTISTS AND AFTERLIVES: Tribute to the Lost Talents from Indian Cinema in 2020 (TMYS Review) Kindle Edition , 2021

Padma Vibushan S.P. Balasubramaniam (1946-2020) was one of the most illustrious and highly decorated playback singers in Indian film music history. In a professional career that spanned over half-a-century, SPB, as he was widely known, lent his voice to at least four generations of actors since 1966 across India's silver screens. One of the aspects that made SPB unique was his approach to playback singing. His musicianship and the facility with which he could emote irrespective of language he sang made him a much sought-after artist in the all the major Indian film industries. This essay offers a brief glimpse into SPB's early musical experiences that were seminal in shaping his career as a playback singer. The discussion also sheds light on practical and creative issues of collaborative music-making in the days of live-recordings and their collective significance for SPB's long-term success in Indian cinema.

Music and Society in South Asia: Perspectives from Japan, 2008

2001

Library Progress International , 2024

This review-based article explores the life, musical style, and contributions of Ustad Amir Khan, a legendary figure in Hindustani classical music. Delving into his biography, we uncover a narrative shaped by familial musical heritage and a transformative journey from heritage-laden beginnings to becoming a luminary of the Indore Gharana. Khan's relocation to Bombay marked a pivotal phase where he refined his aesthetic sensibilities and crafted a distinctive style blending the spiritual essence of Dhrupad with Khayal's allure. His influence extended beyond the concert stage, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cinema's musical landscape. Through a blend of tradition and innovation, Khan's vocal prowess, characterized by emotional depth and storytelling, captivated audiences worldwide. Influenced by a diverse array of mentors and musical traditions, Khan's style reflects not just technical mastery but a deeply personal journey of artistic evolution. This article examines his unique approach to singing, characterized by strategic use of pauses, exploration of ragas, and sparing application of ornamentation. Khan's legacy serves as a timeless reminder of music's power to uplift, inspire, and unite us, transcending generations and leaving an enduring imprint on the soul of Hindustani classical music.

This is a draft of an essay which explores the history of philosophical thinking about music in India, from ancient times to more recent eras. It touches on many of the thinkers and practitioners of music in India over the centuries.