Shanmugam Ramachandran is a South Indian percussionist hailing from a respected musical lineage in Tamil Nadu. He specializes in the thavil, the robust barrel drum integral to Carnatic temple and concert music. His training...
The Madras String Quartet (MSQ), founded in 1993 by violinist V. S. Narasimhan in Chennai, brings together the violin, viola, and cello to reinterpret Carnatic compositions within a Western classical string quartet format. Alongside Narasimhan, Hemanthraj Muliyil...
Akkarai Sornalatha is a distinguished Carnatic violinist and vocalist hailing from a lineage steeped in musical tradition. Born into the Akkarai family, she was mentored from a young age by her father, Akkarai S. Swamynathan,...
Konnakol is the art of vocalizing rhythmic syllables in Indian classical music, particularly within the Carnatic tradition of South India. It involves the precise recitation of solkattu—a set of mnemonic syllables representing...
Pirashanna “Thevarajah” Thevarajah is a celebrated London-based percussionist renowned for his mastery of South Indian instruments like mridangam, kanjira, ghatam, and morsing, along with the art of konnakol (vocal percussion). A disciple of Sri...
The Venu is a traditional bamboo flute and one of the oldest melodic instruments used in Indian classical music. Known for its pure, soothing sound and expressive capabilities, the Venu is particularly...
Kandiah Sithamparanathan is a seasoned South Indian percussionist, specializing in the kanjira (frame drum) and moorsing (jaw harp). While based in London, he has been integral to the UK’s Carnatic music scene, actively supporting touring artists and...
Harikumar Sivan (b. 1980) is a celebrated violinist adept across Carnatic, Hindustani, and Western genres. Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, he began learning violin from his father at age seven and made his debut...
To touch, or tug at one or both ears, is a visible sign of repentance in South Asian cultures. But one often notices that Indian musicians, as well as their disciples, perform...
Three 18th-century composers – Shyama Shastri, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar – form what is known as Carnatic music’s Trimurti, meaning ‘The Trinity’. Their work forms the bulk of today’s South Indian classical...