On the 2nd January I went to watch a Carnatic vocal concert by Shreyas, 13-year-old boy at the Raghavendra swami Mutt. Shreyas was extremely talented and as myself being a vocal student I could hear the passion in his voice.
The performance sent me home filled with inspiration and hope that one day I would be able to sing like him. It made me more determined, and I even set myself targets.
The performance started at 5:30 and ended at 6:45. It was heart-warming too see such talent and commitment in the someone so young. Throughout the performance 6 songs were sung. Each raga was unique and filled the room with its beauty and warmth. The singer’s voice was accompanied by the loud but sweet elements of the violin and the mridangam which is an Indian percussion instrument.
My favourite varna (song) played was the Nava Ragamalika Varnam called Valachi Vachi set to adi taala and composed by Patnam Subramanyam Iyer. Raga Malika means a song with multiple ragas and so a Navaragamalika is a song with 9 ragas. The Varnam was interesting and let us as the audience enjoy the beauty of multiple ragas all combined into one song.
I think in future there could have been carpets or matts on the floor for comfort. However it is fantastic to see that the organisation is providing great opportunities and talent despite the small budget and venue. The Mutt is a religious (Hindu) charity and run by volunteers. Many performances are organised to celebrate events and festivals. Itis free for public to attend. The Mutt is located in slough, Berkshire and yearly holds many Carnatic music events as well as being open 5 days a week for public to vistit and pay respect to Sri Raghavendra Swami.
0 Comments