On the 2nd of January 2023 I went to a Carnatic concert at the Raghavendra swami Mutt in Slough, the concert was marking the occasion of vaikunta Ekadashi and was 2 hours long. the concert consisted of a young vocalist and a talented veena player, I am currently studying Carnatic vocal and veena. I have been to many Carnatic concerts, and this was one of my favourites.

The concert started at thirty past five and ended at eight, the singer was a talented young artist Shreyas who was only thirteen, He sang multiple pieces, my favourite was the Nava raga Malika varnam in nine different ragas and Gananayakam in raga Rudrapreya. I was surprised at how amazing his voice was especially for his age. I am learning Carnatic vocal, he has inspired me to practice more and dedicate more time to learnig vocal. It was such an amazing experience seeing the young talent accompanied by a mridangam and violin artist.

Shreya’s performance was shortly followed by a veena concert, played by Shri prasad Rudhra Patna. His style of playing was very modernized and unique, it was an amazing experience seeing this different technique. Some pieces played were Bagyada Lakshmi in Surabhi raga, Sudamayi in Amrutavarshini raga and Vatapi Ganapatim composed in the raga Hamsadwhani. My favorite piece however was Samaajavara Gamana in Hindola raga, this is a piece I have learnt and I loved seeing the distinctive style and variations in wich he played it. The audience also enjoyed the concert and were clapping along to the songs. 

The concert was organized by volunteers and there was no entry fee or tickets and hence is a great service. This is an amazing opportunity for everyone to experience different kinds or art. One small improvement could be to place mats on the floor as most of the audience were sitting on the wooden floor. In conclusion I would recommend this concert as it is a new experience for many. Although the mutt is a religious place, they organize cultural performances and events to wich everyone is welcome.