Sashi Kumar, chairman, Asian College of Journalism launching the Anbenum Peruveli website at an event here on Tuesday. Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam (Left),Vignesh Sundaresan, founder and director, Onemai Foundation (3rd from left) and music director Sean Roldan at the event.
| Photo Credit: RAGU R
Other than the occasional Thiruvarutpa songs in Carnatic concerts and devotional events, the poetry of 19th century Tamil saint Vallalar is not used in mainstream music. Hence getting introduced to his universal and secular world of peace and love in Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s voice, that too in genres that are disengaged from the Carnatic idiom, is a unique experience. That’s Anbenum Peruveli, a new music project that was launched in the city recently.
A classical heavy-weight shedding his Carnatic skin and segwaying into rock, Jazz and blues to render ancient Tamil text is certainly unusual; but Sanjay does it with felicity in collaboration with composer Sean Roldon.
The project commissioned by Vignesh Sundaresan and conceived by Onemai Foundation (with A.S. Panneerselvan as a moving force behind it) has six audio tracks and accompanying music videos. The predominant sound of the album is rock, but it also has Celtic and Jazz/Blues influences, typifying the universality of Vallalar’s verse. And Sanjay’s voice, that quite attractively and consciously conceals his classical might, and musical wisdom is the glue that holds them together.
“Rock is spirited music which is non-pretentious,” said Sean Roldon when asked about the choice of rock as the predominant sound of the album. “Rock’s aesthetic itself is to expose your vulnerability, and to communicate. So, it seemed right for Vallalar’s lyrics. It gives such a contrast, an interesting dimension. Initially when we said rock, everybody was shocked; but after we started jamming they realised why it made sense,” he said.
“I wanted to sound different and see if it works,” added Sanjay.
Compositionally, both the common motif and the generic diversity of the songs in Anbenum Peruveli are unmissable. If the tracks Ithu nalla tharunam and Arutperum jyothi stay closer to rock, Kallarkkum sounds like a requiem with clear Celtic flavour and Vennila, a classic Jazz/Blues song. And the track Orumayudan may be considered undisguisedly raga-based (Kapi) fusion. The orchestral sound created by the guitars (Vikram Vivekanand), bass (Shalini Mohan), drums (Ramkumar Kanakarajan), the elaborate string and Celtic folk arrangements (Kalyani Nair with overseas musicians) and other western folk instruments is remarkably attractive for an Indian language.
About how he consciously kept the Carnatic influence at bay in the songs, Sanjay said Sean guided him through this process. “He himself is an accomplished Carnatic musician and knows exactly how to handle it. If you have the mindset to be flexible, it is not difficult.” At the same time, he also added that his classical training came in handy in certain segments.
“I have stopped labelling music as Carnatic or something else. I used to do that earlier but now the lines are blurring for me. I just express my emotions without bothering about the genre. The point is to communicate with the listener. I particularly have a progressive vision for Tamil music,” said Sean.
The accompanying music videos (Rafiq Ismail), featuring dancers such as Nrithya Pillai, enhance the appeal of the album. If you listen intently to the tracks, you will understand the mind of the composer, savour the subtle variations that Sanjay uses even when he is singing predominantly straight notes, and enjoy the intrinsic lyricism of Tamil language.
Asked if he felt any melodic sweet-spots in the album, Sanjay said there were plenty. But, if he’s asked to single out a song? Vennila, he said. “It was really a new way of singing that Sean introduced me to and I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
Will we see more of Sanjay outside the Carnatic concert-circuit? “Hopefully yes,” he said. “I have put myself out there to see what I can do and where it will take me.”
