Band of friends

Posted on 26/02/2015 in The Hindu

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  By Chitra Swaminathan

  Well-known musicians from across the country come together on February 28 to recreate the magical moments shared with the endearing Mandolin U. Shrinivas at a special tribute concert.

  It’s not just a memoriam or a farewell concert. It’s a show that will celebrate Mandolin U. Shrinivas’s inimitable string theory, his constant efforts to create an extended musical space to accommodate more artistes, the audience and compositional inspirations. It’s a performance where his ardent collaborators will recapture the creative moments spent with him and commit themselves to make the multi-genre world a better place for musicians.

  Titled The Great MANdolin, the concert organised by SS International Live in association with The Hindu, features masters of musical exchanges, who tread both the traditional and contemporary terrains with equal finesse, in a rich orchestral-like arrangement. Besides singers with a huge fan-following such as Aruna Sairam, Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan, the team of instrumentalists is the pride of any show — Vikku Vinayakram, Selva Ganesh, U. Rajesh, Ranjit Barot, and Anil Srinivasan.

  This formidable line-up is led by a fervent Shrinivas admirer, rather a devotee of art that spurns boundaries and initiates global dialogue. Zakir Hussain will engage the artistes in a poignant rhythm-melody and voice-instrument interaction focusing eventually on the void or emptiness on the stage that Shrinivas’s departure has caused.

  Any artiste worth his tune would want to be part of this ensemble that will bring alive the memory of a man, intensely passionate about his mandolin, never flamboyant but keenly uncompromising with the strings. So, one needn’t be surprised, with santoor exponent Shiv Kumar Sharma expressing his desire to be a part of the proceedings.

  Five musicians talk about life with and without U. Shrinivas and the upcoming tribute offering:

  Aruna Sairam

  His last scheduled performance was for SS International Live for their Navotsavam series. Overcome by emotion, they want to keep his association with the organisation alive through this special presentation. And there can be no better date than his birthday (February 28) to mark his trailblazing presence in the soundsphere. I cannot think of any other artiste in the recent times, who has touched my heart so much with his simplicity, commitment and honesty. He was so secure and happy in his own space that he never thought twice about stepping back to accommodate his co-artistes’ ideas and musicianship. I experienced it during the Strains of Heaven concert that we did together. Despite his immense achievements, he never sulked when it came to long hours of practise. You sometimes wonder what to marvel about this man — his soul-strirring melodies or his genteel demeanour.

  Vikku Vinayakram

  It’s hard to perform at this show without tears welling up in my eyes. A self-effacing man, Shrinivas would have been content occupying a quiet corner as part of such huge musical arrangements. But once his hands slid over the chords, the most dominant and dramatic notes emerged from his mandolin. Though he never sought to be in the limelight, his instrument drew the world’s attention to him. I have shared the stage with him since the time he entered the music world as a child prodigy. Believe me, it wasn’t easy for him to find acceptance initially, but he proved his naysayers wrong with his talent and humane qualities. It was during a trip to Germany, where we both played along with M.R. Gopinath, that he was noticed by jazz legend John McLaughlin. Eventually he became an integral part of Remember Shakti. He travelled the length and breadth of the world and performed with wizards in every field of music. What he achieved in a short span, many others would have taken a lifetime to accomplish.

  Stephen Devassy

  I wept almost the whole night after playing at The Shakti Foundation concert recently. I have lost some close relatives and friends but nobody has left this kind of void in my heart. I had never ever imagined I would have to perform a tribute piece for this genial friend, co-artiste, guide and guru. In this world and time, who would have the patience to teach and share his skills with you? I remember the first time I was to perform with him I thought I should record the Carnatic compositions that he would be playing so that I am able to accompany him. But he said, ‘why record, I will play them for you as many times as you want’. I was completely taken up by his generosity. He taught me the essence of classical music and helped me perceive it in all its various dimensions.

  U. Rajesh

  I was planning to organise a musical event to celebrate the founding day of my brother’s music school. When I discussed the idea with artistes who were very close to him they suggested it would be better on his birthday. I have no words to express my gratitude to those who would be performing at this tribute show. They readily agreed and would be performing for free. No formal invitations were sent out. Once they heard about such a concert being organised, they expressed their eagerness to be part of it. ‘Anything for Shrinivas’, was the common refrain. I always knew how much people were fond of him, but this show is truly a revelation about how my brother was so much more than a fine musician. It’s not easy to emulate him, both on or off stage.

  Devi Sri Prasad

  Apart from the guru-sishya bond, raga Keeravani established a special rapport between us. Though my dream of him someday performing my composition remains unfulfilled, I will be playing a song in Sanskrit, composed by me, as an ode to the selfless genius. Based obviously on Keeravani, it has seven notes describing the different qualities of Shrinivas. This concert is one of its kind that brings together top-notch musicians to pay tribute to a legend.

   

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