Young veena players reinvent the instrument for a wider reach

Ramana Balachandran.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Picturise a concert hall filled with listeners maintaining pin-drop silence. A round of speedy kalpanaswaras are being rendered on the veena with some rigorous meetus and it is almost time for the final swara. It is one of those days when a particularly puzzling kanakku falls into place spontaneously. The mridangam and ghatam players are in full focus to trace the patterns and in that moment, the three instruments become one, resulting in a stunning display of teamwork. The vainika was the young Ramana Balachandran, who has been expanding the potential of this ancient instrument, and in the process has shown how it continues to remain relevant. 

Collaborations between instrumentalists are not new. However, vainikas in the Carnatic space have mostly performed with violin players and flautists resulting in the famed ‘veena-venu-violin’ combo. But young veena artistes such as Veena Venkatramani are exploring new concepts and combinations. Veena’s ‘Vadhya Milan’ series is an interesting watch as she indulges with various instruments such as the chitravina, sarod, sitar, keyboard and nagaswaram, in addition to the violin and flute. The series also includes some prominent percussionists who handle the mridangam, kanjira, thavil and konnakol.  

Veena Venkatramani.
| Photo Credit:
SRINATH M

So what makes the veena appealing across generations? Maybe its enduring melody, quaintness and majestic appeal. But it is a difficult instrument to learn. It is also large in size and requires vigilant electric amplification, because it is traditionally a chamber music instrument. 

Over the years, many have felt that the traditional Saraswati veena’s length and shape made it difficult to carry it around. Also, acoustic pickups gave the veena an unusual sound that changed its natural character. 

Innovations in veena

One of the first innovations in the last two decades is the electronic veena Sunadavinodini by Radel. Although artistes are divided when it comes to using the electronic veena for performances, it has gained immense popularity among students who are a part of the Indian diaspora abroad. Apart from this, there are several other modified veenas — Madhura veena developed by Kannan Balakrishnan, Chandra veena made by boutique veena makers in Kannur and Baradwaj Raman’s Sarasvitar.

The renewed interest in the instrument could be attributed to the open mindedness of its new-age practitioners, who are experimenting with its strings to create a diverse soundscape. They are also using social media to not only connect with their audiences but to also educate them on the intricacies of the instrument and explore its potential.

Jayanthi Kumaresh.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

Online series

Jayanthi Kumaresh is renowned for her online content that attracts viewers from across the globe. Her series Cup O’ Carnatic aims to popularise Carnatic music in general, and the veena in particular. Launched in 2017 and spanning more than six seasons, the series explores ragas from different points of view, takes viewers through Jayanthi’s music journey and even includes a section for children. 

J.T. Jeyaraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyaraaj Krishnan.
| Photo Credit:
THANTHONI S

Veena players JT Jeyaraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyaraaj Krishnan, regularly conduct veena festivals to commemorate the Muthuswami Dikshitar’s birth anniversary and even retrace his musical pilgrimage by visiting and singing kshetra kritis in various temples. The husband and wife duo regularly share video clips on manodharma with a focus on raga and tanam on the veena. Embracing the power of technology to reach music audiences, the couple have even developed an app that presents authentic veena renditions of Dikshitar (the composer was a vainika too) compositions.  

Focus on laya

Vainikas have realised that effective performances require the building of skills outside of their regular veena lessons. Often encouraged by their gurus, they focus on aspects like laya and speed seeking guidance from other practitioners. Young veena artiste Sai Harinni, a disciple of veteran vainika and musicologist R.S. Jayalakshmi learns the finer aspects of rhythm from senior mridangist Melakaveri Balaji. Some of these classroom lessons shared on social media explore ideas for swarakalpanas and pallavis in complex talas, korvais and kuraippu patterns, making them a useful resource for percussionists and singers. Ramana Balachandran conducts stamina workshops where veena students who wish to improve their dexterity and adherence to tala sign up in large numbers.

Collaborations between instrumentalists are not new. The beneficence of music families such as the Karaikudi family to the academic discourse of veena learning have been immense. Karaikudi S. Subramanian developed the COMET (Correlated Objective Music Education and Training) system of music education that imbibes ‘the traditional gurukula methods of teaching’ aiming to harness the full potential of music by exploring universal music principles that correlate with various disciplines.

Veena festivals

B. Kannan.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY M

Instrumentalists need opportunities to shine in their art. There is also a need to foster a sense of community among vainikas, and veena festivals have made this possible. The grandest of these festivals is the Veena Mahotsavam curated by Kannan Balakrishnan. Starting off as an offline festival in a small venue in Chennai, it has expanded itself to accommodate veena players from across the globe in its online format.

Mudhra, a Chennai-based music organisation, also conducts a veena festival every year on its digital platform. Thus, the instrument retains its relevance by constantly reinventing itself to adapt to the growing needs of music lovers. Though veena is hailed as the national instrument, the extensive contributions of veena vidwans to the larger Carnatic music discourse need to be highlighted more often. Active audience participation in veena kutcheris must be ensured as there is a widespread tendency among rasikas to favour vocal concerts over instruments. 

Encouragement in the form of financially lucrative concert prospects needs to be created for the next generation to embrace this instrument. Learners and listeners of the instrument need to be incentivised for the cause of preserving this tradition.