Talapravaham: Kumaresh crafts a violin concert led by rhythm

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Kumaresh also touched upon the relative freedom of artistic expression in Indian classical music. | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran

In the Carnatic world, where the voice often dominates, it is heartening to see instruments becoming the talking point. This was the case at Kumaresh Rajagopalan’s Talapravaham, a production that once again brought to the fore the immense possibilities of rhythm — demonstrating how an entire concert can be conceived around it.

Held recently at Vani Mahal, Kumaresh and his ensemble presented seven compositions in seven different talas. The performance was not merely an exploration of tala; it also highlighted its intrinsic bond with melody. And Kumaresh’s inimitable way with the strings of his violin celebrated this connection.

Introducing the concept, Kumaresh reflected on his 55-year musical journey with his brother, Ganesh, and their shared curiosity about music. He spoke of how their questions led them beyond mere inquiry and into the pursuit of answers. “When we find answers, it becomes less of a statement and more of a path,” he observed.

One such question was about the absence of specially composed pieces or the violin. The answer was Ragapravaham, a collection of compositions for melodic instruments created by Ganesh and Kumaresh, founded on the idea that music transcends lyrics.

Kumaresh with ‘ghatam’ Karthick, mridangist Anantha R. Krishnan | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran

Kumaresh also touched upon the relative freedom of artistic expression in Indian classical music, particularly the scope for improvisation, in contrast to the more closely prescribed performance of Western classical compositions. This freedom led to another question: why should the 35 talas of Carnatic music not have compositions of their own? Kumaresh responded by composing tunes for each tala, allowing rhythm to become melody.

The 35-tala system is built on the seven fundamental rhythmic frameworks known as the Suladi Sapta Talas — Dhruva, Matya, Rupaka, Jhampa, Triputa, Ata and Eka. Each tala is shaped by a distinct combination of rhythmic units, or angas — laghu, dhrutam and anudhrutam. The five jatis, determined by the number of counts in the laghu, produce five variations of each tala, resulting in 35 talas. Together, they offer a vast rhythmic canvas for composers and performers.

For the evening’s concert, Kumaresh selected seven talas and set each composition in a different raga. The opening piece, in Nattai, was set to Tisra-jati Dhruva tala. This was followed by a composition in the relatively uncommon raga Malavi, set to Misra-jati Ata tala. Its rapid-fire phrases were handled with agility, with Karthik Akshay Ganesh providing able support.

A pleasing Hamsanadam followed, set to Chatusra-jati Triputa tala. The piece concluded with a brief ghatam solo in tisra gati. During Akshay’s solo, Kumaresh interspersed phrases from the mandra sthayi, creating a deep, warm and resonant tonal texture.

The next composition, in Kannada raga and Chatusra-jati Triputa tala, was marked by a pleasing melodic flow.