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Quiet flows the talent
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Vasanthamadhavi's call is truly divine as she shares and encourages talent among the city's youngsters
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IT FEELS mysterious to know that miraculous talent still exists in the present day scenario where market norms dictate any creative outburst be it research or arts, technology, science or humanities. For Vasanthamadhavi, a science graduate, music came like a shower from heavens. No not just learning and singing, but composing in languages that are alien.
She may not be a performing musician, but a highly talented composer and lyricist.
How did she get interested? "It is unbelievable, but it just happened. One Sunday afternoon, I was just relaxing when all of sudden I felt an irrepressible urge to pen verses (kritis) on the navagrahas (the nine planets). I had no writing pad then. An old notebook came in handy. The verses flowed in Sanskrit while I was scripting it in my mother tongue Kannada. I was not adept in Sanskrit. The tune, notation, saahitya (lyric) and the raga all came at one go. Thus Bilahari raga was born to Aditya (Sun-central planet) on a Sunday. It was Soma (Moon) on Monday Angaraka and Rahu on Tuesday, Shani and Rahu on a Saturday and so on within a week, nine ragas fell into place and the Navagraha kritis were out and ready,'' said Vasanthamadhavi as a matter-of-fact.
Muthuswamy Dikshitar (one among the musical Trinity) was the only great soul to have composed the Navagraha kritis in Sanskrit.
Admitting this, she clarifies, "Dikshitar's kritis were based on astrology mine is based on pooja vidhi (system). The spontaneous outbursts didn't end there.
Ashtadikpalas and nine rare raga kritis on Lord Balaji of Tirupathi followed. "I used vibhakthis to establish the eight directional deities."
After a hiatus of four years, presently she composed kritis on Saptarishis. Why the gap? "It just didn't come to me as a calling till recently. I'm unable to find a rational answer to myself as to the rare themes that seem to come to mind,'' she says simply.
A few music compositions are also in Telugu. "I like the sound of Telugu language when I hear it and I can understand it as it is close to Kannada. Some songs from my pen flowed in Telugu so I had to write them down in my own tongue.''
There is a conscious side to her creativity. This emanates in the form of skits and musical operas. features for Doordarshan, Akashvani. Her recent unique exhibition Geeta-nritya-chitra (song sung to dance and ending in a posture painting by three different artistes simultaneously). Apart from her music college Ragashree, she also runs a charitable music trust that awards scholarships (Rs. 400 per month), coaches students on a syllabi that enables them to appear for examinations.
"My great guru Subbaramaiah is my inspiration.'' says Vasanthamadhavi as if explaining her deeds. Unfathomed waters often house gems of the purest ray.
RANEE KUMAR
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