Carnatic touch to Indian Christmas carols!

With the Christmas season with us, it is time to play carols. But, how do the famous numbers of the carols like 'Silent Night' and 'Jingle Bells' sound in Indian ragas Neelambari and Kadana Kuthoohalam?

Fr. Jegath Gasper (seen on right with albums) of 'Tamil Maiyam' based in Alwarpet wanted the experience of Indian Christmas to be globally known.

So he has brought out two audio CDs on 'Indian Christmas'.

One is an exclusive collection of evergreen carol songs in instrumental music.

'We used Indian musical instruments like nadaswaram, sitar, flute, veena, santoor along with violin and mandolin that have been adapted to Indian music. As percussion we have used tavil, mridangam and tabla', says this priest who is passionate about Thamizh and has been producing a few innovative music products.

Continuing his indulgence in Thamizh literature and music from 'Thiruvaasagam', a musical he launched last year, Fr. Gasper has brought in Carnatic singers 'Bombay' Jayashree and Srinivas to sing the Thamizh version of the carols in another audio CD titled 'Margazhi Madiyil'.

'Jayashree has sung swarams in the insrumental music CD also,' says Fr. Gasper. 'Among this generation of singers, she has a unique voice. More than that, she is an excellent human being with a kind of openness to singing anything of good quality'.

It took about two months to put the whole project together.

Finding the right persons, the translation of lyrics into Thamizh and putting the orchestra together was a challenge.

Poet Kanimozhi has translated the verses of 'Silent Night' into Thamizh. All other pieces are translated by Fr. Gasper and Satish David.

'We have already sold about 10000 copies of the CDs through the church network. We are awaiting feedback from other stores in the city. The response for the instrumental music CD in Kerala has encouraged us to bring out a Malayalam version of 'Indian Christmas' next year', said Fr. Gasper.

The instrumental music CD is priced at Rs. 99 and the 'Margazhi Madiyil' album is priced at Rs. 75.

The copies of the CDs can be had from Tamil Maiyam and Santhome Communications Centre, 68, Luz Church Road, Mylapore. Phone: 2499 4344

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Visitors from the USA

David Reck and David Nelson

David Reck is a December season regular.

Now a retired professor from Amherst College in the USA, Reck is settling down in Chennai.

A student of Government College of Music, Chennai, in the 60s, he and his colleague David Nelson (a professor at Wesleyan University where he teaches mridangam) have been regular visitors to this city and learnt Carnatic music from senior gurus.

Reck and Nelson are soaking in the 'season' all over again. The latter even played at a concert in Mylapore.

Over coffee, Reck and Nelson have a lot to share . . .

Influenced by K. V. Naranayaswamy and T.Viswanathan, Reck learnt veena from Ranganayaki Rajagopalan 'Fusion is the buzz word here. We find musicians trying to team up and present a new form of music,' says Reck, whose notion of fusion is completely different.

'In fusion here, Carnatic musicians are expected to have some knowledge of Western music and vice-versa. Unfortunately we don't see that happening. At the end of the day two forms meet on stage without knowing what the other form is all about.'

Chips in Nelson, 'I can think of only two musicians, artiste Susheela Raman and the 'Shakthi' group. In the latter, particularly Shrinivas ( mandolin artiste) takes the performance to a different level.'

Back in the USA . . . .

Reck believes musicians who work with him, learn particular phrases and interpret them.

'Fusion was not my primary goal. I was more interested in learning about Raga Lakshanas and musicians who wanted to do something in Indian music would approach me. The concept of harmony is lost here when you don't understand the basics'.

But he has nice things to say about film composers

A. R. Rehman and Illaiyaraaja. 'I believe they have a good idea of what they are into,' he says.

Chennai's 'Season' is democratic . . .

'This is not our first season. However things have changed drastically over the years,' smiles Reck.

He is impressed with the expanding opportunities for musicians while Nelson is unhappy that rasikas who keep away from the afternoon concerts.

They cite the evening when a concert at Srinivasa Sastri Hall was full, at Sowmya's at Raga Sudha hall, there were not many rasikas.

'Yet, the season is highly democratic and one hopes that the cream will rise to the top,' says Reck.

Relax and enjoy . . .

Reck is taking it easy now. The busy calendar of lec-dems is a thing of the past.

'I have spoken for 45 years. Now I want to relax after retirement. All I want to do is understand ragas and try to play them much better on the veena.'

He has video-taped Kalpakam Swaminathan's performance so that he screen it to his students.

Nelson has brought his students who are doing their research and want to know more about Carnatic music.

A word on veena concerts . . .

Being a vainika, Reck says he is unhappy at the falling support for veena concerts.

'Personally I would like musicians to perform for a smaller gathering, rather than for a big one, the size of say, The Music Academy,' says Reck.

'I request these artistes to avoid contact mikes. The veena then sounds more like guitar. The nada of veena can not be explained but only felt. Also mridangam players need to be trained to accompany this instrument.'

You can reach David Reck at 4306 0990.