I am not a Twitter person. I use it for professional purposes. Effervescence of the musical kind was the last thing I expected to find on the trigger-happy platform.
Noted classical singer Sanjay Subrahmanyan, one of those happily tech-savvy musicians, is doing a stellar job in subtly showcasing the exuberance of Carnatic music, without any trace of the militant fervour that is usually associated with propagators of the classical arts.
In a new series of pithy videos that he has begun on Twitter, titled ‘Short Notes’, Subrahmanyan takes up a raga and sings a few snatches. And hides a surprise in them for connoisseurs, the clue of which is in his hashtags.
He began with Raga Chalanattai (or Chalanata) and followed it up with the utterly blissful Nalinakanti. Next, he treated us followers to a brilliant exposition of Sankarabharanam, dare I say, everyone’s favourite raga. The snippets are addictive, to put it mildly; I must have listened to each one of them at least 10 times. On loop. One has to hear to perceive their fluidity and allure.
A special mention to the twinkle in Subrahmanyan’s eye and his easy charm. In fact, some comments implore movie producers to “notice him” and give the virtuoso a suitable role, so camera-friendly is his rendition.
If you have always been wanting to get an introduction to Carnatic music and didn’t know where to go, ‘Short Notes’ is the place to begin your journey.
Sanjay Subrahmanyan tweets @sanjaysub
Play By Ear showcases a potential earworm for you, the discerning listener, who is on the hunt for some musical serendipity.