Mahesh Mahadev is not formally trained in Indian classical music but he is adding new ragas to its repertoire.
Two weeks ago, he released raga Thyagaraja Mangalam on social media. It honours Karnatik vocalist T M Thyagarajan and his student Mangalam Shankar.
A Banashankari resident, Mahadev says he has created over 50 ragas. He is trained in Western classical music under guitarists Sadasudarsanam and Radha Vijayan, who have worked with Ilaiyaraaja.
He has also completed a course from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Mahadev has worked as a composer and lyricist for the upcoming Tamil film ‘Maaligai’. He is also the associate music director and lyricist for the Kannada film ‘Jhansi IPS’, also awaiting release.
He and Priyadarshini run the Prism Foundation, a music school on the MS Ramaiah University campus. “She has been in the film industry since 2003,” he says.
He talks about his music in a chat with Metrolife.
How did the new raga come about?
TM Thyagarajan is a great musician, and Mangalam Shankar, his disciple, has taken his style and tradition forward to the next generation. The ‘raga’ symbolises the importance of continuing the ‘guru-shishya parampara’.
Can you talk about your other ragas?
My first ragas Amrita Kalyani and Nada Kalyani were sung by Priyadarshini. Rajasadhaka, which was dedicated to and named after scientist Y S Rajan, was released in 2017. I used raga Srirangapriya, sung by S P Balasubrahmanyam, in the album ‘Kandenu Sri Ranganathana’. Raga Bhimsen, a Hindustani ‘bandish’ is dedicated to Tansen and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Sung by Pandit Jayateerth Mevundi, it will be out soon. Some other ragas to be released are Binduroopini, Mayurapriya, Tapaswi, and Ekamukha.
What innovations would you like to bring about in film music?
I want to add ragas to film music though I know it all depends on the film sequences. Melodies created with ragas are evergreen.
What feedback have you got from the fraternity?
When I visited M Balamuralikrishna in early 2016 and presented some of my ragas, he blessed me.
I then created a raga called Sri Balamurali. I have not released it yet because I need to find an apt disciple of his to present it.
You’re trained in Western classical music yet you’ve created Indian classical ragas...
In Western music, there is systematic arrangement and orchestration. Indian classical is more of an oral tradition. Music, I think, should not be limited to a genre or type. It is beyond all that.