Lighting up with music

Contemporary classical pianist Anil Srinivasan’s annual fundraiser concert series in support of the visually challenged took an unusual route.

The beauty of art has always been its ability to transcend barriers and act as a unifier in times of distress. This has proved true time and again in the case of musician Anil Srinivasan’s annual fundraiser concert series ‘Concert in the Dark’, where the pianist, in collaboration with another artiste, blindfolds himself, to display solidarity with the visually challenged throughout the duration of the concert that is held in a near light-less ambience. An initiative that Anil Srinivasan had begun in the memory of his father, the series has enjoyed immense patronage in recent years.

Given the unprecedented situation across the globe, the concert series had little choice, but to take a digital turn in December 2020, a fact that Anil Srinivasan and team used to their advantage to reach out to a wider audience and give a fillip to the fundraising aspect. Teaming up with musicians D Sathyaprakash, Manoj Kumar and Shakthisree Gopalan, the concerts — partly live and partly recorded — meant to raise funds for Chennai-based NGO, Gnanadarshan — were hosted on Instagram and Facebook. Though the presentation underwent minor changes in the digital concerts, the music certainly touched a universal chord.

“Scrolling through the comments section on my Instagram and Facebook concert links will tell you the story. It became quite clear that the crowds had bookmarked this time of the year for the cause. It doesn’t only tell you about the power of art, but also showcases the faith that people have in me and my initiative, regardless of the form it takes,” shares Anil Srinivasan who managed to raise a staggering Rs 3.5 lakh within two days of the launch of the series. “Surprisingly, the online series has been more effective than the offline space, the reliance on marketing is less and all it takes a listener to donate is a link; the process is smooth,” he adds.

Soulful renditions

Destiny had its own ideas to give a cheeky start to the series when Anil Srinivasan’s mobile screen plunged into darkness as he braved a power cut in the very first Instagram session with Shakthisree Gopalan. It was after all the same ambience that the musician would’ve wanted the audience to experience in a live concert too. Anil didn’t take much time to return to action and the two musicians did their best to not let the technological hiccups affect their breezy, soulful renditions of Nenjikulla, Azhagu Kutti Chellam and Malarodu, among many other memorable numbers.

The later concerts with playback singer Sathyaprakash and violinist Manoj Kumar came closer to the live experience, given the sessions were pre-recorded, giving enough liberty and time to ensure more sophistication in the instrumental and the aural quality. Besides a handful of numbers rendered in the memory of S P Balasubramanyam, the concerts celebrated the works of A R Rahman and Ilaiayaraja at length, from albums like Thalapathi, Roja, Duet, Moondram Pirai and Mounaragam.

Anil Srinivasan also tells us that he picked his collaborators with much care. “Sathyaprakash, Shakthi and Manoj weren’t chosen for their repertoire as performers alone; they were chosen also because they represent the younger generation, have no ego, and mirror the spirit of giving. Quite often, fundraisers featuring big names lose their purpose when the celeb presence overrides the cause.”

The other musicians too are at ease in the company of Anil Srinivasan and have been very voluntary in their support for ‘Concert in the Dark’ since its commencement in 2018. “I share a special rapport with Anil (anna). We’ve travelled together so much that we don’t need to sit for rehearsals anymore before a concert. Singing unplugged while he plays the piano is a source of great joy for me. It rings in a sense of calm and peace and provides an opportunity to do a lot of things spontaneously,” states Sathyaprakash, who’s cemented his place as a playback singer in the Tamil and Telugu film industries.

Those who experienced the ‘Concert in the Dark’ series in the past tell us that the audience vibe is integral to the flavour of the event. “The absence of the audience has truly hit me hard. It feels very unreal and makes our effort less vibrant. There’s only so much that you can do, while playing music and simultaneously looking at a screen,” Anil admits. That also makes him miss the joie de vivre of the Margazhi music season in Chennai all the more. “The very point of the season is to meet people, have conversations at the sabha canteens... It is a community event and an idea that goes much beyond music. Recording songs privately and organising online concerts can be done at any time of the year.”