Over a 15-year bond, pianist Anil Srinivasan and vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan have reshaped the perception of Carnatic music. In the city for a concert, the two speak about their music collaborations as friends
(From left) Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan at a performance
There is a perception of Classical musicians as serious men. Anil Srinivasan’s garrulous laugh washes away such apprehensions. A Sangeet Natak Akademi-awardee, the pianist is also the first Western Classical musician to be awarded the Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu State Government. “I brought the piano kicking and screaming to the sabhas,” he laughs. This weekend, he is in Mumbai and will perform with his friend, Carnatic vocalist, Sikkil Gurucharan, for Poets on the Piano.
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They have been regular visitors to the city, but separately. The pianist began his career in advertising with Ogilvy in Churchgate. “I remember getting on a Virar fast in my first week. I never got down at Borivali as planned,” the former Chembur-resident chuckles.
The duo first performed together at an alumni meet for a children’s production at their school, Vidya Mandir in Chennai, in 2005. “By that time, I had worked with Mandolin Srinivas and Aruna Sairam among others,” says the pianist who decided to take the partnership further with the new idea.
For Gurucharan, it was different. Grandson of Sikkil Kunjumani, of the acclaimed flautist duo Sikkil Sisters, he was establishing himself as a name in the Carnatic sabhas of Chennai. “I was the more anxious one. A Carnatic voice with the Western piano was a new concept. But as we went on, we were convinced,” he shares.
Poets on the Piano was conceptualised around poetry from ancient, medieval and modern India crossing over languages, eras and even themes. The duo emphasise that Classical vocabulary is not a limitation. “The form is liberating and allows you to do so much without disturbing its sanctity,” Srinivasan notes. Gurucharan adds, “You have such varied poetry with ideas, metaphors, colours and the cultures coming together.”
Another reason that keeps their friendship strong is education. In 2012, Srinivasan founded the Rhapsody Musical Foundation to tap into music as a means to transform learning in India. A PhD in neuroscience, he shares, “I wanted to put art at the service of education. The other point was to teach people that music can extend beyond the scope of performance. This country has enough performers; it needs holistic citizens.”
Working with 477-plus schools across India, the foundation crafts courses for children from primary to high schools. Not an easy task, shares Gurucharan, a trustee. “The whys and why-nots have to be addressed for this generation. My role is to return to my own experiences and help them understand,” he laughs
Apart from music, food is a common love for the duo. “That will be a whole other interview,” says Srinivasan as he reels off a list of his favourites from Crystal in Chowpatty, to Britannia & Co. in SoBo, and Tintos in Bandra. For Gurucharan too, every concert ends with a food hop. “I love Marathi thalis. My friends and I often set off looking for a new find every time,” the vocalist shares.
With music on their mind, they are already working on two upcoming productions. “We are curating an album for children. We are working on stories told through Carnatic music,” he reveals. The other project is based on the compositions of the 18th century female Carnatic composer, Muddupalani. “She composed a series titled, Radhika Santvanam — songs depicting the entire spectrum of romance between Radha and Krishna. It should be ready in the first half of 2025,” Gurucharan shares.
Log on to @anilsrinivasan; @sikkilgurucharan
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