A modern tribute to Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s short composition by PV Bose, a city-based musician and frontman of the crossover band TranSwaras has won an award at the InterContinental Music Awards (ICMA) announced the other day at Los Angeles in the United States.
Bose and his associates had based their presentation on ‘Ganesha Kumara Pahimam’, a composition by Dikshitar, one of the Trinity of Carnatic sphere.
“This was our homage to a relatively underappreciated gem of Muthuswamy Diskhitar set in the melodious raga Chenchurutti,” said Mr. Bose.
In its modern re-interpretation, notes of the violin, guitar, flute and keyboard, and rhythm by mridangam, tabla and ganjira, add layers to the score while the choreographed presentation features Bharatanatyam sequences by dancer Vithya Arasu and her disciples. The song, an ode to the elephant-headed God Ganesha, was shot in the locale of the Pallava-era Talagirisvara temple in Panamalai in Villupuram district.
“It (award) is so precious for me as this traditional song of the Carnatic system of music of India has now reached an international audience”, Bose had told the ICMA host, joining in virtual mode along with other finalists, the awards ceremony at LA in the wee hours of August 26.
He also paid respects to his gurus who imparted Carnatic training, especially Kunnamkulam David Bhagavathar, and the team of musicians and technicians behind the award-winning production.
The collaborators, included Shaju Vaadiyil (violinist/music programmer), Rajeesh Rajagopal (keyboards), Abin Sagar (guitar) and Sasi Krishna (bass guitar), Aadhi Swaroop (flute), Ramkrishnan Bagadara (tabla), Narayan Prakash (mridangam) and Tanuj (drums).
“Ganesha Kumara” bagged the award in the Carnatic category.
Across categories, the finest musicians in Europe, America, Africa, Australia, Asia, Middle East and Pangea were chosen for the awards. Vocalists, instrumentalists and producers were awarded separately. In fact, the finalists threw up musicians from a variety of genresm ranging across classical, jazz, blues, rock, pop, hip-hop, alternative, reggae, soul, EDM, folk, indie pop, and gospel music. The Asian genres, included rock, Bollywood, Carnatic, Hindustani, Sufi rock, Zhongguo Feng and Tarab.
The ICMA’s mission is to provide a global stage for musicians, singers, and composers to showcase their passion for music, get the recognition that they deserve and connect with a diverse community of music enthusiasts.
“We saw this as an opportunity to present a work by a composer who is part of the Trinity of Carnatic music to an international audience”, said Mr. Bose.
In fact, TranSwaras, had bagged an award at the Global Music Awards 2019 for its recreation of ‘Anyyamu Seyakura’, a Thyagaraja kriti, with the citation hailing the composition for the “ability to transcend, to make the listener experience something that is new and compelling.”
