The sound of music
Latha Venkatesh’s fingers, though frantic, were always careful. Venkatesh herself huddled over her musical instrument, the veena, as though listening closely to every sound coming out of it. As though the veena was continually on the verge of telling her something.
This was all at a carnatic instrumental concert which took place Sunday afternoon in the Union’s Little Theatre. Named “sur dhwani” (“the sound of music”) and sponsored by K-State’s Society for the Appreciation of Bhayativa Heritage and Arts, the concert featured Venkatesh as well as a mrindagam-player named Shiva.
There is a sweet mellowness even to the faster pieces. It’s in the veena’s strong twang. It reminds one of a sunset over water in the evening. The two instruments made a wonderful pair, creating music that was both soothing and energetic at the same time.
At 3:04, Venkatesh put down her veena and, with her head bowed, started clapping while Shiva made the melody with his mrindagam. Roughly seven minutes of this passed; during this time, it did not take long to realize one incontrovertible fact: Shiva’s right hand was clearly insane.
Stern-faced but wild-eyed, his fingers, though also frantic, belied an exceptional amount of control. He struck the mrindangam near its centre, then near its rim; he struck with two, three, four fingers. He struck with a steady, even rhythm and then he sped up, as though tap-dancing with his phalanges.
About 70 people attended the showcase of South Indian classical music.
slinkyrie
slinkerdoodle
slinkyboneur
slinkthinker 2.5
robertlowelldunn
