ARUNA SAIRAM

She is accomplished, acknowledged and regarded as one of the most renowned exponents of Classical music. Drawing from her vast knowledge of pan Indian traditions, she is one of the esteemed figures in the world of classical music.

- Sneha Ramesh

We had the absolute pleasure of interacting with her, who is also a recipient of the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.

She chatted with us about her early influences, vocal techniques, practise routine, favourite musicians, collaborations and more.

Read on to discover more about this esteemed composer, collaborator and humanitarian.

Tell us about your early influences in Carnatic music

The first memory is of my mother. She was a south Indian young bride transplanted into the huge city of Bombay. She found a connection with herself by singing every day. Every morning, as a child, I used to hear her sing. Sometimes, I dozed off on her lap while she was singing.

The early memories go on for a while. By the time I was four or five, a lot of musicians started coming to Bombay to perform at the newly formed sabhas. Those associations used to host artists but the only accommodations used to be matunga concerns which wasn’t really a great place to be in after your concerts. Somehow, the artists used to find their way to our house. Ours was a very small flat but even in that small place, the whole house used to reverberate with laughter, music and musical talk the moment these artists came in. Every Sunday morning, I used to look forward to who would be coming on that day. It used to be MS Amma, or it would be MLV Amma or someone like that. As a kid, I got inspired not only by their music but by their personalities. Musicians are essentially, simple and childlike. They love good food and be in the company of people who like them and their music.

How important do you think is language and diction when Carnatic compositions are rendered?