Hyderabad: Jyotsna is essentially the most wanted South Indian Carnatic violinist and composer identified for her versatility and talent to seamlessly collaborate with completely different genres of music. She is educated within the western classical system too and has been touring the world, connecting cultures and initiating revolutionary tasks.
Jyotsna has performed the violin in additional than 300 South Indian films. She has given quite a few Carnatic solo, jugalbandi and jazz fusion concert events aside from accompanying legendary Carnatic musicians like Dr Balamuralikrishna.
Jyotsna has composed for & carried out with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – UK, Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra – Hungary, VMU Chamber Orchestra – Lithuania, Krystal Quartet – Sweden, Ligeti Quartet – UK and Vindla Quartet – Sweden.
Jyotsna’s notable collaborations are Nordic Raga – with Swedish Folks, Raga Storage – with western classical violin, Carnatic Connection – with Bollywood Brass Band and Maya Jazz – with Balkan Jazz.
She was invited to carry out on the Buckingham Palace for the inauguration of the Commonwealth Heads Assembly within the presence of Her Majesty The Queen of England.
You might be Europe’s main violinist and carried out even for UK PM Cameron. What sort of reception your concert events get overseas?
Tradition is a phrase which applies to the native locations, the native tradition. So Europe is a extremely cultural place. And then the response has been superb they usually welcome all genres of music and the collaborations. There’s not one uninteresting live performance, the place I had a detrimental response or no response. You give good content material. It’s taken.
World fusion music is your forte. Nonetheless, enjoying Western classical music and Carnatic music could require completely different sort of methods. How do you handle that?
Now, I’m very a lot at house enjoying these. I began studying violin on the age of 5. My first live performance was at the age of 9 and once I accompanied Dr. Balamuralikrishna, I used to be 15. After which I heard this album ‘Easy methods to title it’ by Ilaiyaraaja, the place on one single violin, with out altering the tuning, all pitches had been laid. So that basically captivated me. What’s this method? As a result of in Carnatic music, for every pitch you have one minute, so if I’ll play 5 completely different pitches, I must have 5 minutes. So, this was not the factor, it had just one. I began exploring after which I discovered that I’ve to be taught Western classical. Violin is a European instrument, it needed to journey from the West to East to get tailored to Indian music. Then I began studying from Bangalore College of Music and from BS Narasimhan, who had really performed ‘learn how to title it’ for Ilaiyaaraaja and that gave me a unique imaginative and prescient of the violin, just like the methods of the left hand bowing the place you’ll get readability enjoying, clean enjoying. In actual fact, in the event you these methods, in the event you can adapt to Carnatic music, it will likely be good. At any level of time, there will likely be confusion, a variety of confusion between the two programs, as a result of right here you tune to Sa Pa Sa, that’s EADG, which is Sa Pa Ri Da. So the one technique to overcome is intensive apply. That is the one method. If you cannot do that giant quantity of apply of the 2 programs, it will develop into catastrophe. If you are able to do it, then you’ll take pleasure in it.
So between Carnatic and Hindustani—which one is extra well-liked within the worldwide viewers?
I can say with respect to Europe, North Indian classical music is extra well-liked.
What sort of music is well-liked in India?
India is regional. Movie Music is in all places. In any other case in South, half of Karnataka is Carnatic music, then largely it’s Hindustani music, however then you definately go down South in Kerala, it is once more Carnatic. The movie music is the widespread issue plus the regional.
What was it wish to carry out with Dr Balamuralikrishna?
I did a variety of concert events later, largely about some 70-80 ideas. However the first live performance, I used to be actually younger. After which the President of Gayana Samaja mentioned she’s able to enjoying. I used to be daring with no stage worry at any level of time. However then I used to be skeptical, pondering am succesful and obsessed with enjoying, however will he settle for it. When he noticed me, he was heat and handled me properly on stage. Nonetheless, when it got here to the challenges and issue of enjoying, there have been no concessions for me and I responded for every thing. And he favored it very a lot. He mentioned, you might be so daring for a first-timer. Then I travelled so much with him for a number of concert events. In reality, my competition, London Worldwide Arts Pageant in 2012 was inaugurated by him.
This aside, what has been your most memorable live performance efficiency to this point?
The one with London Philharmonic Orchestra on the Wembley Stadium—that was attended by 60,000 individuals. Even PM Modi attended it. That was very memorable since you don’t get to play for such a large viewers and the piece, Indian Spring, my very own composition, at a world class orchestra typically. One other one was on the Buckingham Palace and I met the Queen for the inauguration of the Commonwealth Heads Assembly. I’m enjoying Rama Navami live performance in Ramanathapuram, which is a small village on the banks of the River Cauvery on the event of Ram Navami 2024 . The live performance begins at 9pm and go till 1am, there are children who put the taalam. I really feel so glad to play for such audiences, our personal audiences. For me every certainly one of these is an expertise to recollect.
Inform us about your work in films
Motion pictures simply occurred like that. I began enjoying western classical. However I didn’t have any concept that I am going to play for films. One advantageous day, some supervisor referred to as me to Prasads Bangalore saying it was for a film with music course by Rajan Nagendra, who had been very large then. So I used to be excited. However then we weren’t positive about films. So my father accompanied me not eager to discourage. He was satisfied that the environment was protected and good. And it began from there. It was a studying expertise. It was for a Kannada film ‘Prema Raaga Haadu Gelathi’, which centered round violin.
What’s Ilaiyaraaja’s working fashion like?
He is one man military, he’s a college by himself. He does the melodies by himself, he arranges it, he writes it. 4 to 5 individuals’s work is put in by one man. However I performed most for Hamsalekha, who was a number one musician. Now, additionally I play. That is a unique sort of music, however I take pleasure in enjoying. In actual fact, I do play the favored ones that folks wish to hearken to. A few of the themes on violin sound so good.
A Publish Graduate in scientific pathology, Solar licensed in Java and a number one violinist. Why did you select music over all of the others?
Music got here first earlier than medication. In Plus 2, I acquired seventh rank and it’s tough to get a benefit seat in Bangalore Medical School. I loved that additionally, did my put up commencement and practiced for a couple of years. And I did justice to it. However then music was calling and at some extent of time, particularly, once I moved to London, I discovered that I am unable to have my ft in two completely different boats. I had to decide on between medication, music and household, I can’t surrender household. However then once more, I have been on and off in medication like through the pandemic I did apply as a result of there was acute scarcity of docs. So it isn’t that I’m completely out of the sphere, I do on and off.
At some point, my husband requested me to to postpone the pc and I unplugged as a substitute of shutting down, So I went to be taught the fundamentals, however ended up studying C, C++, Java to change into the primary physician on the earth to do Solar certification in Java. I labored in TCS as a healthcare IT advisor for 3 years earlier than I went to UK. However in some way, regardless of being profitable, the topic was very dry for me.
However did not you are feeling you had been giving up a profitable career?
Many individuals thought that I used to be loopy sufficient to surrender such a excessive paying career (each medication and IT). However typically, it’s essential to observe your coronary heart than what the society needs for you. Music is an equally good trade. Individuals who select creativity as their career may have confronted a variety of challenges, together with numerous ‘Nos’ from the household, who need you to go for a protected career like engineering. However inform me if everybody says that, what occurs to creativity? It’s a must to take dangers.
There are actuality reveals, however there aren’t any reveals selling devices. India additionally lacks skilled music faculties to encourage youngsters eager to pursue inventive fields.
Completely. In UK, there are faculties selling teachers and music parallelly. However that has not but come to India. I assume it’s extra about mindset, enjoying protected and asking what is going to you do? How will you make a dwelling in music? What if it fails? Go for safer professions. Any inventive trade requires endurance to succeed. Whether or not you are profitable or not, pursue your ardour. In case you’re destined to get cash, you’ll at all times get. However you may be glad about doing what you need. That Satisfaction issues.
Inform us about your upcoming tasks,
Certainly one of them is Shakti, which I’ve been touring in Europe. These are tunes composed throughout lockdown. It is violin with digital music. It’s a one hour music depicting the journey of pandemic, starting of the pandemic, how the pandemic occurred, the way it affected individuals, and what occurred after. One other one is Raga seasons, which is an Indian Violin Live performance and a collaboration with the string orchestra. In order that has six ragas, six seasons of India. Each these I will likely be enjoying in numerous locations of India.
Which cities in India that you’ve been to, are extra receptive to music and the place do you assume music is basically thriving?
The viewers in Chennai is nice. I haven’t seen viewers anyplace attending a live performance at 7am, for that it’s essential to have an actual curiosity. Bangalore is okay too. Mumbai is likely to be good. However London is superior. That’s the place for any sort of music to thrive, any world music throughout genres is lapped up. There’s a variety of worth for artwork and tradition, that’s a beauty of London.
Speaking about completely different genres, you have even collaborated with international artists. So inform us about them. Who’re the individuals you’ve got collaborated with?
I have composed and carried out with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – UK, Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra – Hungary, VMU Chamber Orchestra – Lithuania, Krystal Quartet – Sweden, Ligeti Quartet – UK and Vindla Quartet – Sweden. My prime collaborations embrace Nordic Raga – with Swedish Folks, Raga Storage – with western classical violin, Carnatic Connection – with Bollywood Brass Band and Maya Jazz – with Balkan Jazz.
You hear of individuals having inventive variations when collaborating as a result of you need to be in good sync. So, how do you’re employed that out and attain a center floor?
Earlier than collaborating, we’ve got to go for a jam session, inside one minute you’ll know whether or not my frequency and the different artist’s frequency will match or not. After which give you some music and see the way it goes. And that is the way it occurs.
For an artist, appreciation could be very vital. Might you inform us one thing concerning the recognition you will have acquired?
That is MBE (the third highest civilian award in UK). It was introduced on King Charles birthday in August. It took nearly per week for the information to sink in as a result of the musicians who had acquired this award had been Adele, Ed Sheeren and some footballers. As a carnatic musician to get recognition exterior, I felt rewarded for my efforts to advertise music. In actual fact, I developed my London Worldwide Arts competition and my organisation Dhruv arts, we assist orphans who wish to be taught music as studying the artwork might get costly. There’s a lot expertise in India. So we supported youngsters by offering music scholarship. What’s vital is passing on the custom by conserving it alive.
