Early in the pandemic, ICMSV responded to the upheaval and distressed it was causing to artists by curating Sahabhāva - a virtual festival supporting numerous local musicians, scholars, and dancers by bringing people together to celebrate art. It was one of the first paid virtual initiatives around the world during the pandemic for Indian classical music and dance.

A big thank you to Devina Dutt, a Mumbai-based art curator and writer and co-founder of First Edition Arts, for noticing our work and featuring us in her article. Click here to read it.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more about your role in the performance?

My name is Sharanjeet. I play sitar, and provided the sitar music for the performance. 

What do you feel was your mark on this project?

I was the only sitar player involved in the project. Thus, I would say, my mark on the project came from this. This includes the sound of my sitar, gayaki ang (singing-like style of playing the sitar) of my gharana, slow and fast interludes between the songs, musical idioms following the dancer’s delicate expressions and adding an overall romanticizing dimension to the whole performance.

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

This project allowed me to further realize that both Hindustani and Carnatic forms of music at their essence are very similar. I was inspired by the Carnatic musicians involved in the project, and finding resonance between the salient ideas which both traditions of music share. I then adapted my music to their repertoire. 

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

It was certainly an inspiring experience. Chan Centre always brings the best out of me. It has the perfect intonation of grandeur and modernity, providing this enormous advantage to the creation and the experience of art. Moreover, the noble treatment from the staff and production team never allowed us to miss the live audiences.

What was it like creating something during this pandemic? 

It was deeply reviving and encouraging. To be able to participate and work on this project together with such an amazing team of musicians while following all the precautions and seeing everything move smoothly throughout gave me a great sense of joy and achievement. Plus, all that I learned through this project is like cherry on top of the cake.

Watch Sharanjeet perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more ​about your role in the performance?

Hi, I am Srividhya Sairam and I have been a performing Carnartic vocalist since 2011. I started learning Carnatic music at the age of 8 under Sri Kovai Padmanabhan (in New Delhi, India) and my first public performance was at the age of 13 at the Delhi Tamil Sangam. I am an alumni of Kalakshetra Foundation, where I took advanced training from Smt. T.M.Prabhavathi, senior disciple of Padmabhushan Dr.M.L.Vasanthakumari. In 2011, they conferred upon me 'The Best Performing Student Award’. 

I am a graded artist of All India Radio and have performed for major Carnatic organizations like Music Academy Madras, Shanmukhananda & IIC. On the academic side, I am a mathematics graduate from the University of Madras (Bachelors'), Pittsburg State University (MS) and am currently pursuing my PhD in Mathematics Education at SFU, focusing on the psychological and pedagogical aspects of mathematical creativity, whilst correlating it with musical creativity.

In this performance, I particularly bring in the flavour of Carnatic music to the musical experience. I was the only lady vocalist in the team and in my opinion, the blending of the male and female voice added a lot of value and a variety of musical moods to the entire performance. I also had many opportunities to suggest and modify the music that was emerging, as well as compose a few musical scores for the performance, especially the Alarippu.

What inspired you during the creation of Parāśakti?

As I mentioned above, I believe I brought in the Carnatic flavor to the table and it definitely helped in giving a nice musical texture to the whole performance along with other artists. As some of the chosen pieces like the Tillana were inherently Carnatic, I think I was able to bring in that particular aspect of singing which was associated with the piece. Also, I set to tune the Alarippu in Chapter 1. Before this collaboration, I had only known Alarippu as a rhythmic piece, but based on my discussion with the team, I was able to conceive it as a musical piece, while also bringing in some creative aspects of Carnatic music like raga alapana and kalpanaswarams. I think this was a helpful creative outlet for myself as well as the dancer to experiment our artistic outcomes in a much enthusiastic way. 
 
Also, because I had to work alongside a male vocalist in this project, I had to sing in different pitches for different pieces so that there would be a balance with our voice ranges. This was fun experimentation for me as I could let myself free to try out my voice in different pitches and understand my own tonality throughout the project. I have always sung pitches like G-sharp or A for my solo performances and in this one I have sung in a variety of pitches like C, G & F-sharp. I felt I was able to express myself in multiple ways with my voice to suit the mood of the dance. In short, I didn’t feel limited with my voice range while working on this project. 

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

I think the Carnatic and the Hindustani pieces were nicely mapped out with minimal overlaps. For example, while the 2nd chapter did not have much Carnatic in it, the Alarippu (1st chapter) and the Tillana (3rd chapter) started after mini pauses, even if preceded by Hindustani ragas. And so, the flow from Carnatic to Hindustani or the other way was not very sudden or dramatic. All the pieces were well connected and they beautifully flowed from one onto the other. Overall I found it to be a nice mix of Carnatic and Hindustani styles and I think all the musicians in the team strived to get that perfect balance.

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

I really had a wonderful experience rehearsing and performing at the Chan Centre. Starting from the initial welcome on day one, everything was arranged so well for all the artists. All the staff were very friendly and the audio technicians who helped us with the sound check were really helpful and knowledgeable. They made sure that we all were comfortable with our voices and were patiently willing to help us get the right mix. The acoustics at Chan was great and personally it was a learning curve for me to understand more about audio nuances, working with in-ear monitors and much more. It was totally a pleasure to rehearse and perform at Chan.

What was it like creating something during this pandemic? 

It has been such a challenging time for all of us and performing arts has been one of the fields which really had a hard hit during the pandemic. It felt so good to collaborate in person with other artists after a long time and it was very hopeful to feel the togetherness in music again. Although singing with masks on was a little disturbing at times, it was nevertheless a wonderful experience to be in person with other artists while the music was emerging. 

Thanks to Chan and other sponsoring members for this opportunity during this difficult time. This will definitely be a memorable performance for many reasons and creating it in the midst of the pandemic would definitely serve as a future inspiration to me for feeling hopeful that good times are never far. 

Watch Srividhya perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more ​about your role in the performance?

I’ve been on the journey of learning Hindustani vocal music for the past 20 years. My training started in my hometown of Burnaby at the Pandit Jasraj School of Music Foundation under Smt. Asha Lohia where my focus was primarily on the Mewati stylistic discipline in the khayal form. I also received preliminary training from Smt. Neeraja Aptikar, another local teacher. I was lucky enough to have had opportunities to learn from my BadeGuruji Pandit Jasraj ji, and I continue to receive guidance in this discipline from Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar. These past few years, I’ve shifted my learning to the Jaipur-Atrauli discipline under my gurus Pt. Arun Dravid and Pt. Arijit Mahalanabis, in addition to training in the dhrupad form.

My role in the performance has been both in an administrative capacity, as well as in being one of the production’s artistic co-director and one of the vocalists. I’m also featured on the nattuvangam, which is a percussive instrument typically used to accompany bharatanatyam performances. It’s the very first time I have used this instrument so I am in no means someone experienced in the art of nattuvangam, but it has been a great learning experience to be introduced to it. 

What inspired you during the creation of Parāśakti?

It’s honestly hard to pinpoint things that inspired me during Parāśakti’s creation. The entire process and all its experiences have been inspiring, right from the proposal from the Chan Centre to now, with the post-production process. I think what stood out to me the most was that we could do something like this with an all BC-based team. Growing up here, I always felt very fragmented and isolated trying to pursue this music, and it was heartwarming that a bunch of us could come together like this - especially in a time that’s provoked us to not take social interaction for granted. We could all learn, create, and execute together despite some of us meeting for the very first time.

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

It was definitely a bit of a challenge. For example, Amrtavarshini is not a raga I have ever learnt or really even listened to until the performance, so when I was trying to compose the melody for ‘caturbhuje’, I kept communicating with Srividhya to make sure I was on the right track. The rhythm was another struggle, especially since I was on nattuvangam. I’m not very familiar with Carnatic rhythm and got to learn more from Arno, Curtis, and Srividhya’s support, and we would all openly discuss any issues in translation across genres and forms. I think because we all were happy to speak with one another about uncertainties, and at the same time we were keen to explore new things we managed to balance things well. In terms of balancing between Hindustani and Carnatic content as a co-director, Arno and myself didn’t want to provide a very strict framework of exactly how much Hindustani or Carnatic we should have. Whether we used a Hindustani or Carnatic approach was dependent on what the scene needed to portray musically, who was best to portray that, and what everyone’s inspiration and capabilities were in making that happen. You’ll find Carnatic ragas with Hindustani elements, Hindustani ragas with Carnatic elements, and then a mash of both. 

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

Surreal. I’ve grown up seeing the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain and Smt. Anoushka Shankar perform there. When I was studying at UBC, I’d walk past the Chan and think to myself how lovely it’d be to perform there someday if I become more established as an artist. I never thought it’d happen so soon after graduation, and as an emerging artist. All this didn’t hit me until everything finished though, which is when I had a chance to let it sink in. It was also great to work with the Chan Centre’s team. My throat kept getting dried out due to wearing masks all the time, and Dave got me a bag of Ricola - their efforts in keeping us safe and comfortable are very much appreciated.

What was it like creating something during this pandemic? 

It was unchartered territory, and in more ways than one. Performing for the Chan Centre, mixing different musical and storytelling elements, trying to fuse Hindustani and Carnatic, carrying out a production featuring Bharatanatyam and live musicians, working with many of the artists for the first time - so many previously unencountered experiences. In addition to all that, we then had to conduct group rehearsals on Zoom, maintain good health, wear masks during our group rehearsals (which was especially draining for dance and vocals), and follow COVID protocols at the venue. However, this opportunity for us to work together also presented itself because of the situation around the pandemic, so as much as it was stressful in some ways, it was rewarding in many others. One of the rewards was how therapeutic this was. Being able to create and learn with Satpreet, Curtis, Srividhya, Sharanjeet, and Arno in-person gave a resurgence in creative energy which I think a lot of us needed.

Watch Akhil perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more ​about your role in the performance?

My name is Arno Kamolika, I am a Vancouver based dance artist and instructor, I have been trained in Bharatanatyam and Manipuri under Sharmila Banerjee, Belayet Hossain (Bangladesh), Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar (India) and Jai Govinda (Canada). 

I am performing as a dancer in the performance. I have co-directed the project with Akhil Jobanputra, and developed it with the help of my fellow musicians. I am also the choreographer of most of the production. In the second chapter, the choreography of the narrative pieces have been mentored by Smt. Bragha Bessel.

What inspired you during the creation of Parāśakti?

I think an artist gets inspired by more than one thing during a creation process. I had different inspirations during different phases of this project. The teachings of my gurus always inspire me in the initial phase of any project, in this case I got inspired to create a quite simple invocation based on Chaturasra Alaripu, as a homage to the goddess as well as my gurus to start the performance. But once the collaboration started, I got heavily inspired by the artists with whom I was working on this project. Each song, poetry, swara, rhythm or raga they were bringing to the studio was inspiring me to experiment and to tell a story that I have not thought of before. On a personal level, nature - specially the divinity and serenity that can be experienced in the landscape, the water and the forest, and discovering a sense of gratitude for the mother earth, were some inspiring factors for me to create this project.

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

Being a Bharatnatyam dancer, I am familiar with Carnatic rhythm structures. On the other hand, being a dancer from Bangladesh, I have spent most of my life around musicians who practice Hindustani music. My guru Prof. Chandrasekhar is also a scholar in both Hindustani and Carnatic traditions. The freedom to work with both these elements in the same project is a privilege that I have felt after a long time. 

I believe that all artists are musicians first irrespective of their training and they are always there to support each other. For example, in the studio, if Srividhya was singing a Carnatic raga, Satpreet and Sharanjeet were complimenting her devotedly with dilruba and sitar in the same way they would do for a Hindustani vocalist. Curtis was playing the mridangam to suit the softness of a Hindustani raga. Akhil was reciting cholkattus like a nattuvanar, where Srividhya was following the Hindustani ragas to create some alaps. Since we had 5 musicians with incredibly distinctive skill sets, we created a unique mood for each chapter by forming one chapter around one artist, and others complimenting them. 

This diverse music also caused changes to the choreography. Some pieces were based on very rigorous Carnatic talas and swaras, where some parts were created where only dilruba or sitar were improvising on their own to follow the dancer or the dancer was following them. Most of the time we chose the raga to suit the theme or story of a chapter, rather than choosing a random raga because it’s either Hindustani or Carnatic. Initially, while working on the script, we tried to keep a balance between the numbers of Carnatic and Hindustani ragas used in the work, but by the end of the process it was hard to find the distinction, as all the artists were trying to merge with each other.  

I think when artists trust each other the balance comes automatically.

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

Chan Centre is a lovely theatre to perform in. The architecture and interior of the auditorium automatically makes an artist feel something that is larger-than-life. Although, I must say, the empty seats of that huge theatre reminded me of the sad reality of not being able to perform in front of a live audience. But the amazing production team took that sadness away with their warmth and support. 

The credit of this production goes to the production team of Chan Centre Dot Com series, as much as it goes to the artists who have created it. The support we received from the people behind the scenes - from the first Zoom meeting until the day of the recording were amazing. There were several departments working at the same time - Dave, Kirsty, Mike, James, Lloyd, Andrew, Don with many others to take care of stage, video, audio, lights, and overall management. They were doing their best to capture our production to its best while keeping all safety protocols in place. I have never worked in a digital production before, so it was a huge learning for me. 

My sincere gratitude to Chan Centre and their highly skilled team of professionals for the amazing work they are doing.

What was it like creating something during this pandemic? 

It felt like touching fresh water after a long thirsty day. All the artists were so excited just to be with another artist in the same room and sharing their work. This pandemic has almost made us forget what a blessing it is to be able to interact with another artist. Personally, I was active during the pandemic learning and teaching dance on virtual platforms. But I still was nervous initially about how I would feel to work in a studio after a year with this new normal being around.

But when I started working, I was surprised to see how easily I adjusted to working with other artists. I also think that a year of isolation made all artists more compassionate towards each other. We all were in this process for the sake of experimenting and enjoying the journey and did not really think much about the outcome. We were 6 artists working with each other as a team for the first time, and we kept thinking why we have not done that before. 

Most of the artists involved have never worked with a dancer before. But it never felt that way because we were cherishing every moment of those rehearsals and in-person conversations so much. And in the end of the journey, we managed to create something together, so that was a bonus!

Watch Arno perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more ​about your role in the performance?

I am a Vancouver-based percussionist named Curtis Andrews. I play various percussion instruments from different traditions, notably West African (Ghana/Togo/Benin) music/dance, jazz/funk and related American-derived musics, and of course Carnatic music, which I have a special affinity for. I have been initiated into the universe of Carnatic music and mridangam through the maestro Sangita Kalanidhi Sri Trichy Sankaran, whom I have been a sishya of since 2000.

My role in this production was “percussionist”, but really I am mostly the mridangist as I play some other percussion for just a couple of minutes. On a purely functional level I keep everyone else in time together, acting as a rhythmic glue, support, and propulsion. In other capacities the mridangam acts to embellish the abhinaya of the dancer (Arno) through sound effects that are both rhythmic and arrhythmic. 

What do you feel was your mark on the project?

I did my best to support the overall intent of the project, via the musical creations and “acting” of the dancer to portray/highlight the various rasas, characters and scenarios. In essence, the mridangam should serve the music/dance and not use it as a showcase for the mridangam or the player’s prowess.

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

This was an interesting challenge. I know a very limited amount about Hindustani music (HM) and though they may share some similarities, to those who are intimate with them, Carnatic music (CM) and HM are worlds apart in many ways. There were some portions where I had to accompany the sitar in some idiosyncratic roles (a jhala part for example) or also a short HM composition. Having gracious musicians such as Akhil, Satpreet and Sharanjeet made it all very easy and welcoming though.

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

To those who do not know, the Chan Centre is one of the best venues in Vancouver and perhaps west of Toronto. So many amazing artists have graced this stage, so to share in that legacy was fulfilling. The crew and staff of the Chan Centre were also top-notch and made the whole experience enjoyable on another level.

What was it like creating something during this pandemic? 

So many of us artists have suffered during this pandemic. I feel blessed to be able to meet with other artists in the same room and create/perform/share. It is very rare. There were some minor challenges like trying to create and share music over Zoom, rehearsing in masks for example (no idea how Arno could dance in a mask!), and finding rehearsal space large enough to accommodate us all with social distancing requirements. But these were minor issues compared to the luxury of being able to meet and play together.

Watch Curtis perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.

Could you introduce yourself and let us know more ​about your role in the performance?

My name is Satpreet Singh. I am in Grade 11 enrolled in French Immersion. I started playing the tabla when I was six, and started the dilruba almost four years ago. I was one of the instrumentalists as part of the performing crew of the production. I provided instrumental accompaniment and an instrumental solo on the dilruba, which is a stringed instrument with a bow.

What do you feel was your mark on the project?

It was a group effort, and with the fellow artists it was a fantastic project. Challenging due to COVID-19, however a great experience. 

How did you balance the Hindustani and Carnatic elements?

I was able to balance the two very different and unique styles of music by listening to as much Carnatic and Hindustani content as I could in order to broaden my understanding and perspective while playing and rehearsing with the rest of the artists.

How did you feel when you were rehearsing and performing at the Chan?

It was a great feeling of accomplishment as I was able to finally hear everything come together in a professional and performance-like setting. I felt very calm as my fellow performers and the staff at the Chan Centre made sure nothing was overwhelming. It was truly an honour to be performing with such great music maestros. So blessed to have been asked to join. 

What was it like creating something during this pandemic?

It was a very interesting experience. Procedures and rehearsals were very different from anything I have done in the past. It was also very relieving as I was finally able to work with other people for the first time in over a year. The protocols were followed, and I felt safe yet free to perform with great maestros.

Watch Satpreet perform in Parāśakti: The Flame Within, streaming on March 19th.