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S P Ramh: Traditional but with Open Mind
Interviewer: When and why did you opt for vocal music? Ramh: At 16 when I felt confident about my voice. I had already participated in several junior level competitions. The encouragement of Vanoli Anna Kuthapiran and Nalini Ramprasad led me to my first kutcheri under the auspices of the Children's Academy in 1993. Though my family was my first gurukul, my father saw to it that I received early formal education from Sri Narayanan, following it up with advanced training from Dr.S.Rajam, Dr.S.Ramanathan, the Lalgudi Jayaraman family and Sri Balasubramaniam, who has been my mentor for the Tamil songs of Sri Papanasam Sivam.. I'm a product of all these stalwarts, since they have tutored me in every aspect of sangeetham like presentation of Ragam, Keerthanas, Niravals, Swaras and Manodharma sangeetham. Interviewer: Is Manodharma sangeetham also an off-shoot of traditional discipline? How large a presence does it occupy in the kutcheri sampradayam? Ramh: In the pattern of kutcheri sampradayam, Kirthanas, Varnams, Swaram, Javali and Thillana are structured expositions and are called Kalpita sangeetham. Manodharma sangeetham, i.e., spontaneous, on-the-spot variations have a play in Ragam, Niraval; Thanam, Vrttam and Swarams. Interviewer: Is the balance you maintain between Kalpita and Manodharma sangeetham also a technique that is learnt traditionally? Ramh: Very much, yes. Interviewer: Regarding accompaniments, do you perform as a regular team, or does it vary for every performance? Ramh: We would very much like to operate as a team. But all the leading Pakkavadyam Vidwans are extremely busy. Interviewer: Does it affect compatibility during performances? Ramh: No. The Pakkavadyam Vidwans are well trained to tune-in excellently with vetarans and budding artistes alike, in no time. In 1994 during a tour of the U S, four leading violinists, all resident there, accompanied me for the 25 kutcheris that I performed.
Ramh: It would be laudable, but I have some reservations about assigning marks, because music is such spontaneous and individual rendering. The competitive edge can be avoided. Excellence is an improvement upon one's own level. Music is a great asset in personality culture. I'm not adept at quoting Shakespeare's verses exactly, but what he said about music moulding a man's character is absolutely right. At all levels, music can be introduced in schools, with books starting from primers. I think schools will take notice and appoint regular teachers if they perceive public support in this direction. Interviewer: What if a talent-scout whisked you away to films? Ramh: I wouldn't say no to offers. But lyrics should carry a proper message and the songs should be meaningful. I don't say songs have to be philosophical. Even if they don't propound high-sounding ideologies, it is important that wrong messages don't reach the public, especially youngsters. I see it as my social commitment. In film music there has always been two parallel trends, one that has literary and ideological standing and the other that is designed to be different. My preference happens to be for the former.
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Speech maketh the man. Music, more so. S P Ramh, composed, soft-spoken and offering well-considered opinions, is very much a tradition-nurtured young musician, but is, at the same time, open-minded to modern developments. An A grade vocal artiste and a B-high grade veena artiste at the All India Radio and Doordarshan, 29-year-old Ramh comes from a family steeped in music. His maternal grandfather Dhandapani Iyer, his father R. Sankaran and his mother were seasoned veena artistes as is also currently his younger sister Pavithra. Since the family had kept open house for students for a long time, he got into the groove, with both vocal and veena, very early.
Interviewer: What about music being part of the curriculum in schools?
