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V S Murari, son and disciple of violin maestro V V Subrahmanyam,
is a dynamic and a contemporary violinist of Carnatic music with
an uncompromising adherence to perfection, traditionalism and
discipline. Having performed his debut as a soloist at the age
of 10, Murari has seasoned his talent by accompanying his father
for many prestigious concerts with privileged opportunities of
sharing concert stages with maestros at an early age. Being in
the third decade of his career, he looks back at his journey and
looks forward to the future.
How did you get introduced to the violin?
Having born in a family of musicians and having a veteran
violinist for father and guru, do you think there was a choice?
You had your maiden concert when you were
10? Brief us about your preparation for it.
I had the privilege of having accompanied and blessed by
maestros Srimushnam Rajarao and Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman. My
first public concert was accompanied by Srimushnam Rajarao on
December 10, 1986, which was for a very close circle of
associates. However, the big stage was not very far off, which
was the arangetram on December 15, 1986, at The Music Academy,
Chennai, accompanied by Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. Dignitaries
amongst the audience were King & Queen of Trivandrum, Dr
Balamuralikrishna , P S Narayanaswami, T K Govinda Rao, T V
Gopalakrishnan , Tanjore Upendran, and other eminent musicians
and critics. It was a ticketed performance and the proceeds went
to the building fund of Sri Rajarajeswari Temple Let us
talk about your relationship with your father, as he is also
your guru. It is difficult when both are the same. At a
young age I really could not differentiate him as father and
guru. That realisation happened very late. But without his
knowledge impartation, I would not have been here giving an
interview. How do you balance as a full-time professional
musician and a regular employee? Very well. All the
organisations that I have worked with and currently working in
(he is a Programme Director with Nandaki Systems in Bangalore),
have been supportive. During critical times at official work, I
generally do not commit to concerts. However, if I have accepted
a concert and it happens when I have some important work, I
ensure that I keep up my commitment.
Tell us about your family My wife, Suchitra, and two
daughters, Sakthi, 3 years old, and Maatangi, 1 year old,
comprise my family. Is it possible to be a professional
artiste from the angle of security? One has to be smart to
market oneself well. This is irrespective of any industry
nowadays. To be very frank, these days marketing skills are
required more than skills in the subject. Do you sing?
It is difficult to be an instrumentalist without knowing vocal
music. But, personally, I like to sing and have the capacity to
be a vocal main artiste. The reason being vocal music comes
directly from your heart/mind/brain without having to get
translated into your hand as in the case of the violin. How
important is the knowledge of sahityam for an instrumentalist?
To know the sahityam is important because it adds beauty to the
song and the expression you bring to the song. How is the
career structure of an accompanist? What does it mean to be an
accompanist? As far as the main artiste prefers me, I can
be an accompanist. That is the truth for any accompanist,
without prejudice. To be an accompanist is a challenge always.
An accompanist can expect the unexpected from lots of main
artistes, depending on the artiste and various other factors.
What are the core qualities of an accompanist?
Basically, one should have the capacity to play a solo concert.
He should know the kutcheri format. Violin accompaniment is one
of the tough jobs and the constant anticipation makes you a good
artiste. An accompanist should play in a supportive way. This
quality I inherited from my father. I like to play a supportive
role in a concert. Smartness lies in adapting to the main
artiste’s style within a couple of songs. This does not come on
day one; it needs lots of experience on-stage. What trends
have you been seeing in the last few years, among audiences,
among the younger generation…? There is a lot of talent in
all parts of the country. Children want to take up music
full-time. But parents are a bit reluctant. The youngsters are
expected to have at least a degree in hand. The reason is that
there is opportunity to make music a profession, but there is no
code of discipline or guarantee that will encourage people to
take it up as a full-time profession. Not everyone can make it
as performers but there should be at least a good chance that
they can get jobs as teachers or something. The system does not
offer that. How could such interest be fostered and how
could the system evolve to encourage this?
How many schools have music as part of the curriculum? Every
school should have at least one hour of music. Like History and
Geography classes, music too should be taught to children as
part of their school routine. In European countries, music/art
form is part of the curriculum and kids are encouraged to pursue
their interest by the government as well. Governments speak of
promoting art and culture; but how far is it practically
implemented is the question. Unless it is imbibed at a young
age, there is no guarantee that you can take it up as full-time
profession in future. Thus, we are losing something that’s very
integral to our culture. What is your take from the
management side and musical side, as you are in both?
Theory conforms to practice in both. Both require knowledge,
creativity, motivation, adaptation, dialogue, collaboration,
appreciation, improvisation, flexibility, decision-making,
facing challenges, team work and so on. What is your plan?
Quit my job and start an organisation/company which can be used
as the vehicle to brand and position art in the global arena
just like the patrons of art did in the earlier monarchical
society. We can together define the cultural landscape and
improve the quality of thinking and living in our country. I
would like to create a truly secular credential in touching the
hearts and souls of the people we interact with and facilitate a
transformation that is sustaining and enduring. This will be the
first step towards protecting the great cultural heritage of our
country. Anantha
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