Meet Carnatic music’s Gen Z

Six Gen Z musicians talk about their music learning, concerts and digital presence

There are many waiting to greet and take selfies with young singer Rahul Vellal after his concert at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. Rahul, the prodigy, became famous after his soulful renditions in Carnatic musician and composer Kuldeep Pai’s YouTube production ‘Vande guru paramparaam’. “I feel very happy for all the love and support,” says the singer, who began his musical journey at the age of four under guru Suchetan Rangaswamy and, later under Kalavathy Avadhoot. He now learns from Ranjani and Gayatri

Sooryagayathri too shot to fame after her rendition of the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ for mentor Kuldeep Pai went viral. “I started getting opportunities to perform in temples. The overwhelming response after every kutcheri motivates me,” says Sooryagayathri, who grew up listening to mridangam-artiste father P.V. Anil Kumar, who is an A grade artiste at AIR in Calicut.

Belonging to a musical family has stood these youngsters in good stead. Ten-year-old Soorya Narayanan, who is said to have had sruti-suddham even at age two.

“I was always surrounded by music since my father, Hariharan Sivaraman, would sing, my mother would play the veena and my brother, the mridangam,” says Soorya, who had his initial training under his father. A recipient of the Shanmukhananda Dr M. S. Subbulakshmi fellowship, he now learns from Neyveli Santhanagopalan.

Similarly, 15-year-old violinist Sivateja Mallajosyula could recognise ragas at the age of two. He is the son of vocalists and violin artistes Pavani and Srikanth Mallajosyula. Observing his inclination towards music and the mridangam, his grand-aunt, violin vidushi A. Kanyakumari suggested he start formal training at the age of five with mridangam vidwan Patri Satish Kumar. “My parents also started teaching me the violin when I showed interest in it,” says Sivateja, whose family has shifted base from the U.S. to Chennai to help him pursue music.

Being family does not change anything in the rigorous training routine. “Although I am her grandnephew and have been learning from her since 2016, my guru Kanyakumari ma gave me a chance to perform only last year in the Army Amrit Mahotsav at Ooty when she felt I was good enough,” he says.

Vainika Charulathatha Chandrasekhar, 16, the granddaughter of veena vidushi and scholar R.S. Jayalakshmi, is ready to handle comparisons with her grandmother. “While others came to paati only twice a week for classes, I had a stricter practice regimen. I did not enjoy this as a child, but now I see the benefit,” she says.