SHARJAH — Dr Subramaniam one of the only musicians to have mastered South Indian and Western classical musical technique and style has performed at the 37th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority.
The session began with the launch of his book titled, “Classical Music of India: A Practical Guide” which is co-authored by his wife, Viji Subramaniam. Upon the release of the book, Dr Subramaniam explained to the audience that his reason for writing this book was to present Indian classical music for westerners in a manner that they can understand.
“Everyone should learn music whether they intend to become a musician or not. It will build on their creativity in every aspect of their work,” remarked Dr Subramaniam.
His performance included Frijo Francis on the keyboard, Alwyn Fernandes on the guitar, Prasad on the drums, Tanmay Bose on the tabla, and Dsr Murthi on the mridangam. The highlight of the evening was the group’s exquisite performance titled, ‘Indian Express.’ The group displayed traditional melodies and complexities of classical music with sublime finesse.
The next composition was ‘Conversations,’ followed by ‘Emotions’ and ‘Ganga’. The entire performance delved deep into the heart of the cadence and the relationship between the group members were evident in the performance. Dr Subramaniam deftly altered the timber of his violin which sounded rich, warm, and wonderfully resonant.
Dr. Subramaniam is the only musician who has performed and recorded Carnatic classical music, Western classical music, composed for and conducted major orchestras, scored for films and collaborated with some of the greatest genres of music as diverse as George Harrison, Yehudi Menuhin, Stanley Clarke, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Jean-Pierre, and Zubin Mehta. He established himself as a force that is strongly Indian, but universal in nature and approach.
