Mysterious Duality and Veenai Jayanthi

Until I accidentally listened to a fusion album of Ganesh Kumaresh, I had not listened to any instrumental music other than Veenai at large. I was averse to violin and Nadaswaram was indeed forced as my  father loved the Sheikh playing it.  Growing up listening to veenai everyday (my elder brother learnt it from childhood), I naturally loved the nadham from the soft instrument and was very much biased in favor of it.  Few people  in my family played and taught veenai and it was and still is the preferred instrument even in the extended families at Srirangam.  Veenai is also the preferred vathiyam at the Srirangam Temple (Ekantha Veenai played by Veenai Sri. Rengarajan family-line). Now, though I listen to a variety, the nadham of saraswati veenai is still my first choice and Chitti Babu, and Doraiswamy Iyengar my favorites. 

When it comes to contemporary artistes, veenai is almost always synonymous with veenai Gayatri. While listening to a particular instrumental piece, Youtube suggested Veenai Jayanthi. I was thrilled to hear her play. Where was this well tuned artiste all these years   ? She says she has been playing veenai from her childhood. Her manodharma is phenomenal and heritage a blessing.  Words are, more than often, a hindrance to good music. Music is an experience, both for the performer and listener. Writing about it would not do full justice to the experience. For the very first time, I got a taste of the veenai  itself as an instrument that has no boundaries, that the instrument is music all by itself. How much beauty does it add to music! Music, not just carnatic music. Yes. For the first time, I also was totally mesmerized by the playing of a raga rather than a kriti. There was a deep yearning in me for quite sometime now - to listen to a raga in a non-routine atypical fashion. The album is a mind blowing thought executed to God perfection. Mysterious Jayanthi and Veenai's Duality/Versatility indeed! 

Mysterious Duality can be purchased and downloaded from www.earthsync.com