In every household in Chennai, music is part of their lifestyle: Mahesh Kale

Indian classical singer Mahesh Kale, who recently performed in Chennai, speaks with warmth about the city’s deep-rooted musical culture and his love for collaborations. In a chat with us, he says, “Whether I’m singing in South India or not, I try to add a few Carnatic pieces in my performance.

Pieces like Krishna Nee Begane might have originated in South India, but now, they have a universal appeal and I love to sing them.”‘CHENNAI HAS BEEN A NUCLEUS OF CARNATIC MUSIC’Wherever I go, I always make it a point to explore the city. I believe that when you breathe in the environment, it has a way of showing itself to your art. From my observation, what’s unique about Chennai is that every household has music as a part of their lifestyle. Chennai has a well-learnt crowd.

It has been a nucleus of Carnatic music. I’ve received nothing but love whenever I’ve performed here.‘MUSIC IS NOT JUST A PASSION; IT’S SURVIVAL FOR ME’I’m alive because of my passion for music. Caring about my music and making sure that I bring it to a larger audience is a cornerstone to my existence. It’s not just a passion; it’s survival for me. Music is like food and breathing for me.‘WITHOUT AN ARTISTE AND AUDIENCE, ART AND CULTURE WILL NOT EXIST’An artiste’s performance influences and involves the crowd. Similarly, a more receptive crowd brings out the best in an artiste.

So, it’s a joint responsibility. When there is an artiste, there is an audience. Without these two, art and culture will not exist.‘COLLABORATIONS ARE LIKE A POTLUCK PARTY’I had the privilege of singing with a bunch of musicians from here. I’ve sung with Aruna Sairam ji, Abhishek Raghuram, Trichur Brothers, Selvaganesh, and Sandeep Narayan. It’s always beautiful to share what you love. Collaborations are like a potluck party — you all come together, bring your own food and share it with each other.

That’s what I look forward to when I’m making music with Carnatic musicians. Music in itself is a collaboration.

When you’re thinking of, let’s say, Adi Talam, the rhythmic cycle is a collaboration of eight beats. Otherwise, Adi Talam wouldn’t exist. Collaborations grow the scope of music. A human being is a social animal and being social is collaborating.‘Don’t be worried about trends because they keep on changing’Mahesh feels the next generation of Indian classical musicians should also “fall in love with the art form”. “Don’t be worried about trends because they keep on changing. Classical music has existed for a long time. It brings in harmony, and the world can use all the harmony that we can offer. Hence, I want to serve my music to every single person in the world. Music has a way of drawing people close together,” he says.

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