Srivani Jade
10th Annual World Traditional Album Nominee
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Record Label: n/a
www.srivanijade.org
Homebase: Kirkland, WA
Genre: North Indian Traditional Music/ World Traditional (North Indian Traditional Music. It is also classified under World Music or Spiritual Music in the US/Europe.)
Category Entered: World Traditional Album
Work Submitted: Meera’s Love
Artists Featured: Mohan Bhide played the Harmonium, Kuntal Roy played the Tabla (drums), Satish Gadagkar played the Violin and Daibashish Gangopadhyay played the Tanpura (drone lute). We also had an electronic tanpura (which we lovingly called E.T.) in the mix.
Label: Unsigned
URL: www.srivanijade.org
When did you begin playing music? Can’t remember. It was in the family. My father played many Indian instruments and composed music for the radio. I must have started learning through osmosis. I was 4 years old when I first performed on stage and maybe 6 when I started singing on All India Radio.
Why did you choose to submit to The 10th IMAs? The IMAs seemed like an organization genuinely interested in supporting independent artists such as myself, and open to diversity in content. I submitted my work to see how my music holds up among my peers (other indie musicians) and to suggest that there might be interesting work going on in a genre like traditional North Indian music.
Describe your nominated work: Meera’s Love is a collection of love songs from 16th century India. Soulful and evocative, set to tunes inspired by classical and folk music, the album creates a mellow mood. The sounds from traditional instruments and vocals are authentic. No new-age or remix here. Just manna for the soul.
What is the story behind your album? A few years ago, I chanced upon a book on the life of Meera Bai, a princess and devotee of Krishna, from 16th century Rajasthan (India). I was familiar with her poetry and her life story already from my high school Hindi literature class, but this particular hagiography created a lasting impression on me. I realized that she was a woman far beyond her times, a woman who had the strength of conviction to take on the royal household and the social mores of her day, and finally…and here is where I made the strongest connection…a woman passionately in love. As I read her poetry over several nights, the melodies came to me naturally for the most part and settled into various raagas (melodic modes) and taals (rhythms) from the classical and folk repertoire of North India.The album title suggested itself. I did not consider any other names.
Did you use any unusual instruments or effects? I tend to prefer authentic sounds when it comes to Indian music. Whether it is raw and breathy, or even raspy in a sort of rustic way, I like to stay honest to the sounds of my vocals and the instruments that are playing with me. So, I made sure there was minimal ‘processing’. We edited out some parts in the interest of keeping the tracks short and manageable, but that’s it. In Badalaa Re, a song that calls out the clouds, I took the audio engineer’s suggestion to use a teeny bit of reverb in the refrain to suggest that a lost soul was calling out in the open desert.
Where there any happy accidents in the studio? With traditional Indian music, there is usually no planning beyond just sitting down together and making music. I had sent the basic melody in short mp3s to my accompanists earlier that week. They arrived in Seattle on the morning of the recording, we had lunch and a few cups of chai and went straight to the studio, warmed up a little and recorded the whole album in one sitting. Since we improvise as we go along, I guess you could call the whole album one big happy accident.
Do you have a favorite track? ‘Chanda Jaayega | Eternity’ is my favorite track. I think the poetry really speaks to me in that piece.
How do you feel your spirituality has affected your music? Actually, music gave me my spirituality. I am not a religious person, so it was a real gift to me, when I found a way to connect very deeply with myself and the world around me through music. The lyrics may be devotional or not, it could even be about every day things like the sun rising, or a child throwing a tantrum for a toy, but the undercurrent of our music is somehow always spiritual.
Did fans help fund your project? No. It was partly funded by a recording grant that came as part of Jack Straw Productions‘ Artist Support Program.
Who is sitting in your audience? It really depends on the venue and the particular nature of the event. My audiences run the gamut from conservative “classical-only” type people to folks that come in because they love the music I make without necessarily knowing what goes into the pot.
What makes your fans unique? My fans listen intently, and come by after the concert to tell me what they liked, what they felt during different pieces, where they made a connection, and so on. It feels good to know that my music is accessible even if it is from a different century or culture.
Have you ever hung out with one of your musical heroes? I grew up listening to one of India’s legendary violinists, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman. All my childhood, my Uncle used to play his records and point out the beauty and precision of his style and the melody and emotion in his playing as a sort of “gold standard” in music. Once, I ran into him in Bengaluru airport. He was nearing seventy and looked quite fragile. After a few nervous moments, I went up and introduced myself to him and his family (all violinists!) and babbled foolishly and incoherently until it was time to board my flight. I can’t recall what I might have said, but I remember he smiled benevolently at me much of the time. His parting words were “practice”.
Do you collect anything? Old recordings. Our tradition is mostly oral. These recordings of the old masters (some from royal archives of princely states that existed in pre-Independence India) serve as the only existing blue-prints of rare Raagas.
What’s your most memorable achievement to date? Believing in myself, quitting my engineering job, and following my dream of living a life of music.
Name 3 ingredient for a fantastic song: Honest lyrics. Good melody. And most importantly, putting your heart out there while you sing.
What was the first show you ever attended? The first show that I actually have a memory of, was a late night concert by the Mishra brothers from Banaras in a town called Sangli in Western India. Their train arrived 6 hours late. People waited patiently, stepping out every so often to grab a bite or drink chai, but always coming back to check. The musicians came straight from the train station to the stage, in their impeccably matched silk costumes and sang from 11 PM to about 2 AM. The musicians and the audience were ‘made for each other’. I remember it being a glorious performance. I also remember the cold scooter ride back home.
What artists are you listening to that would surprise your fans? Whitney Houston, Adnan Sami on the piano, Pavarotti.
Finish this sentence: The music industry is… more industry than music.