Mayakkum Margazhi: As a performing artiste, I want 3-hour concerts; as a rasika, I want it to be 1.5 hours, say Srinidhi and Harini Senthilkumar

Carnatic singers Srinidhi and Harini Senthilkumar, popularly known as the Kamakoti Sisters, are excited for a future where the Margazhi music season will be taken over and elevated by their fellow Gen Zers. Excerpts from an interview:

Having been practising music for over 20 years, do you still have butterflies before the start of a kutcheri?

Harini: Yes. We have the habit of calling our guru to get her blessings before a performance, and that’s when the butterflies come. That creates a pressure for me, and I become nervous. After we get onto the stage, we’ll make it ours.




Srinidhi: I know my sister would be tense. So, I would chill, and I normally do not have that intense feeling.

Any pre-concert rituals?

Srinidhi: We become silent. We enter our zen mode.

Harini: We never discuss anything 4-5 hours prior to the concert. Since much practice has been done already, we make it a point that we don’t talk.

What does it mean to see a packed audience as a performer?

Harini: A live audience has a separate level of feel, emotions and the connection that we get. If the audience is more knowledgeable, the creative aspect in us gets triggered. That is altogether a different ballgame. These days, since content is also consumed online, that gives us the motivation to perform well even if a hall is not packed fully. We understand that if not today, people will listen to our performance later.

Srinidhi: I prefer a packed live audience, and I try to feel their pulse. There are lots of youngsters in the audience nowadays, and I would want to know if they want us to be experimental, or do the traditional ‘sit back and enjoy Subramanyo and a proper kriti presentation without Hindustani mix’? When you feel the audience’s pulse, you kind of curate the list of the concert as you go.

When it comes to singing, do you prefer the traditional way, or do you fully embrace technology?

Srinidhi: A good mic system sets the standard for a concert nowadays. For methough, singing without a mic in a temple, with just the sound of the bells, is when you connect with the lyrics and bring out the original bhavam of the composition.

Harini: The temple’s reverb, echo, silence, etc., become an altogether different atmosphere for an artiste to perform. The reverb at the Orikkai Madam in Kancheepuram is so divine. I would prefer that over the mics and the sound setups any day. That gives me so much satisfaction.

Young artistes can reach a global audience now...

Srinidhi: It’s great to be part of this social media era because lots of people have access to our content. We get global recognition; there’s a lot of organic content that comes in. You get to figure out what works online and on the stage and get accustomed to different dynamics.

Harini: There’s more awareness among musicians about what our fellow artistes are doing and how their performances are. Previously, this wasn’t available unless newspapers carried that information. Social media is leading to more content and more collaborations, as it has made it easier for us to reach out to other artistes.

What is the apt duration for a concert?

Srinidhi: Three hours. It is easier to plan and perform to the fullest. But as a rasika , I want it to be 1.5 hours.

Harini: With 1.5-hour concerts, more people would be able to get opportunities.

Apart from Chennai, which city do you think honours Carnatic music the most?

Srinidhi: People from Mumbai have a very good taste in music. There’s a proper demarcation at sabhas in Mumbai when it comes to Carnatic and Hindustani music.

Harini: Thanjavur. The audience’s reception to Carnatic music there is amazing. Whether it is a stalwart or a youngster performer, they show the same amount of dedication. That is to be respected.

On remuneration and pay disparity...

Srinidhi: Every artiste should be paid well for their art. That way, more people can consider classical music as a fulltime profession. It doesn’t have to scare you financially. A lot of young artistes struggle due to the fact that they have to work a 9-5 job and also perform. So, financial security, like it is expected with any job, is key for more people to pursue music full-time.

Harini: Remuneration is directly linked to respect for the art form. In addition to giving artistes good pay for their performance, I think we should also ensure that the pakkavathiyam players are equally well paid too. The pay scale difference between a main artiste and instrumentalists should change, because everybody is working hard to make the concert a success.

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