I had support that way.This section does not cite any sources. Mahesh Venkateswaran, who is the executive producer, reached out to us saying he was interested and came on board. I never thought we could make it into a film, but Elias pushed me and suggested a crowdfunding campaign. I used to discuss the story of Arunagirinathar with him and he told me that I should tell it as a documentary. He also helped me with shooing the concert. I’d reached out to one of my friends, Elias Bouquillon, from Boston, who I’d met during the 2008 exchange tour, to help me with finding musicians for this project. What made you want to do this as a documentary as well? We did not set out with a particular sound in mind. Sean Roldan and I used to jam together using Thiruppugazh, and it evolved organically. Thiruppugazh’s sandham and words inspired me to write symphonic music.īut unlike Thiruvasagam, the sound feels more intimate and informal.
THIRUPUGAL ARUNAGIRINATHAR SONGS HOW TO
In fact, I don’t know how to write a symphony, though I did learn western classic from Augustine sir. TN Rajarathinam Pillai used to say that Carnatic music could imbibe other types of music and still retain its form.
Thiruppugazh gave me that liberty to experiment. Thiruvasagam (by Ilaiyaraaja) was a big inspiration. There are all instruments that produce natural sound, and I wanted them to narrate my story. And in string instruments, the vibration of the strings produces music. Then, you have the brass section, where again, human breath is used to create music. You have a woodwind section, where the air goes through wood. I saw symphony as a helpful storytelling tool. Its structure is similar to that of the overture that is played before an opera. Symphony is a form of music in western music. So, why a western symphony for a Tamil literature? You are a classically trained singer and have also learnt western music. I wanted to safeguard the sandham and see what I could do (musically). That was an eye-opener - ore oru Thiruppugazh-la oru ulagame irukku! So, I decided that I’d instead take eight beautiful songs and compose music. He gave me a two-hour explanation to only the first four lines of the song Muthaitharu Pathithiru. But that changed after I met Kasi Viswesaran. Many songs of Arunagirinathar have gotten lost, and I started out hoping to discover at least a few. My personal journey is definitely a part of it. Are they meant to convey your inner search? This documentary has many shots of you wandering, walking towards something. The purpose of any art form is to connect people - not to bring one fame and recognition or be a platform to show off their expertise. It is a medium that unites people it is we who classify it. I met people from six countries and I got exposed to various styles of music. In 2008, I was part of a fusion arts exchange programme sponsored by the US Consulate. I took up this project after being inspired by his teachings. He has composed - and still composes - a lot of Thiruppugazh songs. What were your musical influences, apart from your mother? Music has been my journey since childhood, so it definitely is a spiritual one. I was attracted to this facet of his spirituality. Once he realised he was becoming a slightly familiar face in one place, he used to immediately shift to another.
Arunagirinathar has lived in many places. As a singer, my duty is to keep singing, and I’ve to surrender myself to that. How spiritual are you as a person? What does spirituality mean to you?įor me, spirituality means devotion (and surrendering) to what you do. There are mystic and spiritual angles to him. He was a siddhar who had learnt the ashtama siddhis. Arunagirinathar’s life was a spiritual one. Did you connect to him only because of the music, or was there also a spiritual connect?