The soul of any song is its voice, which, with effective voice modulation, is able to convey the authentic meaning of the lyrics. In an attempt to unravel the basic nuances of a good voice, a Manthan talk, Making of the Carnatic Voice: Tradition and Innovation was organised at Saptaparni on Saturday.
Comprising some of the best names in the field of Carnatic music — Smt R. Vedavalli, the doyen of Carnatic music; Vijay Siva, leading Carnatic vocalist and Anant Vaidyanathan, internationally acclaimed voice trainer — the panel discussed the qualities of a good voice and the types of training and techniques required to produce a good voice.
Moderated by Prof. Viren Murthy, Associate Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the panellists enlightened the audience about their own musical journey in singing and how can an individual build a long-lasting career in music with a great voice. “People who are interested in singing Carnatic music, should take care of their voice with thorough practice,” advocated Smt. Vedavalli, who, even at 83, sings with great aplomb. According to Vaidyanathan, it is always better to adhere to the guidelines and exercises which determine the contours of the Carnatic voice, enabling a singer to create an original artistic variance of his or her voice.
On the other hand, Siva used some practical examples to explain how the invention of microphones has tampered with the voice quality of singers.
The evening concluded with an interactive session wherein the audience asked questions ranging from how to get high note right to why most classical singers have sorrowful expressions on their faces while performing on stage.
