Aalaap consistently brings fresh, innovative concepts that offer an enriching experience. For this Margazhi season, Aalaap and Beachville Café collaborated to curate an exclusive seven-day series titled A Carnatic Shot. The first session featured vocalist Rithvik Raja and his students—S. Sai Shravan, Shreya Sandeep, and Pragalad Jayendran—in a Paatu Class — a unique interactive session that offered glimpses into their music classroom. The objective was to demonstrate the teaching process of various compositional forms within an hour. The café provided a cosy setting, with Rithvik and his students seated together in a traditional Carnatic setting. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and the warmth of musical discussion complemented the cool Margazhi air.

The session followed the format of a typical class beginning with a tana varnam.  The students chose the Abhogi varnam, and as they began, Rithvik reminded them to internalise the "Sa-Pa-Sa" alignment which instantly brought a traditional vibe to the room.  He guided them through the tisram and mel kalam of the varnam, correcting the students and having them sing it repeatedly until they perfected the rhythm. He explained that these exercises serve as essential preparation for learning complex pallavis later on. He recalled a nostalgic memory of listening to the legendary vidwan Chingleput Ranganathan perform the Viriboni varnam in 16 kalams during a lecture-demonstration at the Madras Music Academy.

Rithvik noted that while he typically avoids group classes, he occasionally conducts them with a unique approach—alternating between male and female srutis in successive sessions to broaden his students' adaptability.

He moved on to the next segment - the teaching of kritis. He invited the audience to suggest a composition, and the choice was Karpooram Naarumo. As he taught, Rithvik spoke about vocal habits and techniques that an artist develops over time. He corrected the students individually on complex nuances and broke down the sangatis to aid their understanding.

The final segment focused on kalpana swarams, using the kriti Kapali in Mohanam. Rithvik demonstrated several patterns and then encouraged his students to showcase their own creativity. He put them on the spot by imposing melodic restrictions, challenging them to explore only a specific range of swaras. He urged them to sing without hesitation, famously remarking that 'the classroom is the space for letting out the trash'—a safe place to make mistakes.

When an audience member requested a viruttam demonstration, Rithvik politely declined. He explained that viruttam singing is the pinnacle of manodharmam, requiring a profound understanding of the raga and alapana that goes beyond a classroom setting. The session concluded beautifully with his students singing the Javali, Neramora Jarachora, in Hamsadhwani.

Throughout the session, Rithvik shared insights into the art of teaching and learning, emphasising the need to adapt to each student. By first imitating the guru, he noted, students can internalise the spirit of the music before shaping their own voice. His approach prioritises passing on this musical sensibility rather than focusing only on technical sangathis. It was a thoughtful beginning to the A Carnatic Shot series.

by 

Amritha Saravanan