While in Baku, I enjoyed spending time with fellow speaker Mahesh Vinayakram to learn from his knowledge and wisdom. Just before I had to go up on stage to deliver my talk about the Happyplaces Project, we found a moment to film and take photos on the boulevard at the Caspian Sea, with the city skyline as a backdrop. Mahesh sees the world as music and invited me into his musical space to learn to see the world from that perspective. He is on a mission to spread harmony using music. Mahesh wants to explore all kinds of possibilities with his Carnatic music, aspiring to be the bridge between musical cultures. Like the many masters from India who have inspired him, he wants to give back respect to his India.
Mahesh Vinayakram in News
Mahesh Vinayakram in concert
In today’s world of technology, there are few people who effectively use it for the greater cause of preserving the tradition and culture. Among these is Mahesh Vinayakram, one of the three sons of the renowned ghatam vidwaan, Padma Bhushan Vikku Vinayakram. He began to converse with the Verandah club, with a prayer, thanking Ishvara and the guru-parampara, which marked the stamp of an ardent Sanatana dharmi.
Carnatic vocalist extraordinaire, Mahesh Vinayakram, is credited with re-interpreting Carnatic music by giving it an infusion of contemporary flavour, and in the process, making it more relatable to the current generation. Brimming with enthusiasm for his craft, Mahesh speaks to Namaste Switzerland and tells us more about his vision for Carnatic music, and how he believes in embracing new trends while keeping the tradition alive.
The makers of Ponniyin Selvan: 1 (PS 1) have released the video of Ratchasa Maamaney song, which features Karthi, Trisha and Sobhita Dhulipala. The song is composed by AR Rahman and written by Kablian. It is sung by Shreya Ghoshal, Palakad Sreeram and Mahesh Vinayakram. Brinda has choreographed the song, which comes at a point when Karthi’s Vanthiyathevan reaches Palaiyaarai palace to meet Kundhavai (Trisha) during the Krishna Jayanti celebrations.
In musical families, the tradition is often handed down from father to son to grandson, through generations. And sometimes, the talent that has nourished a generation or more of artistes, finds new expression. So it is with Mahesh Vinayakram, son of the illustrious Padmabhushan awardee Vikku Vinayakram. While the rest of the family is wedded to percussion, with the father being possibly the world’s best known ghatam player, Mahesh chose to use his voice instead. The music that runs in his subconscious made him seek gurus besides his own father, and he has learnt from Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of Bharat Ratna MS Subbalakshmi besides many other senior singers.
To Beats Of His Own
For Mahesh Vinayakram, the shadow of his giant of a father — the legendary Ghatam exponent Padmabhushan Shri Vikku Vinayakram — has been both intimidating and reassuring. It has made him determined to carve out his own persona as well as given him the confidence to seek new dimensions to his art. Today, Mahesh has been recognized around the world as a Carnatic musician with an unerring knack for making his music contemporary and relatable to the millennials, while retaining its classical roots.
Goa Sunsplash Festival
Dub FX: ‘Street Performing Gave Me A Whole Other Attitude And Confidence’
The Australian beatboxer/live looping artist and India regular will collaborate with Carnatic vocalist Mahesh Vinayakram at Zee Jaipur Literature Fest’s Music Stage this weekend.
Dancing in unity
Filled with culture in every nook and corner, India also has various dance forms that represent the country and nature at its best. National Centre for Performing Arts, Nariman Point, is all set to bring together a palette filled with many classical dance forms with Charishnu — A Desire To Move, where experts like Aditi Mangaldas (Kathak), Aruna Mohanty (Odissi), Priti Patel (Manipuri), Sadanam Balakrishnan (Kathakali and Mohiniattam), Imocha Singh (Thangta), Mahesh Vinayakram (percussion) and Leela Samson (Bharatanatyam) will be leading their troupes.