A weekend classical performance sheds light on Bombay Jayashri Ramnath and her son Amrit’s relationship through the lens of music
Amrit with his mother, Jayashri Ramnath
It can be surreal to have a conversation with a voice that once echoed through CD players. This writer experienced the same during his conversation with Bombay Jayashri Ramnath. The Padma Shri-awardee will take the stage at the NCPA alongside her son, Amrit Ramnath, for the first time in a concert called Citi – NCPA Aadi Anant: From Here to Eternity. “This city has a warm, receptive audience that is also very discerning and sure about their music,” she says. She should know, having spent much of her formative years in the metropolis that earned her the epithet. But this time, the classicist’s performance in town brings to fore the legacy of four generations before her, as well as the future.
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Twenty-four-year-old Amrit Ramnath marks the next generation. Having learnt Indian and Western classical, the singer is already making his way through the independent music scene. “Preparing with my mother was a challenge because there are so many dynamics involved. There are different levels of experience, but also a lot of fun and discovery,” he says. His mother explains that they are also fellow students. “We are son and mother, but we have grown together and learned under the same guru — Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman,” the singer points out, adding that the concert’s title feels perfect in this scenario. “It implies the beginning and the continuing future.”
To this end, the duo has compiled a set of compositions that reflect the occasion and the ensemble. “We have chosen ragas that are a blend of old and the new with compositions created by my gurus.” The duo will be accompanied by an ensemble that includes Praveen Sparsh (mridangam) MT Aditya (tabla), and Apoorva Krishna (violin) among others. The concert is the beginning. Amrit reveals that the mother and son are also working on an upcoming multi-genre album that will be released later in the year. “Each song signifies either a shared or individual memory that we have together,” he reveals. For now, it will be the jugalbandi on stage this weekend that will take the limelight.
On: January 7; 6.30 pm
At: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 400 onwards
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