Orchestrated tunes & tales

classical art

Vishaka Hari is a name that one associates with not just the melody of Carnatic music, but also the beautiful parampara of Harikatha.

Harikatha is a unique art form of storytelling that has renditions of songs and stories from scriptures, epics and mythology. Hence the artiste expounding them must possess knowledge and scholarship, apart from having musical expertise. Though it is quite common for this katha kalakshepam to be delivered in regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi etc, it is rare for it to be delivered in English, which Vishaka Hari does dexterously.

Unlike expositions of puranas in Purana Pravachanam, which are usually solemn in nature, Harikatha kalaskhepam can bring out the versatility of artistes who can make the discourse interesting and humorous in a refined way.

Vishaka Hari’s Harikatha discourses draw huge crowds because of her dominion in the genre. Being a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, her body language and facial expressions combine beautifully to give a complete experience of Harikatha to the audience. Her voice has the deep mellifluousness and sweetness, yet has an authoritative quality that can mesmerise the listeners with impact.

She learnt Carnatic music under the legendary Carnatic violinist, Padma Vibhushan Lalgudi Jayaraman, and from her spiritual guru and father-in-law, Krishna Premi Swamigal (Sri Sri Anna). She learnt Harikatha from Hariji, her husband, who himself is an experienced Harikatha exponent known for delivering discourses in Tamil, English and Hindi.

An ‘A’ grade artiste of All India Radio, she has also given discourses and concerts abroad, and has received several awards for her contribution to the Harikatha and Carnatic music fields.

Her topics include the Ramayana, Bhagavatha, Vaishnava Samhitha, Brindavana Mahatmyam, Divya Desa Vaibhavam, Harikathamritha Lahari, Bhakthapurisha Stavam, Krishna Leela, shatakams and keerthanas.

The artiste was in Bengaluru recently. Here are a few excerpts from an interview:

What influences have shaped you?

My parents (Santhanam and Vijaya Santhanam) are connoisseurs of music. My grandmother (maternal) was very interested in Thyagaraja swami’s krithis since her childhood. My father left his World Bank job at Africa to mould his children (me and my brother Saketharaman) in Indian culture and arts. Their encouragement is the root of our musical interests. My guru Lalgudi Jayaraman solely influenced my interest in music.

Harikatha merges the mundane into its spiritual, devotional content. Is this always necessary, or do our scriptural stories have the captivating power to retain the attention of the audience on their own?

Yes. Our scriptures as well as our time-tested keerthanas have the inherent ability to touch hearts and souls. That is the reason why the Ramayana and Mahabharata are still the most popular for people of all ages. These have something for everyone and everything for someone.

What are the prospects of Harikatha thriving?

It has a great future because many youngsters are taking a liking to it. They are sharp, intelligent and know what they are doing. Harikatha is globally recognised now.

Should they be adapted as katcheris or left alone?

It depends on each performance. If the audience is more into music, the katcheri format can be used. If the audience is more interested in the intellectual component than the artistic, less of music and more of information could be presented. It entirely depends on the situation.

What is your advice to those interested in Harikatha?

They can increase their database by a sound knowledge of Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada. Knowledge of music and scriptures will help a student progress in this art. A good guru is most important. Our arts are such that every time we present them, even if the topic is the same, they will remain evergreen because of the unlimited scope to improvise them. There are umpteen commentaries and interpretations to each shloka in the scriptures. There are so many aspects of manodharma in music. That is the beauty of Indian culture.