Disarming humility

Young Turk

Uppalappu Shrinivas better known as Mandolin Shrinivas was not only a dazzling child prodigy  but  remains one of the few such prodigies who have sustained their initial performance levels and professional appeal into their 30s and 40s.

   This Karnatik musician and mandolin player continues to impress with his musical wizardry at solo concerts and also to play alongside giants of Indian classical music and legendary western musicians.

Shrinivas has played with maestros like John McLaughlin, Nigel Kennedy, Michael Brook and Michael Nyman. George Harrison of the Beatles and his son say that they love listening to Shrinivas’ music.

Among Indian musicians with whom he has collaborated are Zakir Husain, Pandit Jasraj, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma,  Ustad Allah Rakha, Ustad Rashid Khan,  Ustad Sultan Khan, N Ramani, Hariharan, Aruna Sairam, etc. He is part of the music band Shakti led by John McLaughlin along with Zakir Husain, Selvaganesh, and Shankar Mahadevan,
Shrinivas has adapted the western instrument mandolin to Karnatik music. He plays the electrically modified mandolin finding it more suitable than the acoustic version. He has also modified the staccato mandolin to suit Karnatik music especially for achieving one of its defining features––gamakas or oscillating/sustained notes. “I don’t know how to explain this lifelong bond with a western instrument. It is God’s will,” he says.

Born in Palakol village in Andhra Pradesh, his initial teacher was his father, mandolin player U Sathyanarayana. Later, he was trained by Subbaraju (disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar) who had also taught Shrinivas’ father; and also Vasu Rao.
Soon, the shy Telugu boy Shrinivas made his way to Chennai, the city where most musical talent in south India moves to. Currently, with Chennai as a base, and now grown into a acknowledged maestro, he travels across India and the world, performing  at pure Karnatik music concerts and at world-music concerts with famous musicians in Europe, USA, UK, etc.

But he  rarely takes credit for his artistry. “Karnatik music, in fact, I would say Indian classical music, is a system with tremendous potential, and an amazing training ground. Once a person is well-groomed in it, he/she are equipped to match any other music system in the world. I attribute the success of my jugalbandis with Hindustani music and collaborations with world-music performers  to the fact that I have a Karnatik music base.
It is the potency of our classical music which has qualified me to occupy the same stage as other world greats.”

Great artistes are lifelong students. So it is with Shrinivas. Speaking of his collaborations he says: “Every time I play with greats, I don’t feel like a co-performer sharing the dais with them but their student. Every performance with Chaurasiajee, Zakirjee, and McLaughlin, etc., is like a music lesson for me.”

For all his stupendous achievements, Shrinivas is endearingly modest. There is an almost childlike disregard for the fame and glory that surrounds him. And whenever anyone compliments him, he smiles shyly and says with a disarming humility “it is all God’s grace”. In fact, that is one of his favourite lines. He genuinely believes he is where he is because of a divine power working through him.

So far, Shrinivas has made over 40 albums––pure Karnatik solos, jugalbandis with Hindustani artistes, and “some world-music ones. I prefer the term world-music to fusion since here we are representing different musical genres from across the world.” And he adds: “It is the planning and composition which take time. The recording happens easily!”

He is currently working on the concepts for a Karnatik album and a world-music one too. He is also trying to to develop his institute Shrinivas Institute of World Music into a bigger school. “I am taking classes from home, but I would love to have a separate space for my institute. Also I want to expand its scope from classes in mandolin to all Indian classical instruments. And include folk music too.”

For someone who is so immersed in music, are there any other interests? Yes, many, he reveals. Shrinivas loves watching action films––Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies are favourites. Among Indian actors, he likes Chiranjeevi, Rajnikant, MGR, Kamalahasan,etc.
He also enjoys comedies––whether in films or theatre. He also enjoys reading books––“when I find the time, and fiction is a favourite. I also read religious and spiritual books. ”

He also enjoys visiting new places and sightseeing and that is a wish easily fulfilled considering how widely and regularly he travels internationally for performances. And  the music-lovers across the world can’t get enough of this powerhouse of talent and so his musical journey continues .