CHENNAI TIMES: Kavita Baliga
SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE
What's Hot talks to western classical singer Kavita Baliga, who is currently a faculty member at A.R. Rahman’s music conservatory
M SUGANTH
January 8, 2010
Times News Network
How did you come to be involved with KM Music Conservatory?
I speak Konkani. Every couple of years, the Konkani Association of California organise cultural conventions where Konkanis from all over North America come together and participate in discussions, seminars and programmes designed to promote Konkani/Indian culture for second generation Konkanis. During one such convention, they had invited “Guitar” Prasanna to perform. Since he lives in Boston and I was in Boston at the time, we came together to collaborate and perform for this event. Prasanna had worked on the film Lagaan with AR Rahman a couple of years earlier. After the convention, Prasanna went to Chennai where AR had mentioned to him that they were looking for a western voice teacher for his conservatory. Prasanna recommended me for the position and a week and a half later, I was in India!
Was teaching always a passion and what does teaching music mean to you?
At first, I thought teaching would be an interim activity and that my real focus would be on performing. Now that I’m teaching full-time, I’m realising how much I love it and how incredibly fulfilling it is to give a part of yourself to others and see them take it and flourish with it. I learned very quickly that teaching music is not like teaching math or science. It is much more abstract and requires a lot of self-awareness, a good voice, and a good ear. I love the fact that we are bringing something to India that hasn’t really existed here before. That, in itself, is daily motivation for me.
How would you rate the awareness level of Indian youngsters with respect to western classical music?
Oh, there’s absolutely zero awareness. Almost 99 per cent of my students had no prior exposure to western classical music; not only that, most of them had never even heard of the genres involved within that title. For example, if I mentioned the words ‘Opera’ or ‘Lieder’, I would be met with a blank. The only western music these students had heard before is what we call American bubblegum pop.
How did you become a part of Passage? Could you share your experiences working with Shekar Kapur?
I worked directly with AR on the aria for Passage. I met Shekhar much later, at one of the rehearsals for my performance at the premiere of the film in Venice. I don’t know him well, but what I saw of him, I absolutely loved. He seemed totally and utterly incapable of small talk and was constantly speaking in the abstract. I’m uncomfortable and awkward with small talk myself; so, it was a welcome surprise. It’s so refreshing to have real conversations with people.
You are involved in other creative arts as well. How do you manage to be a multi-tasker?
I absolutely love working like hell. I love being busy and seeing the fruits of my labor. The arts are like a form of meditation for me. They keep me sane. I feel calm as I go into a zone when I’m singing, taking pictures, painting, or even cooking for that matter. I love that when I’m doing these things my mind can just go blank.
Working with Rahman
How is it working with AR Rahman and what do you think is so unique about him as a composer?
His style of working is not nearly as rigid as most western composers. First of all, he doesn’t put anything down on paper. Most of the time, he plays me something or sings me something and asks me to repeat it, or says something like ‘Can it be more flowy?’, and just directs me as we go along. When I worked with him on the aria, I found myself suggesting things and then thinking to myself, ‘Wait, should I be doing that? Am I way out of line right now?’ But he never makes you feel like that. He truly makes you feel as if you’re both collaborating on the project, not as if you’re working for him. And that was the case before as well as after he won the Oscar. I think that is truly unique for someone in his position.
His style of working is not nearly as rigid as most western composers. First of all, he doesn’t put anything down on paper. Most of the time, he plays me something or sings me something and asks me to repeat it, or says something like ‘Can it be more flowy?’, and just directs me as we go along. When I worked with him on the aria, I found myself suggesting things and then thinking to myself, ‘Wait, should I be doing that? Am I way out of line right now?’ But he never makes you feel like that. He truly makes you feel as if you’re both collaborating on the project, not as if you’re working for him. And that was the case before as well as after he won the Oscar. I think that is truly unique for someone in his position.