Musician Nirmala Rajasekar Brings Sounds of Southern India to Lakeville Area Arts Center

Nirmala Rajasekar performs at 2 p.m. on  Sunday, May 15 the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Ticket prices for the Lakeville Area Arts Center Coffee Concert Series are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. For tickets and information, call 952-985-4640.

Nirmala Rajasekar is one of the world’s most recognized performers of South Indian classical or “Carnatic” music. She performs this Sunday in Lakeville and we sat down with her to talk about her music and what inspires her as an artist.

Lakeville Patch: You began studying music at age six. How did you get your start and what is Carnatic music?

Nirmala Rajasekar: Carnatic music is a 2,000-plus year old classical music form from Southern India. Growing up in South India you get a lot of exposure to the music and culture of the region, and that happened to me as well. I was taken to many concerts as a child, and I was very keen on being a performer. I showed some spark around the age of two or three, and my parents began my formal training at age six. So began my journey learning the art form. Today I am very honored and feel privileged to have been given this gift from my teachers and my parents. What I got from them was a lot of love for music, dance and the arts in general.

Lakeville Patch: Where did you study music as a child?

Rajasekar: At that time we lived in Chennai, which is currently known as Madras, India. It’s a big city about the size of Los Angeles. It had the right environment for my studies. My father’s job took us all over, but wherever we went I continued with my training. I think by the age of eight or nine I knew that music was going to be much more than a hobby for me, so no matter where I lived I took private lessons.

Lakeville Patch: Has Carnatic music gone unchanged for 2,000 years?

Rajasekar: No. I would say it has evolved just like everything else that changes with time. However, the beauty of this art form is that it’s indigenous to the peoples in the South of the country, which avoided many of the invasions that North India endured. For that reason, it remains largely intact. In the North of India, the music has taken on Persian and other influences. So South Indian music has seen development, but that development is more within itself. I think that’s why Carnatic music, though it’s ancient, is very unique. North Indian music is referred to as Hindustanic music. Most people are familiar with it because of artists like Ravi Shankar, who plays the sitar.

Lakeville Patch: So how does your instrument, the veena, differ from the sitar?

Rajasekar: The veena is actually the forerunner of the sitar, the 'great-grandmother' of it, and it differs in several ways. For one thing it, has a fixed fret board. The sitar’s frets can move. The veena is also made from different materials, so the sound quality is different. Actually, this fall I am going to be traveling all over the US and Canada with one of Ravi Shankar’s disciples to show people both instruments, which is not a very common occurrence. It’s called the “Sublime Journey,” and we’ll be playing in the Twin Cities on September 25th at 5 pm at the Hindu Society of Minnesota as part of the tour. It’s always been my little dream to have people around the world see the veena and experience it the way people have experienced the sitar.

Lakeville Patch: Your longtime guru, Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan passed away just last month after working with you for nearly 30 years. What exactly is the role of the guru in musical training?

Rajasekar: I’m so glad you asked that. They say the guru is the person who dispels ignorance. So if you walk into a room that is completely dark, and you know everything is in there, the guru is the lamp you light so you can see everything. The room is like our own selves, I believe. The guru’s job is to awaken all the senses that we sometimes don’t know exist within us. The talents we already have they bring out for the world to see. So I think it’s a very powerful role. Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan and my two other teachers have not just shaped my music, but my life. They lead by example in so many special ways. You observe them and learn values for life. They taught me to follow my passion, and to also be prepared to work hard.

Lakeville Patch: Tell us about your school and other work in music education.

Rajasekar: Well, I love to teach and I love to share. I teach at my school, Naadha Rasa Center for Music and I also teach all over the state, including with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s CONNECT Program where I’m doing residencies, the COMPAS Organization and through programs at colleges and universities. Music is a universal language we all understand. The notes are the same everywhere, but it’s the way we reflect on them and the rules we use to produce them that are different. There’s an ocean out there with many lifetimes of learning.

Lakeville Patch: So why do you choose to live in the Twin Cities?

Rajasekar: Minnesota is one of the best states in the country to live in. It’s as good as it gets for the arts. People are loving and nurturing with the arts, and I hope it stays that way. Organizations like the McKnight Foundation are working wonders to support artists like me. I’m also thankful to Rolf Erdahl and the Lakeville Area Arts Center for putting together such a varied program for the Coffee Concert Series. You know, I’ve traveled all over the world, but I think I’ve finally put roots down here. I’ve been here almost 18 years, and actually moved here because my of my husband’s work. I thought we’d only be here for a couple of years and move on to the next country. But the pull of these winters was too hard to resist. (laughs) If I could just change the weather a little bit, it would truly be heaven on earth.