Connoisseurs and converts enjoy a concoction of coffee, Carnatic music

There were seasoned rasikas, and there were inquisitive first-time listeners; all of them gathered around 7.30 a.m. on Saturday for a Carnatic music kacheri, though not in a sabha as one might imagine.

In a bid to introduce Carnatic music to new spaces and newer audiences, Iktaraa, a platform for all music needs, brought Carnatic music into a coffee shop, Vinyl & Brew, and called it Kaapi Raagam.

Over the course of a two-hour concert, vocalist Anugrah Lakshmanan, accompanied by mridangam artiste Mahesh Nemmarai, violinist V. Bargava Vignesh and Muthalagi on the tambura, delivered not only music but conversations flowed in too.

Mr. Lakshmanan paused to speak about the history of the classical pieces, opened the floor to multiple Q&A rounds in between the performances while the audience had their morning coffee and toasties, and asked the musicians about practice routines, avenues in social media, and how one even begins to understand Carnatic music.

“For somebody listening to Carnatic music for the first time, they need to be explained what is going on because there are so many technicalities, where you might not even know where the song starts or ends,” said Damodharan K. of Iktaraa.

“We wanted to create a space where anyone new to Carnatic music can walk in, feel like they are part of the community and learn as they listen, and slowly grow to love the music,” he added.

Baskar B., a 60-year-old Carnatic music student felt the format allowed for a deeper audience-artiste connection. Another attendee, Sangavi, said that the non-conventional setting made it less intimidating for her as a beginner. Even for Mr. Lakshmanan, who regularly performs in sabhas, it was a first-of-its-kind experience.

“There is a general perception that Carnatic music is boring, but events like these will indeed draw more audience, including a lot of youngsters as we saw today. This is because they could see things up close, including how the tambura is set, strike a casual chat with artistes, which makes it more approachable,” said Mr. Vignesh.

Having already hosted a Kaapi Raagam show in November, Iktaraa plans to continue the series with two more concerts in coffee shops lined up in January. “This will also be a space for upcoming Carnatic musicians to perform,” added Abhinav of Iktaraa.