Renowned South Indian Carnatic music star, flutist Shashank Subramanyam, will be performing in Helsinki in October. The performance, scheduled for Sunday, October 22nd, at the Balder Hall, is part of the Helsinki Jazz Association's jaZZanti concert series and the Etnosoi! festival.
The current leading artist in Carnatic music, Shashank Subramanyam, will be performing in Helsinki on October 22nd at the Balder Hall. This marks the first time that Shashank Subramanyam will be performing in Finland with a program representing the tradition of Carnatic music, a South Indian classical music style. Accompanying the master flutist in this concert will be percussionist and mridangam virtuoso Hariharan Sundarraman.
Shashank Subramanyam is a respected musician and master of the venu flute, a virtuoso who started his career at the age of 6 and has since performed worldwide, with over 70 albums to his name. In addition to his extensive career as an artist, Shashank has played a pioneering role in developing and innovating venu flute playing. His Carnatic music mentors were vocalists, and his playing technique allows for a rich and expressive sound rooted in the human voice.
Joining Shashank is the talented mridangam player Hariharan Sundarraman, a rising star in the world of percussion. Hariharan was part of Shantala Subramanyam's trio when they visited Finland earlier this year.
The concert will feature Carnatic music, representing the southern tradition of Indian classical music. Unlike Hindustani music from northern India, Carnatic music has been able to develop without strong external influences. In contrast, Hindustani music in the north incorporates Persian and Arabic cultural influences. Carnatic music is centered around râgas, melodic frameworks that serve as the basis for countless melodies, while rhythm in the music is defined by recurring metric patterns called tâlas.
The event is organized by Helsinki Jazz ry, with Sakari Puhakka, who developed an interest in Carnatic music during a trip to South India in the 1990s, leading the effort. "I have visited Chennai's Marghazi festival many times since then," says Puhakka. "My favorite venu flutist of the moment is Shashank Subramanyam, whose concerts I have been attending for a long time. I have also become friends with him, and when I learned that he was coming to perform in England, I decided to organize a concert for him in Finland as well – for the first time as a traditional Carnatic concert!"
Shashank Subramanyam – Carnatic Music Master Concert
Friday, October 22, 2023, at 17:00
Balder Hall, Helsinki
Tickets: €30 / €25 / €15 (available on Helsinki Jazz ry's website)
Duration: Approximately 2 hours, no intermission
Performers:
Shashank Subramanyam – venu flutes
Hariharan Sundarraman – mridangam
This concert is supported by the City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden, Musiikki Suomi LIVE (Music Promotion Foundation), and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.