A local woman is bringing the beauty of an ancient type of Indian classical music to Dunedin. Simon Henderson reports.
When Padmini Parthasarathy sings, the solemn sound of centuries echoes through the room.
She practises Carnatic music, a genre of music that has its origins in southern states of India in the 12th and 13th centuries.
"It is very complex, but it is beautiful."
In the 15th century a scholar called Sri Purandara Dasa formalised the structure of how Carnatic music was taught.
"So he is called the father of Carnatic music."
Ms Parthasarathy focused on singing but a number of traditional instruments were also used including a stringed instrument called a veena, and a percussion instrument called a mridangam. Violins were also commonly used.
"When we do a concert, it's not just the vocalist, along with the vocalist, there are a number of instrumentalists as well."
The basic notes for a composition were maintained even if musicians added their own ornamentations.
"Over centuries and centuries, it's still preserved, and the originality is intact".
"So it has not really changed so much, and I think that is a really beautiful aspect."
Carnatic music began as an art form scholars would sing for kings, but over time Carnatic music had expanded, from songs farmers would sing in fields to songs that could be incorporated into the Indian film industry.
Now, Ms Parthasarathy was introducing Carnatic music to a new generation.
She founded Ragalayam – Mini School of Carnatic Music in August 2020 to teach children from ages 5 to 12.
Most were in Dunedin but some learned online as well.
Ms Parthasarathy said Carnatic music had many positive effects on the brain, boosting creativity, focus and memory as well as building self-confidence.
"I'm very passionate to teach kids, because I feel like that is the right time to sort of tame their voices and increase their vocal range."
The classes have also been an opportunity to make a cultural connection for the local Indian community.
"From what I hear from the parents, because we are so far off from our home country, we are always trying ways to connect to our culture and our roots, and music is a great way of doing that."
Another way the family have recently been connecting to their culture has been by celebrating the annual ten-day festival of Navratri.
"This is to signify the victory of good over evil."
Science and singing are twin passions for Ms Parthasarathy.
When not developing her school of Carnatic music she was a bioinformatician working in the field of diagnostic genomics at the University of Otago.
"Science is my profession, I have a full career in science."
"But this, Ragalayam, has been possible because of my husband.
"He was the one who really pushed me ... he really was the reason why it all started."
