Shashwathi Jagadish & Rutger Muller
From their shared passion for spirituality and playfulness, Shashwathi Jagadish (Carnatic singer) and Rutger Muller (electroacoustic composer) came up with a futuristic interpretation of a traditional Carnatic concert. Together, they intertwine the entrancing flow of raga vocals with electronic transformations of Tanpura-drones.
The duo was initially brought together by Culture Shock, a project initiated in Utrecht at multicultural venue De Voorkamer. Culture Shock gives musicians from different cultural backgrounds a unique opportunity to co-create a performance. By sending ideas and sketches back and forth, Shashwathi and Rutger got inspired by contemporary challenges like composing techno in an entrancing 5/4 rhythm, and cosmic drone sounds to improvise on.
Our Recitation / Setlist [45 minutes]
1. Sri Vigna Rajam Bhaje
Raga: Gambhira Nattai | Composer: Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi
Lord Ganesha is worshiped as the remover of obstacles and in this composition, he is called the king of obstacles where the composer talks about his greatness and glory!
2. Elli Jaaritho Manavu
Raga: Kalyana Vasantha | Composer: N.S.Lakshmi Narayana Bhatta
Elli Jaritho manavu… where has my mind slipped, why is it wandering and restless? This composition is a haunting melody about the wandering mind that never stops!
3. Thillana
Raga: Mohana Kalyani | Composer: Lalgudi Jayaraman
Thillana is a traditional Carnatic composition which is rhythmic and vibrant and widely sung for Indian Classical dance.
Biography Shashwathi Jagadish
Shashwathi, a Carnatic musician from Chennai, was only five years old when she was inspired to start singing by her grandmother. She started learning Carnatic music formally at the age of seven and has trained under various Gurus from Chennai. In addition to this, she holds a Masters Degree in Music from the University of Madras and has also completed the 8th Grade in Western Vocals from The Trinity College of London.
She has performed concerts at numerous temples and venues all over South India including various TV Channels. Aside from her Carnatic concerts, Shashwathi also provides vocal support for Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical Dance). She made her movie debut for the Maestro Illayaraja for the Telugu movie Gaayam 2.
Rounding off her music career is her experience as a music teacher at the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai where she taught for three years. Shashwathi currently resides in The Netherlands and runs her own music school where she teaches Carnatic vocals to both children and adults.
She is currently collaborating and performing concerts with artists in the Netherlands such as Klapana Raghuraman, Dendon , Heiko Dijker, Mark Alban Lots, Stefan Schimd and Igor Besget, to name a few. Recently, she performed a concert for the Dutch TV channel Vrije Geluiden. Shashwathi has also performed at the India House, The Indian Ambassador’s house.
For more of Shashwathi’s music, please visit https://linktr.ee/Shashwathi