Sound of fusion

Neha Kirpal

Carnatic music is usually not associated with a violin, but that’s exactly the combination 27-year old Indian-American violinist, pianist and singer Ambi Subramaniam has been pursuing ever since he was a child. He will be performing at the 12th edition of the World Sacred Spirit Festival presented by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in Jodhpur from February 22 to 24.

Even though his work has always been deeply rooted in Indian classical music, Ambi has had the opportunity to experiment with different styles such as western, gypsy and Irish music. A result of his collaboration is the band SubraMania that he went on to form in 2013 along with his sister, Bindu.

In the past, SubraMania has released singles in collaboration with Indi-pop legend Lesle Lewis, world-renowned flautist Jorge Pardo, Corky Seigel, Hubert Laws, Oystein Baadsvik and more.

The brother-sister duo recently composed a song called Stargazer. They were inspired to create it during the #MeToo movement. Describing it as an ode to resilience, Ambi plays cello in the song for the first time. “Stargazer speaks of the quiet grit that we have seen, despite the trauma. We wanted to send survivors the message that they are not alone, no matter what they’re going through,” he adds. Another song that they just released, Superheroes Without Capes, along with Mahesh Raghavan, tells kids to be superheroes through its simple lyrics: “Don’t use plastic, don’t waste food, compost, there’s so much more that you can do.” 

Along with Bindu, Ambi has also been running the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts since 2011. The music academy was set up by their parents in 2007 with a vision to create a hub for global music in India.

The duo has created a teaching method that ensures children are entertained and engaged as they undergo rigorous musical training. “We make music fun for children as young as three years old with baby rooms, baby Dikshitar and Tyagaraja characters in all textbooks, and place electronic shruti boxes inside soft toys,” he says.