True to the opening lines of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati’s song ‘Nalladhor veenai seidhe, adhai nalam keda, puzhudhiyil yerivadhundo, Solladi Siva Shakti’ (You crafted a perfect veena. But would you let it go to waste, casting it into the dust to rot? Answer me, Siva Shakti.)
These lines, in a way, reflect senior mridangist K. Arunprakash’s musical journey. He inherited his compositional talent from his father, L. Krishnan, a well-known composer, and has put it to good use in recent years. Solladi Sivashakti, his recent album is proof of it. It comprises Bharati’s six compositions — ‘Nalladhor Veenai’, ‘Veenaiyadi nee enakku’, ‘Aaduvome’, ‘Kaakkai chiraginile’, ‘Theeradha vilayaatu pillai’ and ‘Senthamizh Nadennum’, which have been sung by renowned vocalist Bombay Jayashri Ramnath. Though released in 2021, it has been streaming on Arun’s YouTube channel since early this year. The highlight of the album is the use of live orchestration consisting of 30 musicians.
Says Arun, “If you want the emotions to remain intact, it is possible only with a live orchestra. Why substitute musicians?” Live orchestra had largely disappeared in film-song recording by the 1990s. Seeking to revive that tradition, he has used the vibraphone on three tracks of Solladi Sivashakti. Veteran musicians who had once played for live recordings — vibraphone artiste Jeevanandam, violinist Rex Isaac, guitarist Sadhanandam, sitarist Kishore Lingappa, shehnai artist Pt Balesh, and percussionist S. Jayachandran (Jaychaa) — were happy to be part of the project,” adds Arun. The recording, editing, mixing and mastering have been handled by Biju James.
Arun’s conviction about the greater impact of live instrumentation took shape early, when he would analyse the music of film songs with his father, a disciple of G.N. Balasubramanian. Bharati’s verses have been an abiding influence on Arun since childhood. ‘There is so much melody in his lyrics that the tune is merely an ornament.”
Bharati’s verses have been an abiding influence on Arun since childhood.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives
“Even as his career as a mridangist flourished from the mid-1980s, accompanying stalwarts such as D.K. Pattammal, K.V. Narayanaswamy, T.N. Krishnan, and Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Arun continued to nurture his passion for composing. He created several pallavis, many of which were rendered by leading vocalists. ‘The stage has been my greatest learning ground ever since I began accompanying on the mridangam at the age of 11,” he says.
Inspired by the music of maestros Ilaiyaraaja and M.S. Viswanathan, Arun composed his first tune in Mohanakalyani at the age of 17. He later worked on projects such as ‘The seppu mozhi padinetu’ (based on Bharati’s verses), ‘Shrirama jayarama’ (multi-lingual songs on Rama), ‘Sundara amudha gaanam’ (songs by Sundara Valli Ammal) and ‘Nadaswara amudham’ (Carnatic orchestra).
Little did he know that the tunes he composed between 2004 and 2008, largely as a creative exercise, would one day find their way into a variety of musical initiatives. Talking about his latest venture Solladi Sivasakthi, Arun recalls how it all began. “I had given Bombay Jayashri a cassette containing songs I had sung, seeking her feedback. A few days later, she messaged saying she liked the compositions and would sing for the album. Getting the compositions from idea to final recording was an exciting yet challenging experience.”
Bombay Jayashri’s soulful rendition adds to the appeal of the album
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri
AIKYA 2017, a live concert in which Arun conducted 23 musicians, with Carnatic vocalists Sudha Ragunathan and Aruna Sairam leading the performance, proved to be the catalyst for the album. “Encouraged by the enthusiastic response to the show, I was motivated to think seriously about my dream project, Solladi Sivashakti. I had wanted to do it for a long time. That show gave me the confidence to go ahead.”
Jayashri’s soulful rendition, complemented by a chorus featuring her disciples, blends seamlessly with Arun’s choice of ragas and Bharati’s evocative verses. “The most challenging part was bringing together an orchestra of 30 musicians and ensuring that everyone performed in sync. I coordinated with each artiste individually, singing the verses and explaining the tunes over WhatsApp. Despite their varied styles and approaches, they understood the demands of the project and have performed impeccably,” says Arun.
The video of ‘Kaakkai chiraginile’ from the album has been well-received. “Many listeners have shared that the music is calming. Such heartwarming responses matter more than the number of views.” The rhythm-oriented pieces ‘Aaduvome’ in Anandabhairavi and ‘Theeradha vilayaatu pillai’ in a ragamallika are equally impressive. Together the songs showcase Arun’s ability to extend his artistry beyond the stage.
Published – July 14, 2026 05:29 pm IST
