Missing a Beat

In January 2014, The Hindu carried a review of a concert that Abhishek Raghuram, a leading Carnatic vocalist in his mid thirties, gave at the prestigious Music Academy in Chennai. The concert, which I also attended, would have appeared to many as a great success. The venue was overflowing: after filling all the aisles with extra chairs, the ushers still had to turn many people away. The performance took place in the evening slot, which is reserved for those whom the organisation believes are the most deserving musicians. At the end of the concert, the audience gave the young musician a long standing ovation. In the review, the writer, Veejay Sai, nevertheless wrote the following:

Abhishek lacks a sense of proportion and often overdoes his exhibitionist method, almost playing to the galleries. While Abhishek is certainly a gifted artist for his age, for now, the recall effect from his music is obscured by his gimmickry. High on technique, low on music and zero on aesthetic, to sum it all up.

Abhishek belongs to a triumvirate of the most popular male Carnatic vocalists. The other two are. The writer was not daunted by any of this.