For Varijashree Venugopal, the stage is the second home since the age of four. “Music runs in my blood,” says musician nominated for Grammy. With the release of her first single “Jaathre” from the album Vari (The Live Sessions), Varijashree has been reflected on her musical journey so far.
“This album is spin-off my previous album Vari, which was released last year. That was my first original music album,” he says. “After playing several live concerts, we decided to record and make the sound and energy of the performance.”
The upper part of the crop
The upcoming album is the curator of a live performance of seven selected songs from Vari, organized for a six -member band whose “Jaathre” is the seventh song. “The song is quite expensive to the team,” he says. “We got a lot of beautiful answers, especially for this song.”
When choosing the term JAATHRE, which generally refers to the village carnival, Varijashree explains: “This song is a meeting between Karnatic Raga Hemavathi and Indian grooves. We always enjoy it live.” The album, says Varijaryhree, is more than just a project. “It is a memory that documes all the way.”
Living energy is so different from what is produced and recorded, says Varijashree. “Must be densified, restructured and formatted into a live group.” The band was directed by Grammy-playing artist Michael League and includes a star line-up of musicians, including Pramath Kiran (drums and cooperation), Jayacandra Rao (Mridangam), Apoorva Krishna (violin), Santhosh (keys and Synths), and REO).
Foundation
Varijashree describes her relationship with music as “organic” and is considered happiness that she was brought up in an atmosphere that changed her passion into a profession. “Both of my parents are musicians. This is where it started, and I’m blessed to have such a strong foundation in Karnatic music.”
Varijashree apparently responded to music when she was 18 months old, she says, “I was told that I was repeating music phrases, although I couldn’t speak properly. At the age of four, I was doing a small stage performance.”
A curious music student, Varijashreree says that her willingness to explore outside the borders helped her to constantly rediscover her voice. “I believe the growth of the artist is how much they are ready to rediscover and experiment.”
This latest project is the result of this thinking, says Varijashree. “It’s a way to spread and stay rooted in our Indian classical structure.” Her survey led her to jazz and vocal styles, where her voice acts as an instrument. “That fascinated me.”
Joint effort
When working with Michael League says: “I love my passion similar to a child. Michael contributes to the history of music development in many ways. When we met, we realized we had similar instincts. It is quite open to teaching different music cultures.”
When Varijashree had the honor of meeting some of the most amazing musicians from different cultures, he says they combined over a single thread – our passion for music. Although we are from different geographical spaces, we all travel the same way. The universe has a beautiful way to combine equally minded people. ”
Varijashree performed in Abu Dhabi for International Jazz Day, where she was the only Indian artist to be introduced.
Being an independent artist in India is a challenge, says Varijashree. “It is a struggle to build a audience and space, in addition to the need for financial and logistics support. Even after all, you do not know how it will be accepted. Live concerts are one of the few ways to hear independent artists.”
Jaathre (Live) was released on April 11, while the album Vari (The Live Sessions) is set to 20 June as part of Groundup Music.
Published – 2 May 2025 17:16
