Mahalaxmi Shenoy - Music is her Mantra

H

er parents are ardent aficionados of music.  Their passion and the musically charged environment at home kindled a spark for music in their little daughter since the age of three.  It was like imbibing music passively.  Today young Mahalaxmi Shenoy is a name to reckon with in the field of Hindustani classical music.  The prodigy from a small town Karkala is scaling new heights with the music that has its roots in the north.  She is literally going places.

     Her parents recognized her inclination early in her childhood and let her pursue her passion wholeheartedly.  Little Mahalaxmi began her musical journey by learning Carnatic genre. However, a concert by Mohan Veena exponent Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt at Karkala under the aegis of the local Shastreeya Sangeet Sabha in 1997, the driving force of which is her father Dr Prakash Shenoy, a cardiologist, held her in awe about Hindustani music.  Then itself as an 11-year-old, she had found her calling.  Hence she switched to Hindustani music. 

     After the initial training at her hometown, she came under the tutelage of Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, a recipient of Padma Bhushan and the Grammy Award.  She used to travel as far as Jaipur during her vacations and her learning with him still continues.  The nuances learnt from him made her what she is today - one of the most sough-after young artiste.  She is also a Sangeet Visharad from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. “Impressed by a Bhajan sung by me as a three-and-a half-year-old little girl, my spiritual guru the late Sri Sudheendra Theertha of Kashi Math had foreseen a bright future for me in the field “, reminisces the devout vocalist. She believes it is his blessing that has led her so far.

     A kirana gharana singer, she is open to the positive aspects of all gharanas.  Listening to the exponents in the field has helped her perfect the skill.  She is a great admirer of Begum Parveen Sultana of Patiala gharana, the queen of classical vocal.  Mahalaxmi’s blemish-free voice, intonation and agile rendition catapulted her to different platforms, they being higher every time.

     The child prodigy’s concert odyssey started with a performance in 1999 and she has given more than 1500 concerts since. Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh and Guru Shishya Utsav at Varanasi, Pt. Jithendra Abhisheki Sangeet Utsav, Panaji, Salt Lake Festival, Kolkata, Late Panchakshari Gavayi Music Festival, Baba Hariwallabh Sangeet Sammelan, Jalandhar, Sa Ma Pa Sangeet Sammelan New Delhi, Sawai Gandharv Sangeet Samaroh and Nadgir Waade Sangeet Mahotsav, Kundagol, Ananya, Arohi and Saptak in Bangalore, are just a few prestigious events from her long list of concerts. Not only she has widely travelled in the country but also performed in Dubai, UAE, Germany and gave a series of concerts in the USA.

     Equally proficient in light and devotional music, she sings Kannada, Konkani songs with élan apart from Meera Bhajans and Marathi Abhangs.  She has composed music for over 1000 songs. Proficiency laced with devotion is the hall mark of her renditions.  Her rendition of a Konkani song of light music genre, Yore pora amgele ghara … penned by R D Kamath and composed by Pt. Vasanth Kanakapure has turned out to be her USP  over the years, albeit inadvertently.   Mahalaxmi’s music is synonymous with this song on child Krishna set in the raag Ahir Bhairav.  “Many memories keep gushing when I think of the song. It has a spellbinding impact on all, be it toddler, young children or mothers,”   she chuckles.

     Sitar maestro Pt. Ravishankar, the guru of Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt had attended one of her 20 concerts in the USA.  Despite wheelchair-bound then, he wanted to listen to the disciple of his disciple. “I had the huge responsibility of upholding the reputation of my guru. It was a real test for me. Panditji’s words of encouragement, however, had put    me in ease,” says Mahalaxmi recalling the incident. 

     Her performance at Kundagol, at the Wade of Sawai Gandharva, an all time doyen of Hindustani music, to a gathering of seasoned artistes and connoisseurs of music was a “divine experience beyond words”.  But she does not forget to add that each performance is unique and an experience in itself.

     She has, to her credit, many albums in Konkani, Kannada, Hindi and Marathi such as Anagha, Guru guna gana, Eddu baro Ranga, Krishnarpana, Yore Badarayana,  Meera, Vasudeva ganamala and Guru namana.  For some she has composed and sung also, and in some she has lent voice. In Vivekanand ko Sangeetanjali she has joined other artistes.

     Though firmly rooted in the classical tradition, Mahalaxmi is not averse to experiments. Recently she came up with a presentation with an ensemble of young instrumental artistes of both Hindustani and Carnatic genres with her vocal rendition. It’s going from the higher altar of classical music to patriotic song with many variations like light music, folk song, movie song in between.

      Several prestigious honours like Surmani, from Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, Abhinav Kala Sanman, Bhopal, Bhaktidhara from Bhajanamruta, Chennai, Malhar Manishi from Malhar for Rains, Ajmer and many more are in her kitty. With so much of achievement and recognition, doesn’t she feel complacent? A humble Mahalaxmi admits, “My achievement is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much to fathom into.” Music is a life time commitment for the performer. 

     It’s nothing but music which is the heart and soul of this double postgraduate in Social Work as well as Counselling and Psychotherapy. “Once you are into a creative field like music you would find every other profession a bit monotonous. With music you are at peace with yourself,” she opines.

      The singer who has transformed into a seasoned artiste over the years is completely in agreement with what her guru says that music is the gift of god for the benefit of mankind. Bestowed with that gift, Mahalaxmi’s is working to touch the soul of people. She has chosen music as her medium. Yes, it’s a kind of therapy.