Ganesh Rajagopalan‘s latest collaboration, “Yugma,” was recorded in July of last year with conductor Christophe Chagnard and the Northwest Sinfonietta at Lagerquist Concert Hall, located in Tacoma, Washington’s Mary Baker Russell Music Center. “Hamsadwani Ragapravaham,” is an original composition by Rajagopalan. “Hamsadwani” is a widely revered raga from southern India, while “Ragapravaham” is a new form of Carnatic music introduced by Rajagopalan. The title Yugma, meaning “confluence” in Sanskrit, reflects the essence of this East-West fusion.
Ganesh Rajagopalan is a renowned master of Indian classical music, celebrated for his virtuosity and creativity. A violin prodigy from the age of seven, he gained international acclaim performing with his brother Sri Kumaresh and other Indian classical luminaries, such as tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.
Rajagopalan’s remarkable musical explorations extend beyond traditional Carnatic music, incorporating contemporary elements. He has composed original ragas, scored for film and theater, and collaborated extensively with A.R. Rahman. An experienced educator, he has taught at Princeton, Stanford, and other universities, and established music schools in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Rajagopalan also performs with Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin in the fusion group Shakti, and is the only Indian violinist to have won a Grammy.
“As an artist, playing with a string orchestra has always been my dream,” says Rajagopalan. “Among my compositions, Hamsadwani Ragapravaham stood out as a piece that begged for such an arrangement. During the pandemic, I had an epiphany: “Why not record it with an orchestra?” I shared this idea with Christophe, who embraced it wholeheartedly.”
“After providing a written transcript and a recording, the project took flight. I owe immense gratitude to my friends at the Temple of Music, Chandra Achalla and Mahesh Mudigonda, for greenlighting the project, and to my very good friends at the Pixxo Labs, Jeral Peter and Shriram Natarajan, whose splendid camera work brought our vision to life. We look forward to sharing our musical journey with the world.”
Chagnard comments, “I’ve always loved Indian music, so this was an opportunity to explore this music in more depth and find a way to bring together two styles that are fundamentally different in approach and tradition in a way that is satisfying for both. This was a great challenge.”
Christophe Chagnard, a Grammy-nominated conductor, co-founded the Northwest Sinfonietta in 1991 and led it until 2015. The ensemble consists of 35 musicians and performs a diverse repertoire, including contemporary works and pieces by marginalized artists, reflecting its commitment to community engagement.
About the Northwest Sinfonietta, Chagnard says, “A full symphony has 84 musicians; this one has 35 so it has the intimacy of chamber music yet enough power to really make a sonic impact. It’s very flexible and nimble, which for a project like this was very important, because paramount to my vision was to allow Ganesh enough room.”
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.