How Mahesh Vinayakram creates harmonious spaces through music
Happyplaces Stories (video)
While in Baku, I enjoyed spending time with fellow speaker Mahesh Vinayakram to learn from his knowledge and wisdom. Just before I had to go up on stage to deliver my talk about the Happyplaces Project, we found a moment to film and take photos on the boulevard at the Caspian Sea, with the city skyline as a backdrop. Mahesh sees the world as music and invited me into his musical space to learn to see the world from that perspective. He is on a mission to spread harmony using music. Mahesh wants to explore all kinds of possibilities with his Carnatic music, aspiring to be the bridge between musical cultures. Like the many masters from India who have inspired him, he wants to give back respect to his India.
Mahesh is the illustrious son of the Ghatam legend Padmabhushan T.H.Vikku Vinayakram, the first Indian male singer in Cirque du Soleil. Mahesh started his career as a solo vocalist when he was twelve and is now one of the leading artists in Carnatic and world music. He is a senior disciple (shisya) of Smt. Radha Viswanathan, daughter of Bharat Ratna Smt. M.S.Subbulakshmi and continuing the Semmangudi parampara (bhani) of sangita pithamahar Shri. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in Carnatic music presentation. He had opportunities to get vocal lessons from Gurus like Shri H.Y. Narayanan, Shri O.S. Thiagarajan, Smt. Savithiri Sathyamurthy, Shri. Bhagavathulu Seetharama Sarma (Kalapeetham, Chennai). He is a UNESCO Millennium Award winner.
We recorded a half-hour of space-making stories and music,
This transcript has been edited for clarity and length
Namaskaram! Sri Guru Biyo Namaha! Salutations to the Gurus and Mentors of the globe. Space, space is mathematics. It’s a measurement. A measurement of life. A measurement of moments. For me, space is everything. I always attempt to make a space for myself, both outside and inside. It was a long journey to make space and understand what it can give me, what it is and what it means to me. It took me a long time to understand the meaning of space. I consider space to be an important factor in my life. Musically, you can say that I try to bring out my space for my music. I created my room as a small, tiny studio.
However, space in my life, in general, starts with travel. Even for travel, I prepare myself for that space. I create my own space by booking the seats and creating my food. I’m a simple vegetarian. I’ve been non-smoking and non-alcoholic — until now, haha. I want to respect being and abundance. My vision and mission are music. Music is my medium.
I’m Mahesh Vinayakram. I come from a musical legacy. I’m the son of Viku Vinayakaram, who was a Grammy winner in 1991 for Planet Drums. I’m very happy that my son and daughter are the fourth generation to continue the music legacy.
People (…) are used to using the left side of their brain, which is more focused on mathematics, reasoning and logic. As artists, we open up the right side, the artistic perspective, art, surrender, bhakti, devotion, and instincts.
Music is everything to me. Space is what I like and look for. Creating a space for myself is my happiness and joy. During a workshop I gave yesterday, I tried to explain this in a better musical way. We are in Baku, where this corporate event takes place. The people participating in the event are used to using the left side of their brain, which is more focused on mathematics, reasoning and logic. As artists, we open up the right side, the artistic perspective, art, surrender, bhakti, devotion, and instincts. I want to tap into everyone’s space when I give my workshop. Yesterday, it was a beautiful and challenging experience to tap into these super minds who are strong on the left side of the brain. When you give them a small space for themselves, it creates a very beautiful energy. I could immediately see that they had changed. Their smiles, their kind expressions on their face, were so good. They even came to me to get an autograph, which was like a fan moment. They may be super corporate and have high positions within their organisations, but every soul is the same. And the joy is the same.
The space you create for people can contribute to a greater way of life. From our closest partners in our lives, our friends, our relatives, all people, and the whole universe — creating a space for the people creates a better place to live.
This space, what you create for people, can contribute to a greater way of life. From our closest partners in our lives, our friends, our relatives, all people, and the whole universe — creating a space for the people creates a better place to live.
Thakadakadakadakadikadadikadadikadakadakada.
Where were you yesterday?
Thakadakadindakadakadakada.
I was in Baku.
Thakadakadakadakadada.
My friend said you can create a story using this art form called Konnakol.
Thakathippi. Thakajudu. Thakathippi. Thakadakadakadakadippi. Thakadakadakadakadippi. Thakadakadakadakadipi. Thakadakadakadakadipi. Thakadakadakadakadipi.
It is a verbal percussive art form. Where Tha, Dhi, Thom, and Nam are the four syllables. It might sound like gibberish, and it does indeed not mean anything, but you can make a story with it. Those syllables are derived from the bigger texts of the Vedic chants.
Tatsa Viturvarenyam.
‘Tha’ comes from ‘Tatsa’.
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi.
‘Dhi’ comes from Dheemahi.
Advaitam.
It means ‘duality’. ‘Dhum’ comes from there.
Namaha.
It means ‘salutation’. ‘Nam’ comes from ‘Namaha’.
In the same way, Tha, Dhi, Thom, and Nam are the four syllables we use in the mathematics of the art. And if you speak about space, if it’s just continuous, it doesn’t make sense because it doesn’t have math. For example:
Mahesh demonstrates a vocal example.
You can prove the math only with the space.
Mahesh demonstrates a vocal example.
The spaces in between are the math. And I can prove that 9 is the number; 0 has no value. 0 has a value only after the digits. I’m going to prove the numbers. I’m taking a tempo.
Mahesh demonstrates a vocal example.
The base tempo doesn’t move. I’m going to jump up until nine.
Mahesh demonstrates a vocal example.
