I am deeply saddened as I write this post. Musical genius Mandolin Sri U Srinivas is no more. This humble giant musician tragically passed away today at the very young age of 45. As the whole music fraternity and billions of rasikas and fans of this avant-garde genius mourn, I thought it would be appropriate for me to write this post as my way of offering a tribute and sharing it with all of you.
In this day and age, we often find the phrase 'child prodigy' being used carelessly. In the world of Indian Classical Music, there have however been only a handful of 'true' child prodigies, and Mandolin Srinivas was one of them; and one that later blossomed into one of the finest musicians of our time. Born in 1969 in eastern Andhra to Sri U Satyanarayana, a musician and music teacher himself, young Srinivas took to playing western music on the mandolin under his father's guidance. Very soon, he was attracted to Carnatic music and desired to play the Carnatic style on the mandolin, a feat that not been performed hitherto. His father took him to his own Guru Sri Rudraraju Subbaraju who then taught Srinivas Carnatic music. The Guru would sing the krithis and young Srinivas would flawlessly reproduce them on his electric mandolin!
Mandolin Srinivas gave his first public performance (arangetram) at the tender age of 9 in Gudivada, Andhra. While connoisseurs and critics recognized the talent of the young boy, they were also too quick to criticize him for taking up the mandolin for Carnatic music, saying that it was unsuitable for classical music and even advised him to switch to a more traditional instrument. However, the soft-spoken, ever smiling Srinivas was a true revolutionary and continued making sweet music on the mandolin and very soon all his critics were silenced! Beginning with a cracker of a performance at IFAS when he was 12, he started a career of amazing concerts in Chennai. Mandolin Srinivas grew in stature very quickly while he remained the humble and smiling boy everyone knew by then. Very soon, Mandolin Srinivas was a household name, and he was touring not only all over India but all over the world! When I was growing up I remember Mandolin Srinivas was a role model for all of us kids that were remotely associated with music! As a school kid, I used to listen to a cassette album of his which had the sweetest Vatapi Ganapatim followed by kalpana swaras.
Apart from being a great Carnatic Musician, Mandolin Srinivas is known today as a band member of Remembering Shakti and many other acts where he collaborated with Hindustani musicians and Jazz musicians. He was awarded the Padma Shri award (the fourth highest civilian award in India) at the young age of 29, which is an unthinkable feat, and he was also the recipient of awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sangeeta Ratna, Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial National Award, Sangeetha Bala Bhaskara by Sangeetha Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi, National Citizen's Award by The President of India among others.
When I think of Mandolin Srinivas, I think of a handsome young man, quiet, sitting on stage smiling and head bowed down over his tiny yet mighty mandolin immersed in music, while his fingers create magic. I have not yet digested the fact that this gentle giant is no longer with us and that the only music we have of his is his recordings.
Please check out the links below for some of his music.
Not sure how old he is in this video, but looks very young -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07Yqe5-daU
This is when he was 20-21 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtJ0bqgpyzE
His tribute to the great Lalgudi Jayaraman. Don't miss the Charukesi varnam -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrIepcMALCI
Remembering Shakti -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGXcoDlhmoY
Here is a little tribute of his to another great musician who passed away young; Kanjira G Harishankar. The irony - whatever he says about Harishankar-ji is applicable entirely to Mandolin Srinivas himself -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Yzj4hIDYg
