THE WORLD ON HIS STRING
L. Subramaniam, Violinist Born: 23 July 1947
When L. Subramaniam first took the stage with his father, the great violin maestro V. Lakshminarayana Iyer, he was only six years old. “I was scared because there were hundreds of people, sitting in an open space. But there was great applause at the end.” The organizers later told Iyer that his son seemed possessed by a divine energy while he played. Not only did the 75-year-old Subramaniam inherit from his father an abiding love for the violin, he was also bequeathed something more essential—ambition.
“In the days my father played, the violin was thought of as an accompanist’s instrument, something you played alongside a singer or a veena,” says Subramaniam. Iyer hoped his violin would one day be known as a solo instrument. “We should not be treated as ethnic or folk musicians, he’d say. ‘People should realize this is one of the most sophisticated and advanced classical systems of music. We should be in the mainstream. We should spread this’.” After Independence, Iyer wanted freedom for India’s music.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.
