nandini's journey with jugalbandi

CT catches up with violinist Nandini, who is presenting jugalbandis
She’s increasingly being called the jugalbandi expert. We’re referring to violinist Nandini Muthuswamy, who is based in the UK but is in the city for the music season. This time around, she’s looking forward to enthralling audiences with her musical collaborations with santoor player Tarun Bhattacharya and sitar player Partho Bose.
Most of her performances with musicians from north India are unplanned and impromptu ones. “I like it that way,” she says, “We just have a small chat session half hour before the concert on the sruthi and the kind of ragas we’ll play and then it’s upto what we deliver on stage. There’s a certain excitement while delivering such performances.”
Jugalbandis, she states, are an enriching experience for both the performer and the listener. “Rasikas here are well-versed in Carnatic and they might have heard a bit of Hindustani as well. But, when it’s showcased at the same time on a stage, they can understand how the same raga can be presented in two different styles. And, it’s a learning experience for me as an artist as well,” she adds.
Her experience in London, where she teaches music, has given her a chance to explore several genres of music. “I can play the erhu (the Chinese violin) and the Indonesian violin as well. Exposure to world music helps musicians immensely,” she explains.
Nandini’s dream is to organize and perform a big fusion concert. “It should showcase musical genres from all the five continents in the world,” she says, “It will require a mammoth effort but I hope it comes true some day.”