AN INNER VOICE

a zerOclassikal commission:Kobini Ananth and Yarlinie Thanabalasingham

Two young, talented and upcoming artists come together to create an innovative piece experimenting with a notion rarely used within Carnatic music – harmonies. Pulling away from improvisation and turning their attention to composition, An Inner Voice presents the various characteristics of harmonies and how they can be adapted to fit within the Raga structure. This has rarely been explored before due to the music’s complex rhythmic nature and strict composition structure and therefore this new and innovative piece is unique and radical in its approach.

Carnatic music is predominantly taught and performed as solo music and where there are duets, it is synchronised in composition and the only divergent is in improvisation. Here, these two talented artists appreciate their different identities and ideas within the music to create a whole new composition that reflects their own journeys.

Yarlinie and Kobini are two very talented upcoming Carnatic vocalists in their own right. Both learning South Asian classical music since the tender ages of eight and have since achieved major accomplishments, recognitions and awards within the sector. Yarlinie was recently awarded the ‘Sangeeth Ratna’ award and both are also members of the national ensemble Tarang. They are artists with a new vision to portray and through harmonies they showcase progression within Carnatic music.