Carnatic music is my foundation and fountainhead: Sid Sriram

Sid Sriram is an up-and-coming playback singer in Tamil cinema with hits like Maruvaarthai and Thalli Pogathey among others.

By: Express Web Desk

Bengaluru | Updated: May 1, 2017 03:48 PM IST

4 min read

Musician Sid Sriram

Sid Sriram’s Maruvaarthai has the audience agog. We speak to the singer about his music, AR Rahman and his latest work, Insomniac Season.

1. Maruvaarthai is doing really great and whole of India is humming it. But Sid Sriram cannot be limited to that song. How do you want to be introduced to an audience who are not familiar to your other works?

I operate in a few musical/creative streams. Carnatic music is my foundation and fountainhead. AR sir gave me my first break in films with Adiye and I’ve been humbled by his belief in me since then; it’s a blessing to be singing for films. I’ve been independently releasing original music, mainly in English for the past 7 years. This music is grounded in the soul/R&B, but includes other influences. To new audiences, I want to be introduced as a holistic musician, who is constantly striving to explore new territory.

2. Your music roots are in Carnatic, classical. And then it diversified to R & B. Now you are a combination of both. Can you tell a bit more about this.

I started training in Carnatic music at the age of three with my mother/guru, Latha Sriram. From that point, I’ve been on this beautiful journey with Carnatic music. This rich music form has given me a deep foundation when it comes to vocal technique, grasp of melodies and ability to improvise. I started listening to and teaching myself the R&B/Soul vocal forms when I was around 10/11 years old. It’s been a true blessing to grow up with this confluence and co-existence of two different genres. As I’ve grown and matured as a musician, this co-existence has given me a very unique perspective on approaching music.

3. Berkelee is a big name in India now. And they have lot of Indian students, I guess. Could you recall your experiences of being a student there?

I started at Berklee in 2008 and graduated in 2012 with a degree in Music Production and Engineering. The time I spent there is when I truly evolved my vision, of what I wanted to be as an artist. Before that, I’d known that I had a voice and that there was potential to create something very unique, but I had no clue where to begin. At Berklee, I was surrounded by amazing musicians, professors, and had access to some straight of the art facilities. All of this combined with my training and creative curiosity shaped my vision.

4. Please tell us about your latest work, Insomniac Season.

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I started working on Insomniac Season three years ago, in LA with the Grammy award winning producer, DJ Khalil. This will be my first full length album, and it represents exactly who I am as a musician and lyricist. The album brings together R&B, my carnatic roots and all of my other influences. It will be releasing worldwide in the next couple months.

5. Coming to film songs, what are the kind of numbers you are comfortable with? Could you please cite a few examples from the songs you have sung for diffferent film composers.

I’ve been blessed to sing songs of different genres. While Adiye is a blues number, Ennodu Nee Irundhal has a large pop-anthem feel. Thalli Pogathey can’t be put under one category, the composition is sheer genius. Yennai Maatrum Kadhale is a love anthem for the youth. Maruvaarthai has a strong Carnatic influence. Aagayam Thayaaga (Ashwin Vinayagamoorthy) and Verrattaama Verratturiye (Leon James) have simple, beautiful melodies. I think the one common denominator with all the songs I’ve sung is the emotional, soulful pull of the songs.

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