MusicalNirvana - Articles on Hyderabad Brothers

Articles on Hyderabad Brothers

Taken from Keertana, the newsletter of Carnatic Music Circle (CMC), Melbourne
Reproduced here for educational purposes only

Hyderabad Brothers

The Hyderabad Brothers are brothers hailing from the Andhra Pradesh State of Southern India (of which, Hyderabad is the capital, and hence their name). They have the distinction of being one of the most popular vocal duos in Carnatic music today. With a great understanding between each other and with knowledge and voices to match, the Hyderabad Brothers have mastered the art of delivering captivating Carnatic music concerts. From the time they gave their initial performance in Madras, a few years back, they have taken the world of Carnatic music by storm by virtue of their immense scholarship and strict adherence to tradition. In a short period of time they have become extremely popular artistes.

The Hyderabad Brothers, D. Seshachari and D. Raghavachari, hail from a family of musicians. Their initial training was under the guidance of their father, the Late Sangeetha Sahitya Vidwan, Daroor Ratnamacharyulu, and their mother, D. Sulochana Devi. Music skills, which the brothers imbibed at the feet of their parents, were perfected in their training under Sri Susarla Sivaram, at the Government College of Music and Dance in Hyderabad, whose idiom and style, the brothers have evolved. Their music, which has great strength and appeal, is bright, imaginative and full of verve and vigour. They have voices to complement their knowledge and they seem to have moulded their art on the style and gait of the Alathur Brothers.

The Hyderabad Brothers have performed in all the major institutions, festivals and sabha-s in India and have won numerous paludits from critics and rasika-s. They have performed at, for example, the Madras Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Mylapore Fine Arts Club, Indian Fine Arts Society and the Kalasagaram Music Circle and other sabha-s of repute. They have been given numerous radio and television concerts for All India Radio and Doordarshan TV. They have also participated in AIR Sangeetha Sammelan and Spirit of Unity concerts. They have performed extensively in India and have toured North America several times. They have also released several commercial recordings (cassettes and CD's) on most major labels. They are popular favourites at record stores.

Early in their performance career, they were given the Best Young Talent Award in 1977 and 1978 by the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Hyderabad. Since then, they have won serveal awards and titles from many reputed institutions. The Music Academy in Madras honoured them as The Best Vocalists for three consecutive years - 1990, 1991 and 1992. They were also given the Yogam Award by The Music Academy in 1992. In 1993, The Music Academy gave them The Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Award for the best rendering of rare Thyagaraja kriti-s. They have been honoured by the prestigious Krishna Gana Sabha as the best vocalists in 1988, 1990 and 1991. They were given the title of The Youths of Excellence for the Year 1992 by the Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Trust. In 1992, The Hyderabad Brothers were nominated as asthana vidwans of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham to mark the 58th birthday of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swami.

The phenomenal success of The Hyderabad Brothers is, no doubt, due to their own irrefutable talent. However, it may also be put down to the fact that duo singing has always held fascination for Carnatic music rasika-s. The Hyderabad Brothers seem to have filled the void left by The Alathur Brothers, one of the great duo singers of the past. The Hyderabad Brothers complement each other stunningly. Seshachari's deep, resonant voice and the softer, mellow voice of Raghavachari, blend well to melodious effect. On and off the stage, Seshachari, the younger brother is more extroverted; Raghavachari is more content to play the quieter role. Seshachari, who is a staff artiste with All India Radio, Hyderabad, is an accomplished mrdangam player as well! Raghavachari works for the national Mineral Development Corporation.

Vocal duos can be highly interesting and exciting in classical music if the artistes are endowed with well-matched ability and coordinated skills. According to the respected critic, NMN (The Hindu, 17 May 1991), "The best thing to happen in the world of Carnatic music is the vocal duo from Andhra Pradesh, the Hyderabad Brothers. They perform so brilliantly that they set the heart afire of even the incorrigible pessimist. As for the optimist, their faces have never been brighter, their smile have never been sunnier. They are artistes of rare dimension..". The brothers perform sincerely and believe that "a musician should be prepared to sing anything on the spur of the moment because it leads to spontaneity of the performance". The brothers, who also perform in solo, particularly for All India Radio, believe that, due to their complimentary skills and voices, the effect that they produce as a duo is far more exciting and invigorating. According to another respected critic, Subbuddu (Indian Express, 21 December 1991), "The Hyderabad Brothers have a firm interpretation of the Carnatic Music idiom. Their concert ... exuded the charm of yesteryears. They have a pleasant double-reeded voice and their approach has aesthetic refinement. They have mastered the swaraprasthara technique and have a rich repertoire. One is struck by the extraordinary flexibility of their voices; they are able to negotiate the most intricate phrasings with astounding ease..."

The Hyderabad Brothers have fine--tuned the art of projecting their sweetly synchronised voices and their classical interpretations of Carnatic music in a popular and knowledgeable framework, to produce enjoyable music.

What Others Say:

The well synchronised vocal-duet performance of The Hyderabad Brothers ... was an unmingled listeners' delight and deservedly earned their ready applause. [K.V. Subba Rao, Indian Express, 17 Dec 1988]

The Hyderabad Brothers' dalliance with rhythm reflected their pride of musicianship. Brisk, elating rhythms kept listeners on the qui vive. Yet is was all music of an antique temper; a combination of manodharma and iron control, exhibited with subtlety. The packed hall ... was both proof of the brothers' rising popularity and a clear refutation of the lament that Carnatic music is losing its patrons. [KSM, Indian Express, 19 Jul 1991]

The scholarship [of The Hyderabad Brothers] is immense and their training, chaste. Their singing is vigorous and their technique, perfect. They are full-throated an enthusiastic, without indulging in gimmicks. [Subbuddu, Indian Express, 22 Dec 1993]

The performance of The Hyderabad Brothers ... at The Music Academy, was distinguished by their bhava-laden music. At the conclusion of the concert, the listeners felt that they had gone through a safari of Carnatic music. [SVK, The Hindu, 30 Dec 1994]

The Hyderabad Brothers gave one of the most delightful concerts... They have proved to the hilt that no innovations are necessary, no compromises needed, and traditional music will always draw an appreciative audience. I admire them for their refined musical imagination, the manner in which they modulate their voices and add nice colour to their delineations... While Raghavachari drew the outline o the raga, Seshachari carved out intimate nuances, elongated the gamaka-s and crowned them with bravura passages. [Subbuddu, Indian Express, 20 Dec 1994]