Portland Musicians Compete in USA Finals for Indian Music Reality Show

Thursday, October 08, 2015

Hilary Devaney, GoLocalPDX Contributor

On October 10-11, musicians from Portland State University and Oregon Episcopal School will appear on “Sangeeth Samraat – Carnatic Premier League 2015,” a popular South Indian music reality show.

The competition, which will be broadcast on Sri Sankara TV, is a reality show similar in ways to “American Idol” in that contestants perform to identify the best talent in music, only this show specializes in searching for the best in Carnatic music, the classical music of South India.

The Portland performers will be the first American choir to appear on Indian TV, according to the show’s producers.

Shiva Bharadwaj, a percussionist and junior at Oregon Episcopal School will be competing in the Carnatic Premier League along with eight members of the Portland State Chamber Choir, the top choral ensemble at PSU.

Bharadwaj connected with the PSU Chamber Choir through a literary journalism project on which he collaborated with Ethan Sperry, director of choral activities at PSU.

Out of the project, Bharadwaj wrote “Blossoming Lotus,” a dramatic rhythmic thillana that’s traditionally the finale of a Carnatic concert, and “Misra Chapu Lullaby,” a Carnatic adaptation of an original arrangement by Ethan Sperry.

The ensemble will perform both of these pieces, which feature Bharadwaj on the mridangam, a barrel-shaped, double-headed finger drum. Bharadwaj has studied this instrument since he was five years old.

The pieces Bharadwaj and the choir will perform feature a call-and-response pattern between the percussionist and the singers.

“We went to compete in the Carnatic Premiere League almost on a whim. We had no intention of anything other than cultural exchange. We are so excited to share our work with musicians from all over the country,” said Sperry.

The ensemble travels to Delaware on October 10-11 for the national competition.

Sri Sankara TV can be viewed on Dish TV channel 887 or online HERE.

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