A saraswati veena performance of Kapi, live in London, showcasing the raga’s devotional mood and unique phrasings, enabled by the presence of two distinct ni swaras.

Learn more about the music:
Jayanthi Kumaresh’s saraswati veena is an ancient instrument, named after the Hindu goddess of arts and learning. But her gently electrified version produces a strikingly guitaristic tone, igniting Carnatic classical melodies with sweeping bends. She started playing aged three, and learned under her mother Lalgudi Rajalakshmi, before leaving home aged 13 to study with her aunt Padmavathy Ananthagopalan. She also received instruction from her great-uncle, violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman, and noted veenai S Balachander.

A few years later she became one of the youngest artists to receive an All India Radio ‘A’ grading, earned a doctorate in veena history, and founded the Indian National Orchestra, uniting musicians from India’s classical traditions in a large ensemble. On recent recordings she has experimented with recording seven layers of veena on top of each other, and continues to write for dance and film.

Kapi is a popular Carnatic ragam, associated with slow tempos and a certain devotional sadness.
It is and audav-vakra sampoorna rāga, ascending with five notes [SR₂M₁PN₃S] and descending with seven in a meandering order [SN₂D₂N₂PM₁G₂R₂S]. Much of the distinctive sound comes from the presence of two distinct ni swaras. The mood can also be coloured by adding a light touch of shuddha dha [D₁]. It is similar to Hindustani Raag Piloo.

Recorded for Darbar on 19 Sep 2013, at London’s Southbank Centre
- Jayanthi Kumaresh (saraswati veena)
- Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam)

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