Malaysian woman shows off Tamil roots in Nadaswaram

CHENNAI: Women are making their mark in the music industry, excelling in various roles from singing to playing instruments like the violin, piano, and guitar. There are even female nadaswaram artists emerging worldwide. One among them is Anjali Kathiravan, who has her roots in Tamil Nadu but born and raised in Selangor, Malaysia. Anjali is passionate about the nadaswaram and holds a deep respect for the Tamil language. She prefers to converse exclusively in Tamil, showcasing her strong connection to her cultural roots.

Anjali’s passion for music and determination to learn nadaswaram brought her from Malaysia to Tamil Nadu. “I come from a musical family but wanted to try something out of the box and started learning instruments. I chose to try my hand in nadaswaram because, in Malaysia, not many women artistes are into this,” starts Anjali, who has her roots in Vellore.

As she wanted to pursue this professionally, Anjali flew to Annamalai University in Chidambaram. “In my family, few were keen on sending me to India to learn the instrument and many questioned how this would shape my future. My father stood by my decision and encouraged me to pursue my passion,” says the 29-year-old professional graphic designer.

In 2015, Anjali started learning nadaswaram under well-experienced lecturers. For 5.5 years, she learned the nuances of the wind instrument. “ The first few days were difficult. My hands used to swell and blood used to ooze out from the cuts on my lips because of the pressure. If I played the instrument for five minutes, I could feel the pain in my abdomen. Unlike many other instruments, the nadaswaram requires extreme effort and techniques to produce music. Breathing technique is one among them. After persistent training, I aced the techniques,” Anjali shares, with a smile on her face.

After completing her education here, Anjali has performed in more than 500 concerts, weddings and festival functions in Malaysia. “The blessings I am showered upon after performing in weddings is unmatchable,” adds the nadaswaram artiste. She is also a part of music bands and independent music videos. Furthermore, she aims to learn saxophone and clarinet, which also has a comparatively small number of women artistes.

Anjali’s greatest inspiration is Ponnuthayi from Madurai, who is the first woman to play nadaswaram. The struggles faced by renowned music composer Malaysia Vasudevan to carve a place for himself in the music field also inspired her.

Anjali doesn’t have an answer for why she loves and praises Tamil Nadu so much. “Both Malaysia and Tamil Nadu are like my eyes. At least twice in a year, I will visit the state,” says the Malaysian Tamil. A fan of melody songs and with listeners’ music preferences changing constantly, Anjali believes that the uniqueness and tranquillity of melodies will never fade away. Social media also played a major role in Anjali’s musical journey. “Social media is a great tool for budding artistes to showcase their talent to the world and also attract opportunities,” she remarks, who wishes to work with Oscar Award-winning music director AR Rahman, one day.