Clear vocals change language and shade during a performance at Bangalore International Centre earlier this month. The performer in question is MD Pallavi, supported by Srinivas Achar on the guitar. Curated by Professor Chandan Gowda and sponsored by Vidyashilp University, the event, Atmageete, comprised poems on equality from pre-modern India. The concert aimed to unite verses taken from different poetic traditions under, as Chandan posits, “the common idea of equality”

Speaking over the phone, M.D. Pallavi says every language “has its own set of sounds.” Having set all the performed poems to music, ranging from Narayan Guru to Mir Taqi Mir, she switches between languages with great alacrity.

Her rendition of Chaturvedi’sPada 186, for instance, makes full use of intonations of the language, and the poem’s folk roots in lively service of rhythm.

Asked about her ability to switch between languages, Pallavi replies that she sought the help of native speakers, asking them to send her “voice notes rendering the poem” so she could “learn the pronunciation properly.” Historical context posed an additional challenge, despite colouring her compositions. According to her, the style of the poet, the poetic tradition, and the period the poem was written in all “lend their own rhythm and musicality to the language.”

Pallavi hails from a family that is well-established in the theatre scene in Bengaluru, and is professionally trained in Hindustani music. She is no stranger to experimentation and describes Atmageete as a welcome challenge. While she is used to “thematic arrangement(s) of songs”, she enjoyed the exposure to “various, not only poets, but also languages” that Atmageete afforded her.

Srinivas’ collaboration with Pallavi was one of the highlights of the concert. Connective guitar solos served to maintain musical continuity, punctuating stanzas. A native of Karnataka,the guitarist brings both experience and intuitive improvisation to the table. “He understands Indian music very, well,” says Pallavi, calling Srinivas a “wonderful collaborator.”