The fact that Bengaluru stands tall when it comes to hosting concerts is no secret; but did you know there’s a new rave in town where live performances and mini concerts are being held in the living room of an apartment? Say hello to Gurupriya and Akhil Atreya’s latest venture, The Living Room Kutcheri – a spectacular attempt at reviving the art of Chamber Concerts.
A trained professional singer herself, Gurupriya had always been infatuated with the concept of kutcheris, which used to be a Chamber Concert of sorts back in the days of yore. Local women sang and engaged in classical Carnatic music and she reminisces how actively her entire family would participate in them. “My mother was a Carnatic vocalist and used to sing at the kutcheris and satsangs at home.
“My father composed music for her bhajans, and my brother played mridangam.” Microphones were never a thing in authentic kutcheris, which allowed the audience to hear the organic voice of the performers, and Atreya isn’t ready to compromise with the format. “We don’t use mics, amplifiers, or any electronic sound systems in our shows, unless a dancer would like to perform on a recorded song,” says Gurupriya.
The procedure to attend these cosy concerts in the comforts of her living room is fairly easy, she says, “Audiences can get in touch prior to the concert via our mail and drop an RSVP. Only then the venue and exact address is revealed to them.” A few chairs, straw mats, cushions and rice lights are what create the ambience for her concert arena, adding just the right amount of intimacy in the air. The space is small so at a time it can host a maximum of 25-30 people, who attend the performances free of cost, of course. “Just leave the love notes behind; that’s a must!” stresses Gurupriya, as she talks about tokens of appreciation for the performing artistes which they get to take home with them.
Having been a professional who has performed with the likes of Vasu Dixit and GV Prakash, Gurupriya uses her esteemed musical contacts to her advantage. The audience can personally interact and make requests to the performer too! “With loud concerts, the artiste has to stick to a certain set of performances. There’s no connection, no personal level interaction, which my living room mini concerts allow. Both the parties take them home as a token of memory,” she gushes. Carnatic vocalist Bindhu Malini, By2blues singer-guitarist Ananth Menon and Bharatanatyam dancer Preethi Bharadwaj are few of the many known faces who have graced the Atreyas’ living room with their live performances. While she doesn’t have any business ventures in mind right now, Gurupriya enthuses how she wants to spread the concept of these modern day kutcheris across the country, “Just for the pure joy of it,” she says.
