METRMAG Spotlight On: South Indian Trio "Unfretted" coming to Club Passim (Cambridge, MA.)
(Cover Photo: South Indian Trio UNFRETTED make their Club Passim debut on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 8:00pm. Photo Courtesy Club Passim)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
METRMAG Spotlight On:
UNFRETTED
Performs at
CLUB PASSIM
One Night Only!
Bringing a new perspective on the “traditional Carnatic concert”
South Indian Trio UNFRETTED make their Club Passim debut on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 8:00pm.
The trio is on their first ever U.S tour and will perform live.
Using modern techniques with South Indian string instruments, the group introduces audiences to the complex rhythms and melodies of classical Indian Carnatic music.
Club Passim is located in Harvard Square at 47 Palmer St., Cambridge, MA 02138.
Patrons and staff must wear masks at Passim unless actively eating or drinking. These policies are subject to change. For updates, please visit passim.org.
Tickets are available at: https://www.passim.org/live-music/
Tickets are $20 and available at www.clubpassim.org, by calling 617-492-7679 (9:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday) or at the Club Passim box office sixty minutes before the show begins
Tickets On Sale Now!
(Photo: South Indian Trio UNFRETTED: Sruti Sarathy, Akshay Anantapadmanabhan and Vishaal Sapuram. UNFRETTED appears at Club Passim on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 8:00pm. Photo Courtesy Club Passim)
Press Release:
With origins in South India, Carnatic is typically performed by an ensemble, with string instruments, pulling from Indian classical music.
UNFRETTED musicians use the chitravina (a rare Indian fretless lute) and the violin in their performances to showcase a colorful story, offering a fresh perspective with new approaches to improvisation, and exuberant exchanges between each other.
The group includes Sruti Sarathy, a leading Carnatic violinist, singer, and composer, Vishaal Sapuram, a Carnatic (Indian) classical musician, and an exponent of the rare Indian slide lute known as the chitravina, and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan a reputed and leading mridangam artist known for his sensitivity, tonality and innovative approach to spreading Indian rhythm through the world.
(Video: South Indian Trio UNFRETTED make their Club Passim debut on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 8:00pm. Photo Courtesy Club Passim)
The pairing of the chitravina (“wondrous lute”) and the Indian violin is in many ways a study in contrasts.
The pairing has been quoted as, “To hear the two come together is a breathtaking experience. These two fretless string instruments of the Carnatic tradition speak profoundly and movingly to each other.”
The trio of musicians in UNFRETTED possess a deep and sensitive understanding of the Carnatic form, which they are able to channel through a fresh, imaginative, and unbridled vision of collaborative music-making.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT PASSIM
The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their careers, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through its legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of our predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience as well as teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and international artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community.
For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.
