music

Inside the Soul of Dmitri Shostakovich

S Prasannarajan

How much does it take to be an artist under Soviet communism? Julian Barnes' exquisite portrait of a tormented musical genius

The State of Music

Lalitha Suhasini

Few states support alternative music in the country but things may finally be looking up for indie musicians, what with Kerala announcing state awards for independent music

A Comedy of Terrors

Madhavankutty Pillai

On the choices that AR Rahman faces

Beauty Redefined

TM Krishna

Aesthetics is not a matter of arts alone in an age of stifling cultural battles

Music for the Mind

Open

Our favourite songs can reveal the way our brains work

Baba Sehgal Reborn

Lhendup G Bhutia

The long forgotten Baba Sehgal, written off as too silly to be modern, reinvents himself as an internet star

Musical Instruments: The Sound of Creation

Sneha Bhura

A host of new musical instruments are born in India. A lowdown

Here’s my take on bands that have a body of work worth investing time and money in, and if they’re playing in your city, ensure that you catch the show. I’d trade my Buddy Guy pick to be a first-time listener of their music

AR Rahman: The maestro who inspires mastery

Shreya Sethuraman

Why does AR Rahman’s music spawn so many cover versions by other artists?

THE BROWN WHITE SYNDROME

Lalitha Suhasini

Songwriting by Indian bands in English has stood out for all the wrong reasons. It’s mostly unremarkable. I can’t remember any great pop song in English that I can sing word for word written by an Indian band in the past year