Classical Indian music is stepping off the distant stages and finding a place among the aroma of espresso and the clinking of café glasses.
Presented by local music company The Sum Tattvam (TST), Kutcheri in a Kafé completely reimagined the traditional Carnatic concert, transforming it into an accessible, communal Sunday hangout.
Held across two daytime sessions on Oct 25 at Bricolage, nestled near The Arts House and Victoria Theatre, the event successfully dismantled the invisible barrier between performer and audience.
In a standard classical setup, the melody usually anchors the performance. Kutcheri in a Kafe flipped this dynamic entirely by placing the mridangam—the South Indian double-headed drum—at the absolute center of the ensemble.
Mridangam artist Sai Akileshwar doubled as the event’s curator and moderator, guiding the audience through the nuances of the concert with accessible, engaging explanations.
He was joined in close quarters by a stellar lineup: vocalist Sai Vigneshwar, violinist Sriranjani Muthu Subramanian, and double bass player Dr Tony Makarome.
The ensemble opened with a clever nod to their environment: Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s varnam Sumanasayaka, set in the ‘Kapi’ raga.
The repertoire balanced uncompromising classical rigour with emotional resonance, featuring pieces like Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Ardhanareeswaram and a deeply moving rendition of Thyagaraja’s Pakkala Nilabadi.
The decision to trade rigid concert hall etiquette for curated canapés and coffee drew praise from both classical purists and newcomers.
For 66-year-old Carnatic aficionado Rukmini Sathish, the relaxed evening was a welcome departure from standard routines. Meanwhile, 28-year-old composer and teacher Pavithran Kanagaratnam praised the intimate, restriction-free environment.
The format achieved TST’s core mission: pushing the boundaries of traditional arts to create captivating, new audience experiences.
Ms Daksha Mohan, 29, who comes from a Western folk background, called the performance a “refreshing and novel experience”.
“Keeping the audience in mind, we tried to engage them without adding too many complex musical technicalities,” vocalist Sai Vigneshwar said, marking his first time performing Carnatic music in a cafe. “In that sense, Carnatic music is always adaptable to various settings, instruments and themes.”
By blending the rich heritage of Indian classical arts with the casual warmth of a modern cafe, Kutcheri in a Kafé proved that centuries-old traditions can still serve up something entirely fresh.
