It may have been a refreshing and entertaining sight for those taking a casual walk in their local park to see a duo singing and playing the guitar in the anxious and dreary atmosphere of – perhaps the world’s strictest – COVID lockdown.
Melbourne was restricted indoors for months together in 2020 and people were only allowed to leave their homes for fulfilling essential needs. But this Indian-Australian duo began to strike Bollywood’s musical notes in a park in Doncaster East.
Coincidentally, it was that the time of the year when the global Hindu community celebrates the nine-day festival of Navratri to herald the upcoming festive season. The duo, thus, also belted out some devotional songs, creating a fusion of Indian musical genres.
This was their first public performance, which gave birth to Sattvic Raaga, their YouTube channel.
Highlights:
- Melbourne's Padma Vishwanath and Vinod Hariharan have started Sattvic Raaga, a YouTube channel dedicated to Bollywood songs and bhajans.
- The COVID lockdown brought them together, they began singing in a park in Doncaster East.
- Followers of Art of Living, both took music lessons in India before moving to Australia.
“Satsang (religious or spiritual congregation) was not allowed during the lockdown. So, we would sing a devotional song every day in the park during Navratri and go live on Facebook, and our friends and family would watch us," recalls Mr Hariharan.
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Music to their ears: How the lockdown struck a chord for Padma, Vinod and Sattvic Raaga
SBS Hindi
05/04/202111:34
Padma Vishwanath and Vinod Hariharan live in Melbourne. Source: supplied by Padma Vishwanath
Both are followers of the Indian spiritual movement, Art of Living, known for their devotional songs set to soft music — often just a guitar – a departure from the usual ones that are sung out loud to a multi-instrument orchestra.
Mr Hariharan is an IT professional and has also learnt some music, while Ms Vishwanath teaches yoga.
She says this journey started in a park.
“Vinod and I are friends and have an interest in music and singing. We would go for a walk during the lockdown and sing. One thing led to another and we started practising,” says Mr Hariharan, who moved to Australia from India’s capital city, New Delhi, in 2017.
“I learnt music only for a couple of years during my school days in Delhi. I could not pursue it because the family had to move to another place,” he adds.
Padma and Vinod have learnt some classical music in India. Source: Supplied by Padma Vishwanath
Ms Vishwanath’s story is similar. She learnt classical music in India for some time but could not continue with it.
“Inspired by Art of Living singers, we wanted to do something new. So, we started our YouTube channel where we combine Bollywood songs with kirtan (devotional singing).
"However, the mood of this fusion is different. We sing two songs together. It is a juxtaposition of not just genres but the songs as well,” she explains.
The response from people has been good, they say, but “it is just a start”, and they hope “this journey never ends”.
Mr Hariharan is an IT professional and has also learnt some music, while Ms Vishwanath teaches yoga. Source: Supplied by Padma Vishwanath
“Music brings people together. Music brought us together, that too in lockdown. This is special,” says Mr Hariharan.
