Bhairavi Raman & Nanthesh Sivarajah - Syncretic

Bhairavi Raman and Nanthesh Sivarajah present Syncretic, a debut full-length that unites Western classical form with the rich traditions of Carnatic music. Both artists share Tamil heritage, a thread that hums through every piece — connecting Raman’s South Indian lineage and Sivarajah’s Sri Lankan roots in a dialogue of rhythm, melody and memory.

A Western and Carnatic violinist, Raman folds history and experimentation into a sound that honours her training under Sri S. Varadarajan, Sri Murali Kumar and Sri Gopinath Iyer while exploring new expressive circuits through looping, delay and subtle synthesis. Her violin traces the emotional essence of each raga, from the playful centrepiece ‘Seven’ (raga Bahudari) to the moving reinterpretation of the Tamil poem ‘Thunbam Nergayil’.

Sivarajah, a mridangam player and percussionist trained by Sri Jambunathan, Sri Balasri Rasiah and Sri T. R. Sundaresan, anchors the record with rhythmic intelligence and depth. His composition ‘Guardian’ reveals the drum as both structure and ornament, expanding its traditional role through layering and spatial sound design.

Syncretic is a luminous exploration of cultural continuity — a living conversation between past and present, where Tamil heritage and contemporary sound coexist, transform and endure.