Bhairavi Raman and Nanthesh Sivarajah – Syncretic

Syncretic marks the debut album from Australian duo Bhairavi Raman (Western and Carnatic violin) and Nanthesh Sivarajah (mridangam). Sharing Tamil heritage, they bridge Carnatic tradition and contemporary practice with restraint and clarity. Their interplay lets the classical framework breathe while subtle use of delay, looping and layered harmonies refracts it through modern sound.

Raman’s rigorous training under Sri S. Varadarajan, Sri Murali Kumar and Sri Gopinath Iyer informs her expressive interpretations. Sivarajah, a disciple of Sri Jambunathan, Sri Balasri Rasiah and Sri T. R. Sundaresan, expands the mridangam’s role, balancing structure and atmosphere.

Syncretic is where Tamil heritage, diasporic memory and experimentation converge – proof that tradition endures as living sound, continually evolving in new hands.