An Exploration of Harmonious Balance Between Two Identities: Sid Sriram at Blue Note Jazz Club

As Sriram paves the path between his Indian and American identities through Carnatic and Jazz fusion, he has created a musical legacy for generations to come, inspiring many with his artistic process.

Sid Sriram (pictured above) performing at Blue Note Jazz Club on September 22nd.

Photography by Iya Wakil/The Barnard Bulletin

By Iya Wakil

October 14, 2024

New York City, a city that holds the reputation of being a melting-pot of different cultures and traditions, manifesting across all types of artistry and self-expression. Growing up Iraqi American with immigrant parents and as an art enthusiast, I found ways to take pride in my identity through watching others embrace the complexity of their own cultural identities. When I learned that Sid Sriram, an Indian American singer and songwriter popular for his musical versatility, was performing in the city at Blue Note Jazz Club on September 22 just a few subway stops and one train transfer away, I knew I could not miss witnessing his artistry unfold live. 

When I listened to Sid Sriram’s music for the first time, I was impressed with the way he would go from singing in Malayalam to Tamil to Telugu, flowing through different languages as smooth and steady as a serene river stream. As someone whose first language is Arabic, a language with little in common to the ones he sings in, I still appreciated the similarities between the poetic lyrics these songs had to the Arabic ones I grew up hearing. It was fascinating seeing the similarities between the beautiful harmonies and experimental scales that exist in both the Arab and South Asian music worlds. However, what truly makes Sriram’s music special to me is the way he incorporates Carnatic music in not only his music career in India, but the career that he began building for himself in the West. 

Sid Sriram used music to build a bridge between his South Asian and American identities, experimenting with his extensive background in Carnatic music and his love for jazz and R&B. Carnatic music is a type of Indian classical music that originated in South India and holds great significance as a devotional art form. Its emphasis on improvisation to evoke emotion to the listener, known as “raags” in Sanskrit, is central to this type of music. What makes Carnatic music differ from Western classical music—which primarily focuses on harmony and orchestration—is that it is a spiritual, vocal-centric art form with rhythmic structures that vary in complexity. These structures heavily depend on the theme or set of emotions that each performance is meant to demonstrate. Rather than musical instruments being the main aspect of these performances, Carnatic music uses them to complement the vocal aspect of each piece. 

Photography by Iya Wakil/The Barnard Bulletin

Despite being raised in the West, Sriram is skilled in this art form, crediting Carnatic music as a central part of his connection to his Chennai roots. During his NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Sriram spoke about how music has helped him “celebrat[e] a spectrum of [his] identity.” In his debut album, “Sidharth,” Sriram embraces his love for both his South Indian and American identities through seamless integrations of solo Carnatic interpretations while extensively exploring and combining jazz-like melodies. Carnatic music’s unique nature gives Sriram a space to improvise—much like jazz—which is why these two distinct genres come together to communicate his love for the beautiful aspects of life: the connection and community that are created and fostered with artistic expression. 

I had an incredible time listening to Sid Sriram’s live performance at Blue Note. The small, dimly-lit space created an intimate connection between the musicians, Sid, and the rest of the audience, much like the space he had during his NPR performance. He started off with the Vakratunda Mahakaya Mantra, a Hindu prayer typically chanted at the beginning of each endeavor, and then transitioned gracefully into “Blue Spaces.” Throughout the performance, he continued improvising, using small fragments of his South Indian songs, one of my favorites being “En Uyir Kaatre,” oscillating gracefully between different tones and pitches, with the jazz band following closely along. 

The talent that Sid Sriram possesses, along with the pride that he has for his heritage and background is beautifully reflected in his performances, especially this one that I witnessed unfold in front of my eyes; it was truly a “melodic outpouring coming from a space of intuition,” as Sriram described his process with creating music. His performance was an ode to the different aspects of the two different worlds that he was raised in: Chennai and the Bay Area. As an Arab American and art enthusiast myself, it was inspiring to see someone who also comes from multiple different backgrounds fully embrace their cultural identity through music. For me, Sriram’s performance was like a journey: from the peaceful melodies—that sound like a mother comforting her child in a mother tongue—to the outburst of emotions reflected in the numerous ragas that Sriram performs. 

Since discovering Sid Sriram, my love for Carnatic music has grown exponentially. The way that he honors his heritage and the deep, rich history of Carnatic music is truly admirable.  In a beautiful yet difficult world, music is truly our biggest blessing and gives us an outlet—or a mechanism, as Sriram calls it—to express and make sense of our emotions and experiences. Seeing this pride that Sriram is healing for children of immigrants like myself, I am confident that we can learn to coexist peacefully and proudly with each part of our identity.