Vivek Rajagopalan

If you believe in the experimental, then welcome to the new-age Indian trance music. Mridangam sensation Vivek Rajagopalan's new album, Moving Images, is not just funky and global, but is also a social commentary on today's India.

Comprising mostly of heavy percussion, with other classical instruments like sitar, flute and the violin. The tracks are a pot-pourri of Carnatic, Hindustani, electronic and jazz. It creates a truly international soundscape over an Indian music base. The album consists of 9 sound-tracks with vocals in only a couple of them. Commentary running over the sounds is nouveau for the Indian music scene. And Vivek explores it well.

Although, having to hear the same words over and over in at least 4 tracks, gets a tad monotonous. Change in the narrative in the tracks would have made the album more appealing. The End…the beginning has a TV report on the Mumbai train blasts running over slow sitar music and a hum which slowly picks up on percussion. It creates a chilling and disturbing effect on the listener. Bolo by Vivek is an interesting and one of the shorter tracks from the album. It has Vivek making percussion sounds with his mouth. Another interesting track is snake in the city, which is the last sound-track in the album.

The inlay cover too is impressive with hypnotic visuals of the percussionist. The album released by Blue Frog records has a price tag of Rs 299. It is a little on the higher-side, but not unaffordable. Overall, Moving Images is a challenge to the Indian music listener. If you can get over the commercial kitsch and want an experience in world music with an adventurous blend with Indian music, then go ahead and sample Vivek Rajagopalan's Moving Images. - UTVi (TV report)

The powerful orchestra enhanced the effect and charged the atmosphere.
At Isha Yoga Centre, 30 kilometres from Coimbatore, at the foothills of Vellingiri, Mahasivaratri is a memorable event for people from different walks of life and different parts of the world.

The evening began with the gurupuja at Dhyanalinga temple , with Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev offering obeisance to the great masters of the past. This was followed by ‘Nadha Aradhana,’ an offering of sounds to the deity.

There were devotional renditions themed ‘Dancing with Siva’ by Vijay Prakash and Vivek Rajagopalan. ‘Sounds of Isha,’ Isha’s homegrown band, played energetically and kept the audience on their feet until the early morning hours. The day dawned with the powerful chanting of “Sambho” by thousands of voices that reverberated through the surrounding hills. - The Hindu October 18th 2005