Varijashree Venugopal releases ‘Jaathre’ from her live album ‘Vari (The Live Sessions)’

Mumbai, 11^th April 2025: Get ready to experience the unique musical alchemy of Varijashree Venugopal as she unveils her first single, “Jaathre (Live),” from her exciting new album, “Vari (The Live Sessions)”. This vibrant track blends the rich traditions of Indian classical music with a contemporary twist, showcasing Varijashree’s exceptional vocal talents and innovative artistry.

“Jaathre” translates to a celebration reminiscent of Indian rural carnivals. The song captivates with an intense groove, weaving together a tapestry of melodic dialogues steeped in Indian classical Solfege, inspired by the Carnatic raga ‘Hemavathi’. Varijashree describes this tune as a “groove festival” that invites listeners to revel in the rhythm. “It is a joy to watch the listeners getting lost in the inescapable bounce of the rhythm,” she shares.

“Vari (The Live Sessions)” is a transformative artistic endeavour that features a curated selection of seven tracks from her acclaimed eponymous album “Vari.” Under the expert band direction of Grammy-winning bassist Michael League, this release captures the spontaneity and raw energy of live performance, all recorded in the heart of her hometown, Bengaluru. 

Michael League adds insights into the adaptation process for the live band, “Adapting the music of ‘Vari’ for a live six-piece band was actually not as difficult as I thought it would be. The record had, in some cases, over 20 musicians performing on a single song, so we had to put quite a bit of thought into how to convey the essence of the composition with one fifth of the album version’s instrumentation. But because each member of Varijashree’s group is so versatile, it didn’t take long to establish roles and find new ways to tell the same stories. Live, the violin acts not only as a unique melodic voice, but as a kind of harmony vocalist as well. Through use of samples and a very unconventional percussion setup, a wide variety of grooves are able to be crafted in real time without the use of pre-recorded tracks. Ultimately, I think the live experience is its own thing, and I enjoy it just as much as the record.”

Watch the song here:

The album features an incredible ensemble of musicians, including Michael League (bass), Pramath Kiran (percussions and co-arrangement), Jayachandra Rao (mridangam), Apoorva Krishna (violin), Vivek Santhosh (keys & synths), and special guest Praveen D Rao on harmonium, contributing to a profoundly intimate and immersive sound experience.

“‘Vari (The Live Sessions)’ album is a very special curation of seven songs from my previous original music album, ‘Vari,’ which has gone through a beautiful transformation into a live set, directed by Michael League, featuring few of the most brilliant artists of our country, adding their magic to it,” Varijashree explains. “The entire process of bringing these songs into a live performance format has been exciting and enriching. You will see us sharing so much joy in listening to each other, playing together, and finding our own freedom in blending into the ever-evolving sonic space.”

Check it out!