If you have heard Sanjay Subrahmanyan sing Tamil poet Bharatidasan’s song “Thunbam Nergaiyil Yazh Eduthu Nee Inbam Serkka Maataya” (In my hour of sorrow, won’t you pick up the harp and give me sweet melody), you might have already imagined the dulcet notes of the ancient instrument invoked so poignantly by the song. In Chennai, a group of youngsters went one step further. They began to read up on the now-extinct instrument, finding references from libraries and museums, and recreated the yazh.
Uru Music Collective was founded in 2019 by Tharun Sekar, a young architect and guitarist from Madurai. Tharun, 26, a music enthusiast from the age of 16, met Erisa Neogy, a luthier, during an architectural internship. Neogy taught the art of instrument making to Tharun, who developed a passion for recreating instruments in versatile designs without altering their original tone. He began with extensive research into guitars and keyboards, which led to new designs that can be played by everyone.
“That was the beginning of an endeavour that would later become Uru,” said Tharun. Soon, his solo mission found support from like-minded friends and music enthusiasts in and around Tamil Nadu. The team, which includes architects, storytellers, and professional percussionists, now consists of Siva Subramaniyan, Pravekha, Keerthi Rathan, Suraj, Kumar Shaw, and Tharun.
Uru’s main mission so far has been to revive the yazh and other ancient instruments. “Reviving an ancient musical instrument is no easy feat,” said Tharun. “I call this a passion project, driven by a social mission, and we’re committed to making it a success.”
The yazh, a lyre or harp-like string instrument that originated in India and Sri Lanka, was once abundant in the region, but became extinct due to the lack of use and manufacturing. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement
The yazh, a lyre or harp-like string instrument that originated in India and Sri Lanka, was once abundant in the region, but became extinct due to the lack of use and manufacturing. “Losing the artistic and cultural heritage of a people can mark the gradual death of their civilisation itself,” said Tharun.
Soon, the instrument was relegated to one or two rare pieces in museums. “Fortunately, references to the yazh abound in scriptures and texts such as Silappathikaram, Seevaga Sindhaamani, Perumpanatruppadai, Saivathirumurai, Thirukkural, Thiruppalliiezhuchi, and Tholkapiyam, which have plenty of literary and aesthetic descriptions of the yazh and its beauty,” said Tharun.
Hitting the right notes
Tharun took on the formidable challenge of not only reviving the yazh but the art of playing it as well. Working in tandem with Madurai-based architect M. Sivasubramanian, using both historical references and visual cues, Tharun worked on the basic design. The yazh is designed on the Harmonic Curve theory, which involves precise calculations of length, diameter, and material to produce the right musical notes from the strings. The best wood to use today for making the yazh are jackfruit or red cedar.
To revive the yazh, certain compromises had to be made with the original design. The instrument was originally made with goat skin, which would be adhered to the structure with turmeric and tamarind-based pastes, which made tuning the instrument an arduous task. As a result, bracketed hooks were added to the original design. Red cedar made the instrument less cumbersome, and the size was also reduced, making its logistics more manageable. Today, the yazh is tuned to the global C major scale, enabling anyone with guitar-playing skills to use it. The original goat gut was replaced with metal strings.
Tharun Sekar playing the yazh. His goal is to create an electric version of the instrument, making it more appealing to younger generations. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement
Tharun’s goal is to create an electric version of the yazh, making it more appealing to younger generations. Tharun, Syan Saheer, Sivasubramanian, Naveen Sekar, and Inframe magazine released a song named “Azhagi”, which marked the world’s first-ever recorded song using the yazh.
Preserving cultural artefacts of a rich heritage for future generations to enjoy is a crucial way of understanding history, and Tharun’s effort to revive the yazh is a prime example of this. Rather than simply consigning the instrument to a museum, he has taken the step to revive and pass on a musical heritage to future generations.
Uru, the band
As a musical band, the Uru team explores themes such as history, memory, and the body. They combine politics and nature in their narratives and work on the philosophy behind their work, which is mostly about nature, with political elements included. “One of our recent performances, at Dakshinachitra Heritage Museum in Chennai, centred around these themes,” said Tharun.
The music collective has had three performances so far, and they plan to continue performing independently while also scaling up their online presence. They have upcoming performances in Bengaluru and are in talks with museums for potential gigs. While their music is derived from Tamil culture, Tharun hopes to expand audiences and share Uru’s music with more people.
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Uru has gotten support from its fans and the public. The team is exploring other avenues, such as teaching and offering online courses, to scale up its reach. Tharun and his team also create other unique instruments that are not readily available in the market, focussing on instruments from Eastern cultures and stories.
Looking towards the future
Tharun, passionate about the unique qualities of Eastern instruments and cultures, hopes the government and investors will show interest and help expand Uru’s reach beyond India’s borders. According to him, these instruments have immense significance in culture and society, playing an integral part in people’s entertainment and celebrations. The Uru collective also plans to create a data bank by recording all its works for future reference. The idea is to introduce Eastern instruments to a global audience, as well as to home audiences.
“Our focus on creating an inclusive ecosystem for learning and performance can make us a company to watch for in the music industry,” said Tharun.
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