“Holistic documentation was was missing in the Carnatic music ecosystem when we began,” points out Charubala. When they started the Chasur Arts foundation in the 1990s, most music composers and companies focused solely on the commercial value of music. They would record only short pieces, devotional tracks, or the lighter endings of the concert; it was never the whole concert experience. “We founded a massive artistic vacuum,” highlights Charubala. That was when they decided to take responsibility for preserving the complete art form without dilution or any compromise. “The sense of responsibility to culture, to artists, to future generations is what drove us,” stresses Suresh.
Not only preserving
Apart from preserving Carnatic music, Charsur Arts Foundation also focuses on conducting workshops called Paathashaala, where Carnatic music is taught by well-known artistes, gurus and musicologists. For this year’s December season, Charsur Arts Foundation will present a 17-day celebration of Carnatic music with the theme, Rama Nama – A divine Mantra. Apart from this, they also focus on providing scholarships and financial support for deserving students from economically weaker sections, financial help for senior artists and nurture young Carnatic music talent. The Foundation also holds a Young talent festival, where they not only observe growth of the youngsters but also focus on their dedication discipline and potential. If they demonstrate growth, they move to the next level, such as playing in thematic stages, intermediate platforms and collaborations. If they clear those, they will be moved to a major milestone step, where they will become part of the December music festival. “Our focus is not just giving a stage but guiding an artist’s journey,” highlights Suresh.
Digitalisation of Carnatic Music
What began with preserving the art and later turned to a cultural evolution as well. As part of this, now Charsur Arts Foundation has three different platforms called Charsur Vodcasts, music on demand and Kokilavani, where they preserve all the songs and have videos of all the artistes as well.
Charsur Vodcast is not only about technology, it is also about the nuances that go behind all the videos and live streaming, starting from the lighting that honours the stage, or the multiple cameras and particularly about the sound engineering that is refined by the years of listening. This video-on-demand service also offers live streaming flexibility, where users from all over the world can watch the concerts live without any hassle.
Music On Demand is through an app or website where users can listen to rare archival temple-based Kshetra compilations, thematic albums and the December Concert as well. Kokilavani is a portable digital music device, which is pre-loaded with the organisation’s extensive catalogue of around 715 albums and nearly 5600 tracks. It has various collections such as studio-produced thematic projects, live December season concerts, rare re-mastered performances of senior maestros, spoken-word material, music lessons, and spiritual content.
Tackling Money
“Every rupee we earn goes back into the ecosystem,” says Suresh. Charsur Arts Foundation generates its revenue from its digital platforms, workshops and season passes, but together it covers only about 15–20 per cent of annual needs. The remaining 80 per cent of their revenue is generated from individuals who believe in the foundation and also want to preserve this Carnatic ecosystem. Mentioning the copyright model, Suresh says that the foundation is completely against the rigid copyright model. “The foundation recordings help the researchers or the students, or the singers. It should be given free access, in our opinion,” he stresses.
Amalgamation of technology and Carnatic music
“Technology helps mankind in various ways, one such way is called Digital washing,” says Suresh. In this, the forgotten or the recordings that have been digitally degraded get totally transformed, almost close to the original. The washed recordings act as the backbone for students who use it as lessons. “For researchers, they are the data and for the listeners, they are like a window into the era they have never witnessed. But for the art form, they are memories saved from oblivion,” reminiscences Suresh.
In order to ensure artistic integrity, tone accuracy and archival longevity, Charsur Arts Foundation does all its products in-house. They use digital udio Tape, high-end microphone and 4K videos with 24-bit Audio. “This commitment is why many musicians prefer to record with us; they trust our ethics,” Suresh points out.
Fifty years from now, if a student wants to hear exactly what a Ragam–Talam–Pallavi (RTP)sounded like in 2025, they can rely on the Charsur Arts Foundation. “Carnatic music deserves an ecosystem that respects its depth, supports its practitioners and makes its knowledge accessible globally. That is the legacy we are building,” ends Suresh