Karnatic Song & Music Getting started with Karnatic singing (south Indian music) means discovering a very rich musical world vocally, melodically and rhythmically. What characterizes Emmanuelle's approach is to approach voice work above all else. Whatever the melody, the raga, the composition, there is no point in singing if the voice does not emerge from the right place within oneself. Adopt a correct, grounded, stable and relaxed posture. The voice that sounds fully reflects the dimension of being. What does it really mean to listen? It is becoming aware of the sound space occupied by the tampura*, listening to the swaras (notes), oneself, others in an internal attitude of welcome. Ragas (melodic modes) are like living, dynamic beings, in perpetual change. Discovering a raga is like meeting a new person, little by little their personality is revealed, a dialogue is established. The relationship between the raga, the one who sings it, and also the one who listens to it becomes a living act that continues to evolve. As for the swaras (notes), it is a question of seeking precision and paying attention to their “right place”. Finally, whether it is a vocal exercise, a composition, an improvisation, it is the tala (rhythmic cycle) which gives the essential structure. *Tampura: a plucked string instrument from India that supports the melody of another instrument or singer by providing a continuous harmonic drone. - Text written by Kalpana Métayer