CHENNAI, INDIA, September 17, 2025 (New Indian Express): Siblings Lydian Nadhaswaram and Amirthavarshini, child prodigies in their own right, have turned their studio into a musical laboratory where rhythm and tradition meet. The space hums with the presence of instruments—piano, strings, percussion—and the gentle glow of a computer where tunes are constantly being tested, replayed, and perfected. Here, between bursts of laughter and sound, the duo is reimagining Thirukkural as an anthology of 1,330 songs, giving each two-line kural its own melody. In a candid interview with CE, the duo shares about their two-year journey for their latest project, “The Thirukural 1330—Kuralisaikkaaviyam”

Lydian: We really wanted The Thirukural 1330 to reach beyond just Tamil-speaking audiences, because the messages in the kurals are universal. That’s why we decided to create 1,330 lyrical videos — one for each kural. In every video, we’ve included the original kural in Tamil, followed by its meaning in Tamil, and then a simplified English version. The English renditions are written by my uncle, Vishwas Gaitonde, who is based in the US. He has a deep understanding of both languages and cultures, so his versions aren’t literal word-for-word translations, but concise interpretations that capture the essence in a way that’s easy for anyone to understand. This way, even if someone doesn’t know Tamil at all, they can still connect with the depth and beauty of the Thirukkural.

Amirthavarshini: On September 8, 2023, right after Lydian turned 18, we put out an announcement on YouTube inviting 1,000 singers from across the globe to join us in this journey. Honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect, but the response was nothing short of overwhelming — we received more than 270,000 emails from singers of every age group, from different corners of the world. Each entry was so unique, and it was incredibly moving to see how many people were eager to be part of something connected to the Thirukkural. We personally listened to every submission, paying close attention to both musical ability and, most importantly, good Tamil pronunciation. After a long and careful selection process, we finally chose about 1,000 voices.

Read the full interview at source.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2025/Sep/18/siblings-lydian-and-amrithavarshini-now-create-tunes-for-every-thirukkural

View the remarkable individual short videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@LydianNadhaswaramOfficial/videos

Post Views: 393