Sound without sight: The music that sees | Fusion - WeRIndia

Music often reshapes spaces before people notice the shift.

In a crowded Hyderabad cafe, conversations drift until a piano interrupts gently.

Gradually, cups still and voices soften.

Anupam Kunapuli sits at the keys, calm and contained. He does not see the room settle. However, he hears everything.

At 41, Anupam builds his world through sound. He is blind and partially deaf. Nevertheless, he treats both as facts, not definitions.

Early hospital corridors shaped his childhood. A rare intestinal disorder led to surgery at birth. Subsequently, retinal damage took his sight.

Years later, more surgeries followed, including brain surgery. Yet these details never directed his life. Music did.

Initially, he wanted to learn piano. Teachers refused, citing notation barriers. Therefore, his mother guided him toward Carnatic music.

There, listening outweighs reading. He trained rigorously. He memorised ragas as living ideas, not patterns.

Meanwhile, he sharpened his ear for microtones and rhythmic shifts. As a result, sound became instinct.

Later, jazz expanded his thinking. Recordings and mentors introduced him to improvisation. Structure loosened.

Conversation replaced compliance. He often cites Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis as anchors. Their music proved emotion needs no permission. Consequently, he embraced freedom within form.

A defining moment arrived at Mumbai Piano Day. Invited by Louis Banks, he approached the piano assisted.

Before he played, the audience stood. The ovation acknowledged presence, not spectacle. Therefore, he performed on his terms.

Today, he plays across Hyderabad, from Gachibowli cafes to ITC Kohenur. Often, diners barely notice him. Still, he shapes their evenings.

Between sets, he practises daily and composes in his studio. Additionally, he experiments with jazz fused into Indian classical frameworks.

Offstage, he values routine. He exercises, practises yoga, and walks with his father. His mother manages his diet carefully.

He swims when possible. He watches wrestling to unwind. Above all, he seeks normalcy, not sympathy.

Looking ahead, he plans collaborations across India and beyond. He also envisions concerts in complete darkness.

In that space, only listening survives. For Anupam, music remains dialogue. And dialogue, ultimately, needs no eyes.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on March 16, 2017

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1166009