About
Viveick Rajagopalan is a Mumbai-based mridangam maestro, composer and collaborator whose flagship Ta Dhom Project creates a new sub-genre of Indian hip-hop, using konnakol, the vocal rhythm-language of the Carnatic tradition, as the foundation for the rhythmic poetry of vernacular Indian rap.
A serial collaborator who has performed with artists from Shri to Richard Bona and Jethro Tull, Viveick Rajagopalan launched Ta Dhom in 2016-17 with rappers of Mumbai's regional-rap collective Swadesi, releasing the acclaimed Ta Dhom Project album in 2022. The project has been showcased internationally, including at WOMEX, and on marquee Indian stages such as the Royal Opera House in Mumbai, and stands as one of the most inventive fusions of Indian classical rhythm and contemporary urban music.
The artistry
Ta Dhom grew from informal konnakol sessions in a Mumbai park, where Viveick Rajagopalan, classically trained on the mridangam from age nine, met rappers from the city's thriving regional rap scene. The project binds konnakol's spoken syllables to rap in Marathi, Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati and more, over mridangam, kanjira and contemporary beats, a genuinely original meeting of Carnatic rhythm and hip-hop that keeps both traditions raw and intact.
[Atlas Perspective] Viveick Rajagopalan is a master percussionist and one of the most inventive fusion minds in Indian music. For festivals and events seeking originality that is both rooted and contemporary, the Ta Dhom Project is a standout, differentiated choice.
Viveick Rajagopalan's Ta Dhom Project has opened a genuinely new creative space, showing that the Carnatic rhythm-language of konnakol and vernacular Indian hip-hop share a deep affinity. It bridges classical tradition and urban youth culture, and platforms regional-language rap alongside classical percussion.