Friday, February 21, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Cutting a balance between Art and the Audience
The above title was a serious topic of discussion in Madras organized by "THE HINDU" at Taj Connemara Hotel on 17th November 2008. My daughter Ranjani and my wife had the opportunity to attend. Of course, I could not, because of some preoccupations. The seminar was attended by scholars like Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Sri R. K. Sriram Kumar, Neyveli Santhanagopalan, Film dirctor Mani Kaul, Mrs. Leela Samson, who presented their papers for rections from the audience. Sri T. M. Krishna and Smt Nithyashree Mahadevan had responded for the papers from the audience side. Though I have not listened to the arguements, the subject taken up had really triggered me some thoughts and hence this blog.
The very title The Art and the Audience aims at a sort of marketting. Though Carnatic music is a way for Bhakti Margam, we can not just accept that it is still aiming at it. Any art is for a performance. The performer performs it for the sake of the audience. That means he has to look into the taste of the audience too. In other words, he will also keep in mind to cater the needs of the audience. This is nothing but marketting. Neither Shyama Shastri nor Tyagaraja did this marketting during their venture of swimming in the ocean of Bhakti in Carnatic music.
I have not seen or observed any carnatic music singer performing Bhakti on the stage so far. The accompanists are also often found too care less or quite "tasteless". The same Kalyani or Todi or Begada would have sufficiently bored him/her to the extent that he would not even nod his head. The carnatic music has become stereotyped, laden with a heavy burden of Gamakas, Birkas, Brugas, and Kanakkus (mathematics). It was perhaps that Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna who came out of the Bhakti shell and started "playing" with Swaras. This art was for show-manship. Kunnakkudi or Mandolin Srinivas, or Vikku Vinayakaram and a host of all such veterans have exhibited their art forms through such show-manship only. But when Santhanam or Madhurai Somusundaram or Veena Doraiswamy Iyengar performed their art on the stage, we may get an "illusion" of Bhakti in their concert. But they too would have worked so hard to reach the audience. Is it not a marketting. Perhaps M D Ramanathan would not have cared for the audience. He would have sung for himself. But his craftmanship of music on the stage was a show-piece.
Any artiste will always be put to a kind of confusion as, whether he is pefoming as Bhakti or as an exhibitin art form. Senior musicians and gurus would have brain washed sufficently all their juniors and desciples that Carnatic music is for Salvation through Bhakti. Every musician would have felt in their inner most that they have not attained neither Bhakti nor Mukti. But they are trained so well that to say against this amounts to blassphemy. And hence they become the obedient students or juniors of Carnatic music genre.
Personally I know that our Indian music is a pathway for searching tha "Awaaz" or "Sur" which finally culminates in Omkaar and ultimately to an Anaahat Naad (unheard melody). But who performs this? and even if performed can it be believed that it is performed in front of an audience! Will it be possible to show craftmenship and brainwork wothout showmanship? When the art is for the audience, the audience must be taken care off. That means the marketting becomes inevitable. If one wants to sing for Bhakti margam, he has to do that in solitude. Prayers through Bhakti should not be disturbed at all by your neighbourers. It should be in solitude.
Carnatic music surely satisfies the means by which one can attain Bhakti and Mukti but the modern approach to the space and time has completely changed to marketting.
I still believe that in the days to come people will get fed up with this gymmicry and voice circus and once again go back in search of the Bhakti Rasa in our music. What we are seeing in the present scenario of carnatic music is just one phase of its development. Where as most of the artistes are busy in marketting, there would be handfull of saint singers cropping up who would retain the good old tradition of the real Rasa of our music.
The very title The Art and the Audience aims at a sort of marketting. Though Carnatic music is a way for Bhakti Margam, we can not just accept that it is still aiming at it. Any art is for a performance. The performer performs it for the sake of the audience. That means he has to look into the taste of the audience too. In other words, he will also keep in mind to cater the needs of the audience. This is nothing but marketting. Neither Shyama Shastri nor Tyagaraja did this marketting during their venture of swimming in the ocean of Bhakti in Carnatic music.
I have not seen or observed any carnatic music singer performing Bhakti on the stage so far. The accompanists are also often found too care less or quite "tasteless". The same Kalyani or Todi or Begada would have sufficiently bored him/her to the extent that he would not even nod his head. The carnatic music has become stereotyped, laden with a heavy burden of Gamakas, Birkas, Brugas, and Kanakkus (mathematics). It was perhaps that Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna who came out of the Bhakti shell and started "playing" with Swaras. This art was for show-manship. Kunnakkudi or Mandolin Srinivas, or Vikku Vinayakaram and a host of all such veterans have exhibited their art forms through such show-manship only. But when Santhanam or Madhurai Somusundaram or Veena Doraiswamy Iyengar performed their art on the stage, we may get an "illusion" of Bhakti in their concert. But they too would have worked so hard to reach the audience. Is it not a marketting. Perhaps M D Ramanathan would not have cared for the audience. He would have sung for himself. But his craftmanship of music on the stage was a show-piece.
Any artiste will always be put to a kind of confusion as, whether he is pefoming as Bhakti or as an exhibitin art form. Senior musicians and gurus would have brain washed sufficently all their juniors and desciples that Carnatic music is for Salvation through Bhakti. Every musician would have felt in their inner most that they have not attained neither Bhakti nor Mukti. But they are trained so well that to say against this amounts to blassphemy. And hence they become the obedient students or juniors of Carnatic music genre.
Personally I know that our Indian music is a pathway for searching tha "Awaaz" or "Sur" which finally culminates in Omkaar and ultimately to an Anaahat Naad (unheard melody). But who performs this? and even if performed can it be believed that it is performed in front of an audience! Will it be possible to show craftmenship and brainwork wothout showmanship? When the art is for the audience, the audience must be taken care off. That means the marketting becomes inevitable. If one wants to sing for Bhakti margam, he has to do that in solitude. Prayers through Bhakti should not be disturbed at all by your neighbourers. It should be in solitude.
Carnatic music surely satisfies the means by which one can attain Bhakti and Mukti but the modern approach to the space and time has completely changed to marketting.
I still believe that in the days to come people will get fed up with this gymmicry and voice circus and once again go back in search of the Bhakti Rasa in our music. What we are seeing in the present scenario of carnatic music is just one phase of its development. Where as most of the artistes are busy in marketting, there would be handfull of saint singers cropping up who would retain the good old tradition of the real Rasa of our music.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Gratitude
One muslim student at Dubai had sent her greetings , This is my reply-
It was really a pleasant surprise to have a phone call from your mother on the Deepaavali day to greet me on your behalf and herself. I thought I am really lucky to have such lovable students all over the world even if my world is just confined only to a small township of Udupi.Though my India is scratching the backs each other ,to the extent of kiling even, between hindu- muslim, hindu - christian, there are still many more noble souls who care for affection , love and values, undisturbed by such dirty politicsThe unstinted love and affection shown by you can only be real testimony as how we can be free from the politics of religion.Sometimes I think, what I have done for you to remember me so much. Except that I have taught you Botany, and perhaps , of course,some bangings for not being up-to-date in the subject, I do not remember anything motivating you, further. But the way you have put me in a high pedastal has made me really sit quiet and feel nothing but gratitude. Thanks a lot Shama. May God bless you.
It was really a pleasant surprise to have a phone call from your mother on the Deepaavali day to greet me on your behalf and herself. I thought I am really lucky to have such lovable students all over the world even if my world is just confined only to a small township of Udupi.Though my India is scratching the backs each other ,to the extent of kiling even, between hindu- muslim, hindu - christian, there are still many more noble souls who care for affection , love and values, undisturbed by such dirty politicsThe unstinted love and affection shown by you can only be real testimony as how we can be free from the politics of religion.Sometimes I think, what I have done for you to remember me so much. Except that I have taught you Botany, and perhaps , of course,some bangings for not being up-to-date in the subject, I do not remember anything motivating you, further. But the way you have put me in a high pedastal has made me really sit quiet and feel nothing but gratitude. Thanks a lot Shama. May God bless you.
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