Spotlight
Excerpts

The following are excerpts from the keynote address and some
papers presented at the conference. Keynote address Lalgudi G. Jayaraman Social
values and aspirations play a definite role in the shaping as well as nurturing
of art. Perhaps an analogy would help explain this. If we imagine the
institutions serving music as a lamp, the social values and aspirations as the
oil, the social context as the wick, the artist's self-expression is the spark
that lights the lamp which bathes the artist and the rasika-s in the light.
Thus, our artistic experience is a product of interplay among a number of
mutually dependent factors the society, its values, its goals and its
institutions and the artist's own experience of these.
When the theme of this seminar is viewed in the above light,
it becomes clear that Carnatic music in the 21st century would be as we want it
to be. Automatically a question arises how should we want it to be? Classical
Carnatic music is still moored in the human quest for union with the godhead.
The great savants and divine composers who were born in this blessed land of
ours had faith in music as an effective medium to liberate the soul and attain
final beatitude. It is this aspect of Carnatic music which makes the singer and
the listeners both to converge in bliss.
The state of Carnatic music in the future will depend on
whether we preserve this aspect or look upon it as a means of entertainment.
Crucial to this is the interaction between artists, cultural institutions that
promote the art, sponsors who have taken the role of the royal philanthropists
of yesteryears in giving deserving encouragement, the printed, visual and aural
media and last but never the least, the rasika-s. The contemporary scenario is
pregnant with a variety of possibilities: cinema music, pop music, devotional
music, fusion music, jugalbandi-s and even ghazal-s which have become popular.
It is in our hands to let Carnatic music to be, one amongst these, or be
ovewhelmed by these, or be the one classic art with its essential divinity
vigorously alive and inspiring. Senior vidwans and connoisseurs are therefore
concerned whether there will be continuity in upholding traditional values or
in the name of evolution, the whole system will become unrecognisable in the
years to come....
The ideal musician is one whose idiom is a happy blend of
lakshana and lakshya. One cannot exist without the other. Awareness of solpha
placings in a raga delineation or a kriti rendering is secondary, while other
characteristics such as subtle nuances, gamaka-s, slow and fast phrases are of
greater significance. It is true that mere stringing of swara-s one after another
will not portray the full fledged beauty and swaroopa of the raga. In my
opinion it is essential that one should have keen swara gnana; but even more
important is a clear awareness of the swara sthana and swaroopa.... Just as
there are different levels among performing artists, so are there different
levels of appreciation among rasika-s. Some are likely to get swayed by the
crowds who throng to listen to particular artists, irrespective of the quality
of the fare that is offered. It is at this juncture that we need to look into
the responsibilities of a performer. It is his bounden duty to raise the level
of appreciation among the audience by first trying to widen his own horizons in
a healthy positive fashion, keeping an open mind and being receptive to
constructive criticism. In the traditional kutcheri format, if he were to
introduce welcome, fresh ideas that enhance the classical appeal of the music,
it would most certainly prove to be educative and gradually elevate the
standards of appreciation among listeners....
Carnatic music is an art-form that caters to the taste of
only a culturally discerning section of society and it is almost impossible to
make it reach the masses. But several attempts have been made in the form of
fusion music, jugalbandi-s in different disciplines, concerts with film songs
based on Carnatic music and so on. The question is not whether these forms
should subsist or be encouraged or discouraged. So long as any form is an
authentic expression of the artistic experiences of the performer, it is
legitimate. But the question is whether
Who's
afraid of the 21st century T.R. Subramanyam
We cannot now say
exactly how music would be in the next century. One method of approaching the
job is to analyze what and how things have happened in the past, at least in
the nearby centuries, and try to find a logical extension of the process,
subject, of course, to unexpected turn of events that are common in any
history. It will consume a whole seminar to examine all that happened to music
in the past centuries.
Assuring ourselves that music has existed since time
immemorial, we will now take up only certain more prominent happenings.
• The adhara sruti for instance. It is almost impossible for
a present-day musician to think of a music without some sort of tuning to a
common pitch called adhara sruti. But, this was not in vogue in the days of the
yazh in which the pann-s were played as per the range of the strings available
in a particular instrument. The tesituna of compositions was hardly one octave
because of the limitations of the yazh. Only raga-s practicable in the modal
shift process were handled. Even the shadja, madhyama gandhara grama-s do not
seem to have a clear base of adhara sruti or the panchama which is a strong
non-variant note today. What the grama-s were, is itself obscure till today and
only dry musicologists speak about them, leaving the practical musicians
confused as ever. It is said that invention of the wheel is a major milestone
in the evolution of human civilisation and technological advancement. In the
history of music the realisation of the adhara shadja has been such a hallmark....
• The very concert format has taken a lot of centuries to
reach the comfortable level it is in today. The sangeeta sabha-s have played a
vital role in consolidating the such artistic experiences are consistent with
the spirit of Carnatic music or of entertainment or mere variety. The
individual characteristics of each art-form should be maintained and its
integrity should not be sacrificed. That is to say its basic character and
purpose should not be violated. It is here that discerning criticism could be
of great help....
We are fortunate holders of a very rich musical heritage
developed over the centuries. It is therefore our responsibility to see that it
is handed on to the next generation with the purity as intact as possible. If
the directions we may be taking in the 21st century are likely to distort the
values, still later generations will hold us responsible for allowing this to
happen. Hence, we must take appropriate measures. The future is something we
cannot dictate. But, if the future as we can foresee is going to pave the way
to undo the manysplendoured thing that Carnatic music is today, we should not
sit passively and watch. For this, the effort of an individual or two will not
help. A movement is necessary.
vocal-violin-mridanga
concert pattern. Formerly, listening to music was in a non-standardised form,
not intended for big audiences. The emergence of sabha-s in the 20th century is
a major event in history. Even within this century, the concert environment has
undergone many changes in the past decade or two. The duration of the concerts
for instance, and the predominance of kriti-s over the pallavi. The
consolidation of the kriti form itself is a major turning point. The musician
community is perennially indebted to the Trinity but for whose immortal
compositions so many hundreds of artists and thousands of listeners will have
nothing to do.
• Many other aspects can be pointed out as important
evolutions in the field of music. From a study of them we can come to certain
conclusions. The first is that changes are sure to be there in a dynamic system
of music. Next, we must note that the changes have more often been gradual, as
if by divine dispensation, not necessarily human achievement entirely. It must
have been only god's choice to have brought the Trinity into the world in one
and the same period. It was also the period when Beethovan and his illustrious
contemporaries existed in Europe. Man-made changes have also contributed
significantly. The introduction of electronic gadgets is an epoch-making
development....
Politicians and other dignitaries who give speeches on
musical occasions go eloquent on the divinity of music. But the festivals they
inaugurate indulge in mere concert music which is mainly for the purpose of
entertainment and satisfying the curiosities of the layman. Music of the divine
level cannot sustain in the frivolous amusement and fun-seeking ambience of
today's concerts. Tyagaraja said about it in the words: 'Yeelagani
vivarimpalenu, chala svanubhava vedyamey' asserting that music meant to elevate
man is far above mere entertainment. It should be experienced and realised. It
is not indulged in just to please or titillate the listeners. Even at this
entertainment level music is far apart and above the various other kinds of
entertainment available. Therefore the concert music provided by sabha-s and
other organisations must continue for all time to come. Sabha music may not be
commanding the awe and respect thay did in past decades. But still they are
needed to draw the attention of the people at large towards this great art of
music. Lord Almighty will see to it that concert presentation of music in the
present form or in a more sophisticated form will thrive in future too.
Musicians and sabha-s have a big responsibility in developing and retaining the
right taste for music. The main reason for poor attendance in music concerts
today is the onslaught of the various other modern [means] of entertainment
available to people in their very bedrooms. This is sure to be available even
more in the coming century. Classical music will, however, continue to have its
clientele in some strength or other in future too.
If we observe the
trend in the changes in the music field in this century, we can first notice
the shortened duration of music concerts.... Presenting rich variety in
concerts is a must. This trend initiated by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar and
popularised by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar has today outlived its utility and
the purpose can be achieved in more judicious choice of manner and matter in
the concert pattern. Performers of the present are and those of the future will
be competent enough in arriving at the apt formula, which will call for even
more versatility and virtuosity from them than what was obtained in the past.
It is common for the elderly listeners to complain about the
lack of classical depth in today's concerts. This need not be totally true. It
is more because of the generation gap and refusal of the older patrons to grow
with the times. As Kalidasa said: Anything need not always be taken as good,
just because it is old can be applied here.
Thanks to ready availability of books, broadcasts and
telecasts, the audiences today are well informed and will be even
better-informed in the coming decades. The performers must equip themselves
adequately to impress educated audiences, instead of beating the hackneyed
track under the cover of sampradaya and tradition. A pleasing and powerful
voice only can sustain audience interest and this factor was overlooked often
in Carnatic music by providing platforms to veterans without a good voice but
claiming to be a person of vidwat. This must go out of vogue in the coming
century. One reason for the wide popularity of film music is that the lyric is
given due care, enabling even uninitiated persons to understand it. Our
classical musicians today are not equipped enough in this aspect. One would
hope that this will be given due attention atleast from now. Adjusting to the
time constraint is another matter that should be possible for performers of the
future. Every alapana in a concert need not be done by both the vocalist and
violinist. Some of the raga-s can be presented only by the latter. Even in
kalpana swara-s, the long bouts need to be gone through by both. The 38 Hindustani
performers take liberties in allowing time for the accompanists, unlike the
Carnatic vocalists who leave chances to others in the platform as a ritual.
Percussion ensembles can be encouraged and the ritualistic tani avartanam in
concerts can be pruned to the minimum. Experiments in the vocal-violin-mridanga
combination has not been done effectively in this century. The gottuvadyam
(chitraveena) is a welcome alternative to violin. Mridanga artistry has grown
enormously in laya calculations but it is miles behind tabla in captivating
melody. Percussionists with the expertise of South Indian laya and ability to
produce the tabla's sweet sound must be encouraged to be in the lead in the
21st century. Four hour concerts, ragam-tanam-pallavi concerts, and other
programmes exclusively presenting chosen items are in vogue today. This must
continue in the coming decades also to cater to listeners of varying levels of
interest and knowledge in music. One lacuna here is the improper choice of
artists and accompanists for such exclusive programmes. It is a sad fact that
both in Hindustani and Carnatic fields the knowledge in music among organisers
is not upto the desired level. Many of them are guided only by the fame and
name of the performers many of whom are shallow in real knowledge. Music has
already been brought down from the level of divinity to a mere commercial
commodity and this tendency is sure to go further in the 21st century. There
will still be pockets here and there with concern for the glory of genuine
classical music. The very term classical music suggests that it is intended for
the classy people and to make it survive among the overwhelming and powerful
masses is a job possible only by a dedicated clan. This tribe should toil in
the mission of proper preservation and documentation of the best traits in our
music for the benefit of the future artists and patrons. The good, bad and the
indifferent have existed in all fields throughout history as we have around
today. Panini has rightly said: "All said and done, the world has never
been much different from what it is today.'' Righteous people must never stop
striving towards truth and excellence. Future of Carnatic music O.S.
Thiagarajan
• Unfortunately due to mechanised world, the concert is made
into a capsule form. Audience are presented with a capsule of 1-1/2 to 2 hours,
barring a few sabha-s which extend upto 2-1/2 hours. The main reason is nobody
has free time to relax and listen. Most of us spend time in travelling to and
fro with our work schedule.
• Every one of us knows tha t there are 72 melakarta-s and
22 sruti-s and 12 swarasthana-s. One cannot dwell on a certain swara
continuously because it won't be pleasing to the ear. Our forefathers, the
Trinity, Sangeeta Pitamaha Dasarwal, Annamcharya, the Tamil Moovar, Alwar-s,
Nayanmar-s and other vaggeyakara-s though they handled light raga-s that was
only to show that it can be done. Their mainstay was in ghana raga-s, which are
pleasing to the ear. Commercialised motives to be discouraged, singing with
proportion is beauty, balance is elegance and restraint is power. One must
remember that whether it is the Tamil Moovar, the Trinity, Purandaradasa,
Annamacharya, Ramadas or any vaggeyakara, Carnatic music was used as a vehicle
for intense bhakti.
• Understanding the meaning and singing with aesthetic sense
will carry both singer and listener far away. If the words are mispronounced or
the syllabic bifurcation is done wrongly the entire charm is lost. Knowing 100
songs, 200 tillanas, etc., is not the credentials but singing every song
correctly is the credit.
• The art of singing viruttam and sloka-s has been slowly
fading away which I feel, personally, will gain popularity.
• The influence of Hindustani music was there in the
beginning itself. Raga-s like Behag, Hindolam, Mohanam, Hamsanandi, Des, Tilang
to mention a few, were/are well received. Young musicians have become scholars
both in Carnatic and Hindustani [idioms]. Judicious mixing without spoiling the
grammar is welcome and this trend will continue. One can see Western
infiltration even during the Trinity period.
• A concert is judged
as best, good or so-so by the audience attendance. What is the scale? An
artist's calibreis judged by the mere gate crash or what? Stalwarts like Ramnad
Krishnan, M.D. Ramanathan attracted only a small audience. Can we doubt their
knowledge?
To conclude, barring the two small negative points of
unnecessary fireworks and handing of light raga-s, the future of Carnatic music
is fine. When someone learns cycling for that matter any vehicle he or she has
the tendency to speed up. But once he or she realises that the vehicle is his
or hers and only he or she is going to use it, enjoy the pleasure of a slow
speed drive. Similarly the days are not for this change in Carnatic music also.
Laya in music & beyond
Allepey Venkatesan Carnatic music as a classical art-form
has not been designed for direct consumption by the masses who mainly look for
entertainment in music. Sruti and laya as the basic ingredients of Carnatic
music are for the discerning rasika-s and are capable of elevating the
knowledgeable listener to spiritual heights. This basic strength of Carnatic
music will successfully pilot it through the future as humanity will use all
means to attain that oneness with the Supreme Consciousness that our Vedas
proclaim.
Modern C-music concerts form &
content
Radha Bhaskar
Concerts which were earlier meant only to be heard by a selected few at the
courts of kings have now become an open commodity. Thus, this social change has
had a major role in influencing the contents and format of the kutcheri.
A Carnatic music concert as seen today, is a mixture of
several items packed together in a manner which is aesthetically pleasing to
the listener.
The typical concert is a display of different raga-s, tala-s
and kalapramana-s. Any concert of Indian music has raga as its central concept.
A raga is a musical entity in which the intonation of notes as well as their
relative duration and order is defined. By principle, every raga stands for a
definite and independent musical idea. Though this is what a raga roughly is,
it should be remembered that a performance is a continuous effort to bring life
to a raga. So any elaboration or extension should be proportionate and coherent
in the context of the whole concert format.
The format as seen
today is highly scientific and aesthetic in approach. The various means of
exploring a raga, that is, manodharma and kalpita, complement each other
harmoniously. It gives a balanced and contrasting picture of music as a passage
from the merely mnemoni c to the verbally meaningful and from contemplation of
limitlessness to that of a manifest form (kriti).
The trend over the years suggests that the format will
remain similar in the years to come, perhaps giving room for a few cosmetic
changes.
Past will shape the future
Aruna Sayeeram Sahitya bhava (involvement) has lost its due
importance. To take almost an extreme stand, it can be stated that if today we
are apprehending erosion of the traditional values in Carnatic music, it is
because of the loss of importance to the students of today.
If sahitya bhava is allowed to be neglected, the listening
public may continue to enjoy music without thematic involvement. The degradation
process which started in the 20th century will continue during the 21st
century. It is quite possible that one of the key pillars of Carnatic music,
namely sahitya bhava, would become meaningless. This would change the face of
Carnatic music.
Hence, every effort should be made to bring back the glory
of sahitya bhava. For this, programmed effort is necessary to ensure that, as
the students learn the kriti-s, they simultaneously learn the meaning as well
as the context in which the kriti-s were sung in the first instance. Further,
the students must be encouraged to read about the composer's lives.
Future cannot be very different
Geetha Raja
Carnatic music has been enriched through the compositions of
the musical Trinity so far. In future also these time-tested compositions will
contribute to the characteristic flavour of Carnatic music and help preserve
its identity. The changes that may take place due to the influence of
Hindustani music, etc., will only affect the overall form but not the content of
this great music tradition.
The year
2047 AD - what lies ahead Maitreyi Ramadurai
Let me just briefly place before you the state of Carnatic
music in 1997. There are any number of sabha-s offering monthly and seasonal
programmes, chamber music groups, sponsored programmes and private trusts that
offer a wide variety of classical music that include both the up-and-coming and
established artists, the popular and the connoisseur's artists, the light
classical to heavy ragam-tanam-pallavi content....
With the spectacular developments in this electronic age,
one must hope that the individual and not the robot will decide what is to be
chosen for hearing/listening pleasure. If that premise is accepted, the next
step would be to know what would be available to be heard on CD's, cassettes
(audio & video), international relays of concerts from all over the world,
audio centres offering listening facilities for a nominal charge, etc.
Carnatic music will, I feel, absorb all this and yet offer
concerts on a regular basis but perhaps of shorter duration. Further, holidays
are getting to be of short duration and some concerts, if too long, may have to
be given up to accommodate other priorities. But in short, they will still
attract audiences and become popular. If we can accept that a concert of 1-1/2
hours on All India Radio is well planned and executed, then it should be
possible for the concerts at sabha-s on similar lines to be rewarding
experiences. The only snag is that the present distinction of junior or senior concerts
based on time duration will disappear and a uniform pattern may be established.
With all the difficulties for transport and time taken in commuting, short
concerts may be a boon to many.
What is of even greater interest to me is the wondrous possibility
of musicians, musicologists and composers working out, with or without the help
of the computer, new raga-s. We are all aware that, under the 72-inelakarta-s
raga scheme, the permutation and combination of the notes (swara-s) could lead
to creation of innumerable raga-s. But while that may be technically feasible,
not all are likely to be pleasing to the ear and may be shelved or dropped. But
there are bound to be a few that may catch the imagination of the artists and
the ear of the listener and become popular without any reduction in the
enduring demand for Todi, Kambhoji, Sankarabharanam, Bhairavi, Kharaharapriya +
janya raga-s like Mohanam, Bilahari and Hamsadhwani. Such developments and
changes mark the healthy growth of Carnatic music and Venkatamakhi, Tyagaraja,
Muthiah Bhagavatar who created the scheme and new raga-s would not have toiled
in vain. The trend will continue. There are bound to be many such raga-s in the
years to come, as the present group of musicians are capable of growing to such
heights.
A likely
scenario
V. Subramanian
Improved
communications, increased material prosperity, cross-culture breeding, etc.
have already made a mark in the expectations of people all over the world. The
field of Carnatic music is no exception to the above. Consequently, the
audience, specially the younger ones who are simultaneously exposed to popular
music, will respond to the changing conditions by demanding changes to the
current Carnatic music content. The audience may opt for shorter and more
lively concerts and further prefer to listen to structured performances for
easy and pleasant listening without much emphasis on depth or nuances.
The older generation, who are used to the earlier values
will, however, continue to spread Carnatic music education as it is today.
Similar to the religious renaissance that came up with idol-breaking, more
centres for music education may appear in the face of an onslaught from popular
music (through cinema, tv, cassettes and CD's). This will create a better
student spread and go well beyond the brahmin community. Carnatic music
exponents and listeners will polarise during the next 50 years into four streams
as detailed below:
Stream 1 - Vidwat Sangeetam: This will be similar to the
Carnatic classical concert style in the early 20th century with a concert
duration of 3 to 3-1/2 hours. In content, these Carnatic classical music
concerts will be 'vidwat sangeetam' in which the pieces rendered will start
with a complicated varnam in 3 tempos (kala), followed by ragam-tanam-pallavi
in a major raga lasting 1-1/2 to 2 hours, and the concluding piece being a
viruttam (ragamalika). This type of rendering will be outside the scope of the
average musicians (including those who perform regularly).
Stream 2 - Kalpita Sangeetam: This will be largest of the
streams. This will comprise musicians/performing artists who will perform more
or less what we hear on the concert stage today with kriti-s dominating, with
structured ragam-tanam-pallavi, and finishing with tukada-s.
Stream 3 - Bharatiya Classical Music: This will be what the
author will term as Bharatiya Classical Music. This will be basically a
kriti-oriented concert in which the accompaniments would be the violin,
harmonium, mridanga as well as tabla. The rendering however will be in South
Indian raga-s heavily admixtured with Hindustani music. (This type of concert
presentation will spell the end of jugalbandi-s). These concerts will end up
with bhajan-s and abhang-s.
Stream 4 - Miscellaneous: This will be a motley of
improvisations, experiments to satiate the needs of a certain type of audience
who are looking for novelties and a change from the norm. During the second
half of the 21st century, Stream 1 may slowly disappear, and Stream 2 may lose
audience to streams 3 & 4. However, it has to be expected, the development
process in Carnatic music will, in a way, be also responsive to the development
process in Hindustani music a higher plane. Teachers, sabha organisers and
other promoters of music should strive to revive the true classicism of
Carnatic music.
And finally a word about critics. In the Sixties, Prof. B.R.
Deodhar: wrote "Many newspaper critics have a good vocabulary and perhaps
know some grammar of music. But to talk or write about music, it requires a
great deal more."
Gearing
up for the 21st century & beyond Vasumathi Badrinathan
Using the media: To
preserve Carnatic music, efforts have to be taken to propagate it. The wider
the net is cast, the bigger the catch. In this the role of the media is
fathomless. There has to be a greater attempt at demystifying Carnatic music,
making known its elements of profound beauty, highlighting the many aspects that
set it apart and bringing its unparalleled virtues to the fore. In this angle,
the print media is very effective in bringing to the fore Carnatic music, its
musicians and elevating their media status....
Television needs to exploit classical music itself in a
better way. While privatisation has given way to programmes with mass appeal,
on channels where it exists, the dawn or dusk timings would hardly serve to
heighten the status of classical music. Programme-makers need to reshuffle
priorities or essay to dish out classical fare in a more palatable and
educative form. After all, the entire visual medium is one of the largest
information carrier systems in the world.
Lecdems are invaluable: This moment demands more of light
thrown on Carnatic music. As people listen less, they are getting more
estranged from the form. The more alien it becomes, the less they associate
with it. Lecture-demonstrations on a regular basis by cultural organisers on
the global aspects as well as on the intricacies of Carnatic music could
dissipate a lot of fears concerning the complexity of the form and would serve
in creating a more elite and conscious listener.
Catch 'em young: Classical music, leave alone Carnatic music, is certainly not the 'in thing' among the young today. It would be a shame to not allow them to taste the grandeur of this legacy. If they make few attempts, then the motivated lot needs to do it. There is no point in it shifting the blame. If Dil to Pagal Hai infiltrates the air and subsequently the mind, then logically Carnatic music should be able to do that. Therefore lure the young with an enhanced music atmosphere at home, induce them to attend kutcheri-s and lecdems, provide them reading material on the subject. After all, they need to be tomorrow's audience.
LALGUDI. G. JAYARAMAN