Spotlight

Tradition, classicism and innovation

An oft repeated assertion in music circles is that ‘Tradition should never be violated’. Another says, ‘We purists cannot accept these experiments. The purity of Carnatic music should never be compromised’.

These quips and more lead us to some fundamental questions. What is tradition in Carnatic music? Or for that matter, what is Carnatic music and what is tradition? What constitutes purity?

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