'Our' Music

The word Margazhi does ring a bell to most of us and we tend to associate it with Carnatic music. This music festival draws much global attention and brands Chennai as the hub of Carnatic music which is a matter of great pride. Thousands of fans fly across borders to witness the biggest music festival of the country; yet, many locals are caught oblivious. The first step to enlighten the unaware would be to shatter all the misconceptions that surround Carnatic music.

Devotional music and Carnatic music differ from each other. Devotional music involves singing in praise of god. In Carnatic music, while there are songs with references to various Hindu gods, there are a large number of songs without such references. Hence, the association of 'sacred' or 'spiritual' with Carnatic music is not direct. In fact, most Varnams (songs usually sung in the beginning of a concert and seen as 'warm up' songs) have erotic meanings which is surprising because we learn most of these songs as kids.

It is common notion that Carnatic music, or any other classical art form for that matter, is not modern. If modern means aping the west (as many of us seem to intrinsically conceive it), the notion is right. However, the truth remains that this art form has evolved with time (notably even since I started learning it) and is completely 'modern' when seen from an unbiased perspective. Those who disagree would be surprised when they come to know about the likes of Mr. T M Krishna and many other current day musicians. 

The listenership of Carnatic music isn't highly limited as many seem to believe. To get tickets for concerts of top musicians is as hard as getting a ticket for Lingaa on the day of its release. For a typical evening concert featuring top performers, the crowd in most known sabhas is overwhelming, each time. Listeners who fail to get proper seats find their place on the stage surrounding the performers or on the stairs. 

Carnatic music isn't restricted to the grey haired. There are hundreds of performing artists, as young as 6 or 7 years old; so are there a number of young listeners. The art form is far from lost and is in safe hands at least for the next couple of decades. It is true that a number of rasikas (fans, followers) are senior citizens and this gives them a better 'cultural definiton' which our generation lacks. (Much of today's mainstream Carnatic music evolved in the late 1700s and 1800s, and it is amazing how it is meticulously representative of its time and the geniuses that lived then. Music as a representation of time and culture is almost absent now. Apart from digitalization, today's music wouldn't have much to boast about in retrospect.) 

Performances are highly demanding in multiple aspects. While theoretical knowledge does help, it is experience that gives the real wisdom. There are a lot of intricacies involved, most of which would be incomprehensible on paper. However, this knowledge is also highly essential and this is learnt mostly practically.

Fusion music isn't representative of classical music, even in parts. As Mr. T M Krishna, pointed out, it is more often than not 'confusion' that results and there are only a few fusion songs that have stayed true to the forms they intend to fuse. Adding a drums section and guitar chords to a classical song becomes a little too convenient, doesn't it?

We must hold this form of art in high regard. Much of development has to do with taking pride in one's own. We must keep our minds and ears open to Carnatic music. This is truly 'our music' and could go on to bring back our long lost cultural identity.