A Stagnant Music?
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STATE OF THE ART A stagnant music? uitar Prasanna, one of He also often chooses lighter or my favourite musicians, hitherto unexplored Hindustani said in a recent interview, raga-s for lengthy elaboration. G“Jazz is constantly evolving, while U. Shrinivas engages in fun and Carnatic music is static. That is frolic, octave-jumping, with his the reason Carnatic music is in flashes of unimaginable speed, such a pathetic state today.” He and odd combinations in goes on to state that musicians traditional raga-s that the do not express themselves earlier generation wouldn’t have anymore, and that there aren’t approved. enough Balamuralikrishnas and GNBs around. Concert structure is only one example of change. In the kind He was making a fair point, I of compositions presented, MS thought at first glance. But, the introduced Meera bhajan-s and more I think about it, the less all sorts of other compositions in convincing it seems. When various languages, the Marathi tradition and history are crucial Prasanna abhang is very common today ingredients of an art form, they – especially amongst the female are the form’s greatest strengths the same. As a friend put it recently, singers – and contemporary and weaknesses. On the one hand, “Dude, did Tyagaraja do niraval at composers’ pieces are sung with they give the art its mystifying ‘Veda sastra purana...’?” greater frequency. Relatively new depth, its breadth, its microscopic raga-s like Kathanakutoohalam and Ariyakudi’s concert format is now subtleties, and crucially, its distinct Revati have surfaced, and older ones nearly a century old, and while the identity; on the other, these have changed or withered away. structure largely remains the same, traditions define boundaries, they Many of us learnt that Khamas it has remodelled itself to suit its channel innovation within these takes both nishada-s – only after newer environment. Most concerts boundaries, and most disgustingly, Mysore Vasudevacharya used them today are shorter (to the extent that they scoff at perceived transgressions. in Brochevarevarura. Abheri has lost even top musicians are often seen Yet, these art forms evolve constantly. its original suddha dhaivata and only performing one-and-a-half to two- With outside influences seeping in, takes the chatursruti dhaivata. Mali hour concerts), raga explorations are the atmosphere within which this often played the suddha dhaivata more structured and in a sense, more art is enjoyed changes. The forms in Kanada, giving it that hint of to-the-point, ragam-tanam-pallavi that fail to adapt and evolve die out. Darbari Kanada. Kalyani and is always the crowning item in a Pantuvarali are ever so often sung However, the claim that Carnatic concert (some people complain that with more than just a few traces music is stagnant is a bit dubious. it is dying out), and concerts are far of their Hindustani counterparts. Even an untrained ear will be more formal than they used to be. Bhairavi and Manji have merged able to tell the difference in styles Bolder innovators question the logic into each other! I once went to between Ariyakudi Ramanuja of Ariyakudi’s system. T.M. Krishna a lecture demonstration where a Iyengar, Madurai Mani Iyer often doesn’t sing a varnam to start senior musician demonstrated the and Semmangudi, and Sanjay his concerts, and is on occasion Bhairavi varnam as it had been taught Subrahmanyan, T.M. Krishna and known to sing a varnam as the main to her. It was a version of Bhairavi Vijay Siva. The ‘older’ music is piece. Sanjay Subrahmanyan explores that has been lost to its more very different from the ‘new’, even a lot of Tamil Isai in his concerts popular avatar. though the compositions, raga-s and accords it as much time and respect and compositional structures remain as he does Tyagaraja’s compositions. Further, violin duos increasingly use 38 l SRUTI August 2009 STATE OF THE ART harmonies and chords to give their his own compositions in his all over the world. Ilayaraja, Rahman music a more modern feel. Much concerts! Yes, super-strict adherence and their successors use Carnatic, of ‘fusion’ is actually just Carnatic to school and grammar has hindered Hindustani, folk, African rhythms, raga-s with chords laid beneath many an idea. jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop, and them (while this sounds like a R-n-B with almost equal ease to create Still, our music evolves. Prasanna simple scam to pull off, it is an a sound that is still unmistakably speaks of how jazz takes influences innovation that people hadn’t Indian. Many Carnatic musicians from all over the world, and how thought of for hundreds of years experiment with music forms which “there are people who bring in – Western music has been in are alien to them, with varied elements from I Ching and speech India since Dikshitar’s time!). Sruti results. Some create dodgy ‘fusion’, patterns in African dialects”. Those bhedam wasn’t accepted by many and others, like Prasanna, do are evolutions in the form that musicians of the previous generation. succeed in creating their own unique can be seen and perceived clearly. Almost everyone indulges in it now. sound. The evolution in Carnatic music Again, I think, the need for approval isn’t something that can be seen But they don’t do it on a Carnatic is what holds many musicians back or described in nuggets. It is far concert stage. That place still has when it comes to innovation. On the more subtle. It is far slower. Two some rules, and it will continue Carnatic concert stage, a certain and a half centuries ago, when the to do so. It is a classical art form, discipline and decorum are expected Trinity dealt with this music, it and it comes with its traditions that of the musician. In other words, was, in a form recognisable today, must be respected. Traditions do conformity is expected, from both about a century old. It was easier change, but they take their time. the audience and fellow musicians. then to bring in outside influences, However, to treat tradition as an Innovators are often branded make pioneering changes to the ironbound box is a mistake. The box as upstarts and not accorded form and structure. With more isn’t as flexible as the newer one, the same sort of respect as the baggage, the art is harder to move. but it can, it has been, and will traditionalists. The ‘right’ to innovate Even so, it moves. continue to be shaped over time. is yielded, but a musician must be of But as long as the box survives, a certain standard, must command Much of south Indian film music it will be made of the same a certain respect before he can was born out of Carnatic music. raw material, and encompass the compose his or her own pieces (long Old film songs were in immediately same core. before performing them in concert). recognisable raga-s, and largely Even Balamuralikrishna is often followed Carnatic structures. Today, M.V. SWAROOP criticised for singing too many of the music takes influences from 39 l SRUTI August 2009.