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Archive for the ‘My Views’ Category

Kutcheri Paddhathi

17 Feb

Who said glitz and glamour pertain only to filmdom? In all walks of life glitz and glamour (G&G) is inseparable. And in Carnatic music IT IS DEFINETELY THERE!

Divinity in Carnatic music is long lost. Atheists may ask why spirituality and mysticism is attached to Carnatic music. It comes as a package. And so does the G&G.

The late M.S.Subbalakshmi, MS amma, as she was fondly called, was an embodiment of divinity and grace. Dressed in traditional pattu saree, adorned with vaira thodu and mookutthi and the freshness of jasmine flowers lingering around her, she set the hall on fire. Her mesmerising voice alone did not evoke magic. It was also her endearing stage presence that left thousands of rasikas spellbound. There was a spiritual aura that filled the concert hall. By spirituality I don’t mean religious. But the eternal bliss one experienced.

The musical legends of the bygone era presented their repertoire with élan and kept the audience enthralled. They unleashed their musical acumen with buoyancy and without any reservation.  Music was an aesthetic experience.

It’s no longer that way. Musicians and the rasikas strictly adhere to the Kutcheri Paddhathi or the concert format. Boundaries are provided within which the recital is rendered. Any deviation from this configuration creates unrest in the audience. I remember once, long time ago, when one of the leading musicians started off his gig with a composition that is usually delivered as the highlight of the show. Then, a student of music (student even today), I was traumatised by this digression and considered it ‘arrogance’. So did the others. By the end of the concert the hall had few heads following the free expression of the singer. However today I yearn for a concert that gives the musician a free hand in exploring the various moods of a ragam. I am wiser I guess!

A few months ago I was invited to sing for a leading television channel. I was in for a rude shock when the organiser, who is also a mridangist, said that I should sing songs that are Jana ranjakam or public-favourites. Whose favourites are we talking about here? ‘’Nobody wants to listen to the technicalities of music. You need to look appealing, have a good voice and certainly reach out to the audience across the world with their favourite numbers.’’ Ha! Glitz & Glamour sans substance?

Yet the pressure on a performing artist is colossal. A concert has become to be a puppet show. After all, you have paid money for entertainment and not to follow the free expression of the singer!

It is a sad fact that the audience fail to realise that an artist when allowed nonconformity weaves magic.

 

 
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Music Lessons

10 Aug

My seven-year-old son, equipped with a platter full of fresh flowers, betel leaves and nuts, bananas and guru dakshina, impatiently nudged as I was getting ready to accompany him to the music master’s house. He was eager lest we became late to reach the master’s abode.

Surprised at his enthusiasm I wondered where I had gone wrong!   

Since he was five I have tried to teach him Carnatic music and every time it ended up in a mêlée. “You should never force a fine art on a child” my dad had said. “My brother and I learnt painting and Kalaripayattu under our father’s guidance and all the while we enjoyed it. One could not imagine a greater teacher than the one and only Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair” he had said. These words were now reverberating in my ears. Yet after repeated attempts of cajolery which later ended up in tussles, I called it quits. I set about looking for a music teacher for my son.  

My ever sympathetic and some sardonic neighbours suggested a few music teachers in and around our street. To my surprise umpteen numbers of music classes were spread ubiquitously. Some had more than twenty students in a batch. There were institutions that had fine arts like dance, music, instruments and painting all under one roof. Teachers with little expertise tutored at these centres. Music was taught in a jiffy. ‘Packages’ was the term used for the levels of training rendered. Parents seemed to merrily sail along in this fast paced musical voyage. At the end of it all I realised that teaching fine arts had become just another commercial venture.

I was reminded of those years when as a child I had learnt music under Palaghat K.S.Krishnan Bhagavathar who did come home to teach me. A Malayali Brahmin, he always had a soft corner for me. Yet I did not get away with indiscipline or for want of practice. After class he would savour the piping cup of coffee my mother offered and would chat with my father about his bygone days in his small village in Palaghat.  The grounding that he gave me in music is what has moulded me into a good musician and a teacher.

I had almost given up hope when my friend called up to say that I should try out her son’s music master. The following day with little expectation I met with him…

A dark- complexioned eighty-something of a Brahmin greeted us at the front door with the suggestion of a smile. Clad in a well-pressed white shirt and dhoti wrapped around his ample waistline, a band of holy ash smeared across the forehead with an oversized crimson dot pasted in the middle of his eyebrows, the music vaadhiyaar presented the perfect picture of a pious Brahmin ready to invoke the Gods. Once inside the house, he motioned his arm asking my son to sit along with a few others. He himself sat cross-legged on a reed mat on the floor facing his wards. “What is your name?” he asked my son in his typical Tamil-flavoured English. Beaming a smile, he said his name. And as was tutored by me, he placed the gift platter on the floor at his guru’s feet and prostrated.

Outside, I could hear the children sing Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa…….. I could hear my son sing his first lessons. I was overwhelmed with emotion. Or was it jealousy? Resentment?   

I could still hear my father’s words pounding inside my head, “I am a little sorry that my grandson is not following the tradition of learning music from within his own home.”

 
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Thaye Yeshoda

30 Mar

“In 5 yrs, DMK minister’s assets multiply 780 times.”

“Party men kill each other over drunken brawl.”

“Another suicide bid….

I grabbed the morning newspaper from my 7 year old son who has the habit of reading everything else but his school work. Confounded and miffed by my sudden emotional outburst he took solace in his father’s arms.

“Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight among themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come, when even air and water would be taxed in India.” These were the wise words of Churchill in 1947 when the British quit India after handing over governance and power to the Indians. It is unfortunate that his words have almost totally come true.

No. I am not going to mess up my writing corner with mucky Indian politics. However, this was the reason for my outburst and I did not want my son to get a taste of this poison even before he can digest it. Nevertheless one day he has to!  

Going on a guilt trip and to pacify my not so forgiving child I decided to recite a story from the Hindu mythology. A story from the Bhagavatham. Getting a rather lukewarm response I changed my mind and declared that I am going to sing a song that elucidated the mischief of Lord Krishna. The morose face of my son lit up and he ran out of the house calling out to his friends. In no time I had an audience of young boys and girls all ready and waiting for me to begin the song on Krishna, their hero.

I sang ….

            Thaye yeshoda undhan aayar kula thudhitha

            Mayan gopala Krishnan seiyum jalathei keladi

            Thaiyalai keladi undhan payyanai polave indha 

            Vaiyyagathil oru pillai amma amma naan kandathillai

            Kaalinil chilambu konja kaivalai kullunga

            Muthu maalaigal aniya theru vaasalil vandhu

            Vananorgallelal pugazha maanidarellam magizha

            Neela varna kannanavan naatyamadinaan

            Balanendru thaaviazhaithen azhaithaennei

            Maaleiittavanpol vaayil mutthamittandi

            Balan alladi un magan jalamaga seidhadellam

            Naalupergal kelkasolla naanamaagudhe yedi

I explained…

“Oh! Yeshodha, look at what tomfoolery your son Krishna is up to. Everything   around us seems like an illusion. We have never seen such a mischievous lad in the whole universe and are exasperated by his pranks. Beautifully clad and bejewelled with ornaments on his hands, neck and feet the little Krishna comes out into the streets to mesmerise the gopis (ladies) and all the passersby. He then dances to the delight of one and all. Enticed by the beauty and charm of the boy, one of the gopi’s embraces him and the little prankster plants a quick kiss on the woman’s lips in return as if he was her husband. Upset over this the gopi complains to Yeshodha that Krishna is no boy. She says that Krishna has embarrassed her in front of everybody in the village!”

That night before going to bed my son gave me a tight hug and said “THANKYOU”.  Maybe he felt proud that his mother could sing songs of his hero god Krishna. Maybe he was the hero among his friends that day!

 
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‘Seeking Opportunities’

14 Jan

Over a hot cup of coffee I glanced through the pages of the morning newspaper. An article on Dr. Balamurali Krishna’s musings about Madras in his youth caught my eye. His memoirs about his musical journey in this traditionally rich city made me brood over.

Dr. Balamurali Krishna is an eminent musician par excellence. He started staging concerts when he was eight years old. By fifteen he had mastered the 72 melakartha ragas and composed songs in them. He was also adept at playing the violin, viola, flute, veena and the mridangam. Besides composing more than 400 songs in various languages the doctorate also has to his credit a few ragas that he created. A recipient of the highest accolades like Padma Shri and the Padma Vibhushan he is the only carnatic musician to have received the Chevalier the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government.

Hailing from Vijayawada Dr. Balamurali Krishna made Madras his second home. The city had allured many musicians to establish forte and the young Balamurali was no exception. He reminisces, “Those days there were just three prominent sabhas in the city. Artists performed only when invited. Seeking opportunities were unheard of.”

Madras presented an ideal ambience to explore the art form and to develop a personalised style. Music of different genres was appreciated. Hindustani and Carnatic musicians were staged with equal reverence. Due respect was given for each other’s style and expertise.

However over the years a lot has changed in Chennai (no longer Madras) especially in the Carnatic music panorama. The bustling city has over hundred sabhas mushrooming ubiquitously. Seeking opportunities for concerts especially by the up and coming artists has become the fad. The Secretaries of the sabhas are coddled beyond worth. The non resident Indians flying to Chennai during the music season who can afford to splurge money are cajoled by the organisers. The music season that was once a very celebrated event has now become a lucrative business. The audience has too much to choose from.

Is this a healthy trend? It is certainly an issue that needs cleansing. But who will initiate the process?

Oh!! That reminds me that I have to dart for a meeting with the Secretary of a leading Sabha for an opportunity to give a concert at the venue during the next music season.

“Seeking opportunities” HA! HA!

 
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Kutcheri Buzzzz

04 Nov

I woke up to the sound of the telephone ringing. Still groggy, I answered the phone with disinterest. “Hello, is this Sindhu? Can you please give me the address for the venue of the kutcheri?” said the voice on the other end. I sprung up from bed realising that it was Wednesday and I was to give a vocal recital that evening at an esteemed hall.  And it was the mridangam artiste on the call.

Now!! What happens in a Carnatic vocal concert? Is it a group or an individual show? Are instruments used? How long is the performance?

A Carnatic vocal recital (kutcheri) is mostly a solo performance by an artiste who has had years of rigorous training. Some artistes prefer to do a twosome. But generally speaking a kutcheri is a group show. A group because the accompanying artistes play a vital role in the performance rendered by the vocal artiste. Instruments like the violin, mridangam, ghatam, ganjira and morsing are commonly used as an accompaniment in a kutcheri.

The duration of the concert depends on the expertise of the artiste. A proficient performer may sing for as long as four hours. Today due to confines in time and resilience a kutcheri is performed only for two and a half hours.

A concert is formatted in such a way that the acumen of the performer is showcased. The singer starts with a Varnam followed by a couple of Keerthanams and then winding up with lighter songs called Thukadaas. The creativity of the artiste is flaunted by elaborating upon the Raga alapanas, Kalpana swaras and Ragam-Thanam-Pallavi.

The attire for a concert is mostly customary. The ladies drape in a Kanchivaram silk saree with ornamental accessories and the men wear an Off-white jubba and a dhothi.

The audience is primarily a combination of young and the old. Every concert is different. The artiste has to give due regard to the interest of the listeners and improvise on their style of rendition.

Hence learning music is a never ending saga!!

 
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Candid thoughts

22 Sep

Our dear friend Philip dropped in last night for a drink. Sitting in the veranda of our quiet home we exchanged pleasantries. Nevertheless what started as a tête-à-tête ended in a big squabble. The issue that led to a spat was the comparison between Chennai and Bangalore.

Philip and my brother are colleagues. Having had to shift base to Chennai from Bangalore he and his family are disgruntled in their new ambience. Change is inevitable in everybody’s life. Change will encounter resistance. Change is difficult.

Since I have not lived in Bangalore I cannot highlight the differences in these two cities. Yet I accept that the weather has been generous over Bangalore. Chennai has always been hot, hotter and hottest. No wonder the British had their administrative capital as Chennai and the summer administrative capital as Bangalore.

Having been brought up in this culturally rich city, Chennai has always been dear to me. Good education, comfortable dwelling, good connectivity between places, commendable work culture, exposure to Indian culture, traditions, values and emotions.  There is a fine balance between tradition and modernity among the populace. For the traditionally inclined there are umpteen numbers of temples in almost every nook of a street. The artistically talented find means to enrich their aptitude. Be it music, dance, theatre and the like, there are numerous concert halls that sponsor these events. The December music festival brings in connoisseurs and listeners from the world over. The intellectuals spend time in libraries with its treasure trove of books. There are several hang-out joints that parade the young in trendy outfits. Restaurants, theatres and malls (probably not as many as Bangalore) help people unwind.

Now!! What more do you want from a place you dwell in. Isn’t it unfair to be despondent in such a wonderful and happening city?

 
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tambura

10 Sep

Listen to me

“Is this a Veena?” Anuvindha asked. “No this is a tambura.” I said. “How do you play this?” She asked.

This is a very common doubt in people who know little about Indian classical music.

The tambura is a classical drone instrument. This stringed instrument is common to both Carnatic and Hindustani systems of music. Used in concerts, it provides a constant drone (sruthi) for the performer. The tambura player sits behind the performer and plucks at the instrument right through the concert.

Made of wood (mostly jack wood), the tambura has a long unfretted neck often inlaid with bone or ivory. At the lower end of the neck is a bowl-shaped resonator that vibrates and amplifies the sound. At the upper end of the long and narrow neck are tuning pegs. Looped around the pegs are strings that go through a perforated plate placed perpendicular to the neck. The strings then pass over another narrow ribbed plate and run down the entire length of the neck and over a broad, grooved bridge which sits on the resonator. The strings are then fastened to the bottom of the bowl. In between the fastened end and the bridge are beads, one each, strung on to the strings. These beads are used as fine tuners when moved up and down. Fine silk threads, known as jiva, are placed between the strings and the bridge. The threads when positioned perfectly cause the strings to buzz and thus enhance the tonal quality of the tambura.

A tambura may have four, five or six strings. In the four-stringed tambura the middle strings are tuned to the tonic (Sa), the first string to the dominant (Pa) and the bass string to the tonic (Sa) in the lower octave.

The tambura is usually held in a vertical position. The strings are plucked in succession – Pa, Sa, Sa, Sa (bass) with the middle and forefingers of the right hand.

Nowadays electronic tamburas are used to aid in long hours of practice and in concerts. The electronic tambura is a practical commodity. It delivers a passable substitute for a real, live tambura. However, some claim that the electronic tambura is an inferior substitute for the actual instrument as the tones it creates lack dynamics of a live musician and produces emotionless and lifeless sound.

(reference: Euphony - L.Subramaniam)

 
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Beyond Boundaries

13 Jul

Take a morning stroll through the old narrow roads in Mambalam and Thyagaraja Nagar in Chennai. From the Brahmin houses on either side of the roads, Carnatic music will be wafting in the air. The children there are taking their music lessons from their paattu vadhyars or music gurus. You could also listen to students practicing keerthanas of Saint Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshithar and Syama Shastri. True, learning Carnatic music is very much a part of their culture. And they continue to keep it alive. 

 Those who have lived in Chennai or elsewhere in Tamil Nadu have always heard the people there remarking that “Malayalees do not have music” as a part of their culture. In one sense they are correct. When they say music, they always mean Carnatic music.

I was only five when I started learning Carnatic music, and without a break I had systematically continued learning and practicing to sing for more than ten years. Thereafter, while studying in the College of Music attached to the Music Academy in Chennai, my learned professors and many others had asked me how a blue blooded Menon girl from the CPM bastion of Kannur chose to study and pursue Carnatic music! Not knowing how to give them a convincing answer, I had only smiled.

But at the end of two years, as a part of the course, I was to present a two-hour live concert at the Music Academy’s Mini Hall in front of my teachers, invited guests and friends. There the Menon girl was adjudged the topper. It was with a touch of genuine pride that I accepted the Sangeetha Ratna certificate and prize.

 
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The Notation System In Indian Classical Music

10 Jun

Radha wanted to pass on a few students to me and wondered if I could give notations for every song I taught. Unfortunately I had to tell her “NO”.

In all these years of musical training, I have neither felt the need to notate the songs I have learnt nor have my gurus insisted on it. And fortunately my memory has never failed me.

The notation system in Indian music is not absolute enough to assemble all the delicate nuances, ornamentations (collectively known as gamakas) and microtones (srutis) which are the quintessence of Indian music. The interpretation of these gamakas and srutis vary with different performers and teachers. Hence, it is almost impossible to develop a notation system that is perfect.

 Also, Indian music has been passed on, through the generations, by the guru-shishya-parampara (teacher-student-tradition). In this tradition the student learnt music on a one-on-one basis from the teacher. The music was never notated or written down. Until much later when skeletal representations or notations were made mainly to aid memory.

Even today, students are discouraged from singing or playing their instruments looking at a book with notations. In lieu, they are expected to listen, repeat, memorize and recall. Working with the teacher in this manner helps the student to develop a good memory and ear-training by which he is able to differentiate the subtle melodic variations or sangathis and rhythmic aspects in a composition. This in turn enables the student to improvise what he has learnt.

Since spontaneous improvisation by the performer plays a key role in Indian classical music notated music does not have much relevance here. However there is no harm in notating songs and stacking them in your library ….. But only after the brain has assimilated them.

So for all the music teachers out there… teaching with notations is a strict NO! NO!

 
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Going Online

09 May

Online carnatic music??? What is that? You mean digital music? You teach over Skype?  What about the ‘guru-shishya bandham’? Vishnu arrayed a series of questions and sounded genuinely perplexed. Many others like Vishnu have the same reservation.

What is the difference between online teaching and a traditional style of teaching?

In the traditional style the guru and the shishya are present in the same room. The student has to travel to the teacher’s house or vice versa. There is a very intense rapport that is established between the two. The teacher can directly observe all the short comings of the student pertaining to thala, shruthi, facial mannerisms, interest etc.

In online teaching the teacher and the taught are not physically present in the same room. Distance is not of concern at all. The computer or sometimes the phone acts as the medium of teaching. The lessons are conducted over Skype, which is a free downloadable software. The lessons have to be one on one. Video conferencing is possible with two or three students but is a very cumbersome process.

Beyond doubt, the time-honoured traditional style of teaching carnatic music is here to stay. But what will happen to millions of Indians across the world who are passionate about learning music? Should they be denied access to the rich art and cultural heritage of our country? Don’t we want our art forms to be propagated worldwide?

So,  the newly founded online music is ALSO here to stay!

 
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