The Music Season is
on in Chennai and other major cities spread over South India, more particularly
in Tamil Nadu. Being a rasika, I regularly attend concerts organized by sabhas
in Coimbatore, which apart from entertainment, helps recharge my drooping
batteries and provide a much needed breather.
Frankly speaking it
is a Herculean task to arrange and conduct music programmes by inviting leading
artistes. A taxing affair
indeed – both mentally and monetarily, given the fact that effort and expenses shooting up with each passing year. The organizers are putting up a brave show, despite heavy odds. Kudos to them.
My father
Sri.S.Vaidyanathakrishnan, Advocate and Musicologist, was associated with Sree
Thyagabrahma Aradhana Celebrations and was instrumental in organizing Music
Concerts in Coimbatore for nearly four decades, till his demise in the year
2016. As a volunteer, I have personally
seen the hardships faced by him and the other Committee Members ( financial and
otherwise ) towards conducting the Annual Celebrations, which was run solely on public donation. Their devotion, dedication and desire for
fostering Carnatic Music, drove them ahead. After my father’s demise, the other team
members are still driven by the same spirit, which is laudable.
The Carnatic Music
field is flooded with talented artistes, what with an array of youngsters
entering the arena, bubbling with energy and enthusiasm. They carve a niche for themselves by making an
indelible impression in the minds of music lovers, and winning them head over
heels, all in a short time. Among the
new arrivals, a select coterie have become
grand masters through their veracity and versatility. There is no doubt that the legacy of Carnatic
Music will continue to grow leaps and bounds under their talent and
tutelage. A heartening, encouraging sign indeed, on the one side.
Unfortunately there
is a disquieting factor on the other side. Depletion in the number
of rasikas at the concerts is a
serious question to be addressed. The reason for the drop is diverse. Addiction to television serials and social
media platforms is one major factor. Youngsters seem to be content with listening
to their favourite artistes and kritis through YouTube, as they please. They are hardly seen in the concert halls,
which trend has to be reversed.
While the stage is
occupied by young performers, off the stage the listeners invariably turn out
to be senior citizens, with rows of bald, grey haired, bespectacled elders,
nodding their head, engrossed in melody and rhythm. The “die hard” fans of
Carnatic Music belong to the old and “dye haired“ category, almost getting restricted
to a “particular class”, even though the reach of Music is universal, transgressing all barriers.
The surprising
aspect is that while youngsters are learning Carnatic Music in droves, their
absence is conspicuous in the concert halls. Their academic pressure is the
commonly cited excuse, which cannot be accepted prima facie. In my perception, parental advice and
counseling alone can correct this anomaly, and make the young brigade troop
into the sabhas, towards serving the best interests of Carnatic Music in future.
======
No comments:
Post a Comment