After a span of nearly 20 years I heard Sankaran Namboothiri (SN) at Music Academy this December season. There was no doubt that it was SN’s musical talent and pedigree that earned him a slot then and now, and there was no back-door entry or Tatkal route.
Sometimes I wonder if such an agnathavasam is required to season their music and leave a lasting impression in the minds of the audience. Before filling the halls with not just audience but fans and earning the Sangita Kalanidhi (SK) title, Late Maharajapuram Santhanam was away in Colombo, Srilanka teaching and heading the Music College. Similarly SK T. Viswanathan had been teaching at Wesleyan University, North America and this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. Trichy Sankaran at York University, Canada and away from the local scene for 40 years. Should we attribute their success to their sabbatical from the local scene? Is such an absence a necessary in every performing musician’s career?
In their years that they were away so many musicians sprouted, established their roots in Chennai and shoots in Cleaveland and vice-versa. But none of these musicians were worried about their absence, bothered by insecurity from the raise of other musicians and their peers, and abruptly leaving their fans behind. They believed good music will always have an audience and will fill halls.
Thought 1: Should we re-run the experiment with the popular artists of today like Sudha, Sanjay, TM Krishna, Bombay Jayashree, Aruna Sayeeram, etc and reintroduce them into the scene 20 years from now. Would their music become more melodic with mellowed down egos?
In the early 90s Carnatic music world saw some towering musicians like Sangita Kalanidhis’ Dr. S. Ramanathan, ML. Vasanthakumari, Maharajapuram Santhanam pass away. The scene was perfect for new breed to youngsters to be introduced.The next breed of crop like Sudha, Sowmya, Sanjay, Unnikrishnan and many others like Bombay Jayashree arrived from across the country to fill the void of their masters. Music connoisseurs didn’t know where to go and fondly thronged the halls to hear the maestros’ songs in the voice of their young sishyas’. As young and upcoming musicians it was always not easy to fill-in their guru’s shoes and deliver against their expectations. Their brisk and fresh music won them ardent fans and took them to places. But sadly the learning curve for many of these musicians failed to keep in pace with their growth curve. Rasikas who felt stagnated moved on to learn and hear other musicians. Shouldn’t artist help the rasikas gradute to the next level? Why would rasikas want to hear the same songs from the same musician again and again? Does predictability bring in boredom?
My friend argued that SK MS Subbulakshmi in her last 20 years of her career pretty much repeated the same songs again and again. I heard his dismay and unhappiness when OST sang Akshaya Linga Vibho for the nth time at Music Academy this year.
The years of SN’s agnyathavasa, (not mine, but his) had only bettered and not battered his music. But had it only matured to get him from 12noon slot to 1.45 PM slot in twenty years? Every member in the house that afternoon had the same questions: Where had this musician vanished all these years? On that day, he didn’t render rare krithis or use gimmick of any sort to win back the audience, instead SN rendered popular songs in popular ragas to fill the house and hearts again.
Thought 2: Sometimes it makes me wonder why the same Vathapi Ganapathim, Jaya Jaya Swamin, Bhajare Rechita and the same ragas Hamsadwani, Naatai and Kalyani have won people a chance back in the performing arena and earned them Sangita Kalanidhi? Is it the potency of the lyrics, choice of ragas, or above?
What happens when the artist arrives after many years of agnathavasam to empty halls? After a decade gap Hyderabad Brothers sang at Music Academy to almost an empty house. The last time they sang at the same venue they were crowd pullers like other popular artists of today. I must tell you they had a lot of room to stomach an empty hall when the curtains went up. May be this is what agnathavasam does to you. May be the Brothers are at a stage in life where they need not play to the gallery or for personal records. Did Thyagaraja, Dikshithar or Shyama Sastri sing for audience or money?
Thought 3: At Music Academy, you either get slotted or slaughtered!
Come back for more rumblings and ramblings….
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