Musical Agnathavasam and post come back!

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….

A day at Music Academy – Dec 18, 2010

The entrance to the Music Academy (MA) may look contemporary with the newly styled glass windows, but the music inside the hall is still traditional and loaded with classicism. So many music doyens have performed at this venue and it is probably the only venue that continues to scares musicians and make them wish and wait (did I say work?) for their turn for Sangeetha Kalanidhi (SK).

It was 30 mins past nine when I arrived and people were walking out of Vijay Siva’s lec-dec ( I heard from a friend there were some hot exchanges between Vijay Siva and TMK), that so not VS! I didn’t want to trade in my mother’s Dwadasi menu for Arusuvai “whatever” and hence turned up 15mins late for Bombay Sister’s concert.

I was welcome by a beautiful Kambodhi as the new doors to the hall opened up. Sisters seated on the dais at the age of 70 and 72 were going on like 30’s. Their voice was still in shape and I thought for a moment did MA give SK too early to Bombay Sisters. Well, they have sung for 50 long years in every nook and corner of the world. Wish MA gave away SK in the past after such a strict scrutiny. While I was lost in these thoughts they moved on from Kambodhi to Navarasa Kanada. Their voice still had that timbre, clarity, shrill at times, but capable of comfortably moving up and down the octaves and delivering the emotions in right amount. In the first row among the audience was SK TK Govinda Rao was seen enjoying the laurels showered on his student. Barathratan MS was his student too.

Another interesting thought crossed my mind as the duo picked up Poorvikalayani for RTP. Why not MA increase the qualification age for SK? Well Nicolas Sarkozy increased the retirement age in France. By doing so MA can test their dedication, commitment and quality of their music? By increasing the age MA puts an additional responsibility on the musician to keep them healthy and fit. Most of them are overweight and unhealthy (also attitude)! For now let us hope that age and experience will have an effect on their dedication and quality (music and conduct).

Morning menu at MA is always special and interesting. I am not just referring to the canteen, but even inside the four walls. There are lecture demonstrations by senior musicians and musicologist, which may or may not end up in a verbal brawl. Post the lec-dec there is a concert by either past Sangita Kalanidhis or by other senior musicians who’ve never cared for awards or sung for them. Though Sabhas needn’t worry about their cash register, the past SKs have nothing to lose and have already proved their mettle to public (RK Srikantan). Coming to other senior musicians (Parasala Ponammal, Suguna Purushothaman) life is music for them music and it is more or less atma vicharam. It is a sheer delight to listen to these people.

Well some young people can bring the same delight. At noon when the bell rang and curtain was raised it was a tiger cub that welcomed us. He was just 1/3rd the age of the Bombay Sisters. He ascended scales of Sahana with delight, spirit to conquer, and confidence. It is with the same determination and confidence Hanuman ascended the skies to Lankapuri. Amba paradevata in Rudrapriya was decorated with kalpanaswarams and he seems to prove my statement again.

Afternoon slots are given to tiger cubs and it is the same slot our Sudhas, Sanjays, Nithyasris, Sowmyas, Vijaysivas sang and got promoted. But how are they singing today? Are they responsible? Are they worth the promotion? Some have turned out to be Hanumans while rest of them is wandering like vanaras aiming for the low hanging fruits. Well that is a different topic to discuss. For now, let me stay with to the concert.

The tiger cub picked up Varali and I wished the Varali would never end. He sang effortless in all octaves and it felt like wind just flowing through a bamboo. Dikshithar’s Seshachala Nayakam was offered as an afternoon treat before lunch. NC Baradway on the Mridhangam and Parur MS Anantharaman on the violin played beautifully embellishing the beauty of lines “Mandahasa vadanam sat chanda hridayam vadanam” and neraval at Govinda mriga shayanam aravinda patra nayanam made me escape gravity. May be we should ask senior musicians to hear him atleast once? A quick Thirupaavi in Aarabhi was presented before he took Karaharapriya. The Karaharapriya was like the aval kesari that I had in the canteen – well cooked, made to right sweetness and dripping with ghee (zero friction). His voice and delivery never seemed to tire you and it strums your heart and intoxicates your mind. Who could that be? Barath Sundar! He completed the concert with the brisk Behag Thillana composed by Lalgudi.

Rasikas keep talking Prasanna Venkatraman and I find him in everyones to-listen list. I had 15 mins before I could come back for Prasanna Venkatraman. When I went down to the canteen I saw SK R. Vedavalli finishing her thayir sadam and wearing a satisfying look on her face. Seems more satisfied than SK.

He started the concert with Chalamela varnam and I was hoping the cloud over his throat would lift after the varnam. Thaapagana in Suddhabangala was performed, but his epiglottis was constrained. He picked up Pantuvarali presented a neat sketch exposing the raga elements. The kriti delivery lacked clarity and he was clipping words and chewing them thereby creating an eddy effect in singing. Soundararajam Aashraye and the Kambodhi that followed suffered because of the bad throat. Anything beyond “Pa” turned nasal and took away the joy from the previous session. Both Barath and Prasanna jumped to higher octaves very quickly and they must realize the sowkyam in the lower octaves. Experience is the best teacher! May be I will hear him on a better day.

I sincerely hope Music Academy would look at the musicians they have promoted from this slot in the last 20 years and measure their progress and achievement. MA it is time you learn from your mistakes. Please retain these guys in these slots for the next 3-5 years and make them work more magic to their voice, repertoire and music. They have to sing the same Todi, Sahana, Sankarabharanam and Begada for the rest of their lives. Let the SK performance not be bad compared to their performance now.

Prasanna and Barath, you have a long way to go and there is no urgency to get there. Should I remind you of the hare and tortoise story? It is the journey that is more memorable than the destination.

I came to enjoy good music and here I am getting preachy and political. Well blame in on Music Academy. By 4 pm I had completed 7 hrs of music and two pages of written material. I have to leave now and I am sure you have to leave as well. Come back for more!

Coming soon – Sikkil Gurucharan at Brahma Gana Sabha – (Kokilapriya, Ranjani RTP and some exhilarating krithis)