Dance
Margazhi for dancers is, indeed,
a mad stampede. Are we happy about this? Absolutely. Yet, as I dream about
the flavor and fragrance of the forthcoming festival, a small part of me
aches. The tragedy is audiences today are only more familiar with the ‘mass
scale Bharatanatyam’ and are unable to recognize a first rate performance.
Even some of these performers are forced to realign their style to the
‘popular level’ by imitating the tricks and mannerisms of the ‘stars’ for
that is how one can draw crowds. Large doses of these have resulted in
our acceptance of mediocrity.
(Swarnamalya in ‘The mad stampede,’
The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 3, 2007)
December is very special. To me
it's not the end of the year, but the beginning. The December audiences
of Chennai are very special. They are unpretentious, but challenge you
to give your best. They follow you from theatre to theatre. You will not
find such an audience, anywhere else.
Bharatanatyam is not all geometry,
leaps and stretches. Beyond that there is poetry. I always want to see
the music and hear the dance.
(Alarmel Valli in ‘Poetry in motion,’
by Sushila Ravindranath, The New Sunday Express, Dec 9, 2007)
Margazhi utsavam today needs to
reduce its pace and volume. Too many awards, performances and sabhas…I
am afraid the festival is not growing in the right direction.
(C V Chandrasekhar in ‘There was
so much to imbibe,’ The Hindu Music Season, Dec 14, 2007)
I am happy but it would have been
more befitting if awards had come my way during late eighties or early
nineties when I was active during the music season in Chennai.
(Kamala on receiving Natya Padmam
award, in ‘Dance is my very life,’ Mylapore Talk, Dec16 - 22, 2007)
Youth in the dance scenario are
taking our breath away. They are bold, ride roughshod, are rude and often
do not listen to words of caution. Much of what they do may be hackneyed
stuff in new packaging. It is often far too complex and clever for my liking.
They are copycats and do not shy from hiding it. They are not subtle. They
will steal an idea and even a theme, as it comes out of the fire from a
senior dancer.
Nevertheless, for the moment they
are speaking true. And there are some among them who do some original thinking
as well.
Can anyone say that young artists
do not live for their art or are any less committed than their mentors?
Were we as talented or driven as they are? How can you put such enthusiasm
down?
(Leela Samson in ‘Spirit of daring,’
The Hindu magazine, Dec 16, 2007)
Culture reflects and mirrors in
many ways the times and context it is produced in. India is in a
new and dynamically exciting phase due to its economic boom. Among various
classes there is a sense of claiming our space in the world order. This
confidence is fertile ground for artistic fecundity in the fields of the
visual arts, literature as well as the performing arts.
No longer do we need to caveat it
with our 5000-year history, instead it is us here and now and this newness
is at once fresh, exciting sometimes a bit brash, not always fantastic
but in a continuous churn of being created as if it were on the potter’s
wheel and with every turning we are moulding, patting, turning, throwing
our artistic pots, which are full of the balance of the past and its traditions
but are able to carefully hinge on modernity and the colours of the contemporary
as well.
(Ranvir Shah in ‘Cultural catalyst,’
The Hindu magazine, Dec 16, 2007)
December then was not as chaotic.
Today everything is on an ascending mode…sabhas, rasikas, artistes and
performances. Leaving you wondering, where to go and what to see. Yet,
my fascination for this unique celebration of the arts will never fade.
(Vyjayanthimala Bali in ‘Season
has special significance in my life,’ The Hindu Music Season, Dec 19, 2007)
Most youngsters in the field are
getting carried away by the term choreography because of its popular association
with glamorous ramp shows and film numbers. They are in a hurry to do their
own thing. One needs to master and practise the technique for a few years
to understand spaces and energies before creating something. Guidance and
support of seniors can help you realise and visualise many vital aspects.
Choreography demands a lot of time. Some of my works have taken me almost
a year.
It is not easy to come out of the
pure classical mould and attempt something with a contemporary appeal.
I have faced immense criticism and opposition. But I strongly believe that
one shouldn’t give up one’s artistic urges influenced by a few opinions.
Of course, you cannot forget the audience. Continue the creative journey;
they will surely join you sometime.
(Anita Ratnam in ‘Aesthetic vehicle
of self-expression’ by Chitra Swaminathan, The Hindu Music Season, Dec
19, 2007)
For any experiment I expect sympathy,
tolerance and ‘biaslessness’ from audiences. Work hard, but mediocre work
is also practised hard. So who’s to say what’s good?
(KSR Aniruddha in ‘So what’s new?’
by Gowri Ramnarayan, The Hindu Music Season, Dec 21, 2007)
This season is an acid test for
every artist. It is a challenge for us to grow as artistes. This place
is the heart of Bharatanatyam. When we perform here, the response comes
from people’s hearts and minds. I find the best audience here and I feel
renewed and re-energized each time I perform here.
(Alarmel Valli in ‘Of raga and bhava’
in Margazhi Fest, ET Madras Plus, Dec 22, 2007)
The change mainly has been with
regard to cost. Gone are the days when a dance recital required only ten
lights. Today, we need 80 lights. A mike used to be provided for the vocalist
alone. Today, the whole orchestra requires it. Every artiste now brings
his/her own equipment and listeners need high power speakers.
There are more performers today.
More avenues are available with lec-dems and the like. But people do not
have the patience to sit through concerts for a long number of hours. They
need shorter programs with variety.
(R Krishnaswamy, Secretary of Narada
Gana Sabha, in ‘Cater to music, dance and drama,’ in Margazhi Fest, ET
Madras Plus, Dec 22, 2007)
With thinning audience, dancers
of great repute are finding themselves performing to dwindling numbers
– which can be a very discouraging thing. The yearly Natya Kala Conference,
which is usually an exercise in new dimensions exploring and re-looking
at traditional art forms, too has been suffering lack of quorum. The kind
of learning and interaction that could happen in these lecture demonstrations
and short performances, is not something that can happen in regular forums.
(Chitra Mahesh in ‘Sitar played
as rain drummed its own tune,’ Deccan Chronicle, Dec 24, 2007)
Bharatanatyam for me is a language
of the present tense. I dance in the ‘now.’ Often I create a new vocabulary
to convey what I intend to through my dance. I discover my own technique,
which happens naturally. It’s been a long journey of more than 30 years.
And the journey has become more internal.
My performances are not recitals.
They are not about imitating hastas or adavus. I see them as experiences.
It’s living the moments of re-creation; initiating a thought process. You
go up on the stage and change the energy of space.
(Malavika Sarukkai in ‘Exploring
a woman’s psyche’ by Chitra Swaminathan, The Hindu Friday review, Dec 28,
2007)
Our biggest problem is, we have
too many dancers and not enough slots. I was thinking of suggesting to
sabhas to ask the senior people to cut down their program by a half-hour
and let talented dancers perform before them in that slot, which is enough
to show your talent.
I think the audience’s minds have
opened up. They are willing to appreciate new things if well done. Also
to appreciate traditional things, if well done.
(Anita Ratnam in ‘Many graces, many
faces’ by Anjana Rajan, The Hindu Friday Review, Dec 28, 2007)
Music
There’s so much openness now that
you need not fear expressing yourself. If you are happy following what
has been passed on to you, fine. If you want to explore, this is the time…Our
Indian system of rhythm is so well-structured that once you have mastered
it, you are ready to play any kind of music. Classicism is the seed. Without
it you cannot rise up to the demands of the changing times…Twenty-five
per cent you learn from your gurus, another 25 by yourself, next 25 from
your colleagues and the last 25 per cent you learn with experience.
(‘Ghatam’ S Karthick in, ‘Want to
explore? This is the time!’ - The Hindu Metro Plus, Oct 30, 2007)
For us classicism does not mean
a cage. Our gharana has taken freely and openly – mind you, not stolen
- the best from other gharanas such as Gwalior and Indore. We have gone
to other artistes, surrendered ourselves as shagirds, served them and learnt
from them….
We are fascinated by Carnatic music.
You have some really mazedaar (enjoyable) taals, and intriguing techniques
of handling them. Your raags are different too. Hindustani music has taken
so many raags from you. It will be good for us to learn more about all
this firsthand. We don’t plan before concerts.
(Pakistani musician Rustam Ali Khan
in ‘Classicism is not a cage’ - The Hindu Metro Plus, Nov 3, 2007)
Technology has changed the music
industry, and it is both good and bad. But there is more harm than good
in this development. The reason is, the more one moves away from nature,
the worse it is. Take musical instruments. The natural sound of the sitar,
if enhanced electronically, loses its quality. It is less beautiful. Yet
all Indian musicians today, barring a handful, have started using electronic
pickup on their instrument, be it the guitar, the sitar, the sarod or even
the santoor. Now, if we were to fit a device into our throats to enhance
the volume, the natural timbre would be lost.
(Pt. Rajan Misra in ‘Technology
is good and bad’ - The Hindu Metro Plus, Nov 5, 2007)
Style is not just about dress. It
is also about dressing up ragas in your own unique way. There is a pattern
you follow when you train in an art. As you mature as an artiste, you should
try to give touch to every aspect of your singing to make a mark. Besides
individual approach, style also refers to the two branches of our classical
music – Carnatic and Hindustani. It’s not easy to master both, but a good
understanding of the two will perk up your presentation.
The soul of music gets lost in mix
and match exercises. When it is a fake encounter of genres, it is confusion
and not fusion.
(Pt Suhas Vyas in ‘Audience deserves
the best’ by Chitra Swaminathan - The Hindu Friday Review, Nov 16, 2007)
One thing we need to learn is to
be more expressive while performing. I realised this when I worked with
African musicians (he has done an album “African Fantasy”). My mother moves
her hands and body a lot while singing. When I sit stiff and play she tells
me, “You are a musician not a statue.”
(Trilok Gurtu in ‘Improvisation
makes music timeless’ - The Hindu Metro Plus, Nov 27, 2007)
It (electronically generated music
to traditional forms) simply lacks the human touch. Despite the innovations
and mechanization, science has not been able to push the envelope and discover
a new musical note.
(Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in ‘Unifying
melodies’ by Sudipto Mondal - The Hindu Metro Plus, Nov 28, 2007)
Perhaps what I miss most today is
the absence of ‘rakti’ playing which used to be an integral part of the
nagaswaram-thavil combine.
(Mayavaram Venugopal Pillai in ‘Artist
of great vidwat’ by Lalithaa Krishnan - The Hindu Friday Review, Nov 30,
2007)
Only music can liberate this society
fettered by religion, caste, creed and race and can help one attain mukthi
too.
The River Ganges on her course from
the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, flows into several thousands of villages.
A musician’s journey should also be like hers. As Mahaperiyaval said, music
is the only medium that can redeem man and make him realize parabrahmam.
Music is the finest of fine arts and discipline, the most important aspect
of music.
(Neyveli R Santhanagopalan in ‘Music
is the finest of fine arts’ by V Balasubramanian - The Hindu Friday
Review, Nov 30, 2007)
True, not every guru past and present
was or is exemplary. But the best know that music cannot be taught like
theorems and formulas to a set annual syllabus. The teacher knows the different
stages at which the disciple is ready to receive what is imparted.
(N Murali in ‘Guru, the irreplaceable
force’ by Gowri Ramnarayan - The Hindu, Music & Dance, Dec 1, 2007)
The secret behind keeping my voice
fit during the season is talking less, reducing the duration of my practice
sessions and doing most of the practice in my head! I also eat less.
(Sudha Raghunathan in ‘Marghazhi
& me’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 1, 2007)
I believe that limited number of
concerts can avoid mechanical performances and also help in keeping fresh
throughout the season…Awards are an inspiration and make artistes feel
they have received recognition for what they have performed. Most importantly,
it puts greater responsibility on the artistes after they receive an award
as they hold something that great maestros held in the past.
(Bombay Jayashree in ‘Quality comes
first’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 4, 2007)
Today there are a number of young
talents coming up, but not many of them turn up at seniors’ concerts. To
evolve into complete musicians, they must have an open mind and listen
to others (concerts) too. I am happy that many youngsters are emerging
to carry on the rich tradition still forward. But I also feel they are
overexposed.
(Pt Janardhan Mitta in ‘Striking
the right balance; by V Balasubramanian - The Hindu Friday Review, Dec
7, 2007)
Receiving an award is like a pat
on the back for your efforts and hard work, and motivates you to continue
the good work.
(Aruna Sairam in ‘Music season rejuvenates
me’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 8, 2007)
Chennai is the Mecca of the Veenas.
It’s such a pity I don’t get invited. I am happy about the fact that musicians
from down South are getting people’s warmth in Delhi and other cities in
the North.
(Ustad Asad Ali Khan, Rudra Veena
exponent, in ‘Who wants them?’ - The New Sunday Express, Dec 9, 2007)
People should learn a lesson from
the Kolkata audience who respond to an artiste even if they don’t understand
the language.
(Pt Ulhas Kashalkar in ‘Who wants
them?’- The New Sunday Express, Dec 9, 2007)
Some people think that if you sing
more ghana ragas, with more alapana, swaram and neraval, then it’s a ‘serious’
concert. And if, after one hour, you sing tukkadas, they may label it a
light concert. But if you have a heavy raga in a tukkada – say, in a virutham,
you launch into a Yadukulakhamboji – I’d still say it’s a hard-core Carnatic
concert. Popular concerts should also be there, but you should ideally
have a mix of everything.
(Sikkil Gurucharan in ‘Of Season’
by Bharadwaj Rangan - The New Sunday Express, Dec 9, 2007)
While one has to definitely take
advantage of technology, it is now universally reckoned that being a slave
of the mike is a sure way to spell doom in the career of any vocalist.
Also, one has to ward off demons like unfavorable climate, pollution, water
contamination etc. An artiste also has to do too many things at the same
time like media interviews, workshops amidst the concerts and is put to
a lot of stress.
(R Suryaprakash in ‘Being vocal
about singing’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 10, 2007)
Teaching needs the same amount of
passion and commitment as performing. You need to earn your students’ trust.
It’s so gratifying when they later talk about your role in their success.
Technology has improved the reach
of our arts. Online lessons have attracted many from within the country
and outside to learn classical music. But the computer shouldn’t rob your
identity. Music is not a copy-paste job.
(T V Gopalakrishnan in ‘Music bridges
time and distance’ - The Hindu Metro Plus, Dec 11, 2007)
The season has exploded. The season
that started in December, probably because of the mild weather now begins
somewhere in November and extends well into January. A number of organizations
have mushroomed and there is lot of pressure and expectations of the artistes,
leading to strain on their health and voice. But on balance, the season
has been good for music.
(N Murali, President of Music Academy,
in ‘December season over the years’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi,
Dec 12, 2007)
Communication is not easy. Sing
‘hummable’ stuff and you are called populist. Go into vyavaharam and the
audience yawns.
(Lakshmi Rangarajan in ‘It’s all
about communication’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 14, 2007)
With so many opportunities available
right from a very young age, the objective of learning has changed. Today
people practise for competitions, for concerts … There are definite targets
to be met. Parents want a timetable from the guru: “When will my son/daughter
perform?”
The learning process in turn has
been altered. Once this happens, quality definitely suffers. I don’t mean
to say that this is true of all the youngsters but I do see these signs
in many cases. Packaging is also the ‘in’ thing. Audiences earlier looked
for creativity, the ideas and the flow. The energy of the talent was important
to them. Today I feel even the audience wants only well packaged music
from young talent.
You need the rough edges. You have
to appreciate those rough edges, only then will talent flower. The roundedness
and polish come later. If an artist starts focussing just on presentation
from a very young stage, it kills creativity.
(T M Krishna in ‘Dawn of a new era’
- The Hindu magazine, Dec 16, 2007)
Come December it’s celebration time
for rasikas when they conglomerate from all around the world in Chennai
to get immersed in the ocean of Carnatic music. Vidwans too look forward
to the year-end festival... The sabhas are doing a great service carrying
music to every nook and corner of Chennai. I hope this festival grows even
bigger.
(Vellore G Ramabadran in ‘The sabhas
are doing a great service’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 21, 2007)
The performing scene is not what
it was a few decades ago. Talent alone seems to be insufficient for success
at many places. You have to necessarily be the offspring or student of
a popular musician, influential in society or know to socialize well.
(A former sabha secretary, in ‘Music
faces the music’ - Mylapore Talk, Dec 23-29, 2007)
We were applying for a slot every
year, to perform during the music season, to one of the most popular sabha
in Mylapore. In spite of our standing, we did not receive a chance to perform
in any slot. Now we are dejected and have stopped applying for a break.
At some sabhas where we have been performing regularly, we have not been
considered for promotion to a higher slot. Our juniors have been allotted
senior slots. It is saddening and dejecting.
(A singing duo, in ‘Music faces
the music’ - Mylapore Talk, Dec 23-29, 2007)
For the audience, attending music
concerts is something like eating out. Nowadays, dining at restaurants
is quite common. Not much cooking is done at home and good and bad don’t
matter. So with music. Any product is accepted and saleable. The preference
for foreign goods can be found in music too. People present orchestras,
call it new music, and so on. But you cannot say this is bad. It is the
trend.
(T N Krishnan in ‘There is quantity
rather than quality’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 25, 2007)
I belong to the previous generation
when music was practised in its pristine form. I still remember those days
where my seniors would churn out pure music. It was their upasana.
But the same cannot be said of today’s
youngsters. No doubt their knowledge is incredible, but distractions like
film music and other lighter varieties affect their classical pursuit.
It might be even due to changing lifestyles.
The gnanam, the raga bhavam is found
wanting. Their singing is pleasing to the ears but they are lacking ideals.
(Nedunuri Krishnamoorthy in ‘Festival
has brought global recognition’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 26, 2007)
Just as musicians are given awards
by sabhas and by the government, those who make musical instruments should
also be given awards.
(K Karuppiah, Asst Director-Display,
in ‘Recreating treasures of the past’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 26,
2007)
I enjoy the camaraderie with my
colleagues in the profession. We share a good rapport. The large-heartedness
of the seniors who are now past their fifties is a lesson for us youngsters
to imbibe. Why should there be room for politics when there is space for
everyone? The talented and the industrious will win recognition, sooner
or later. No one can come between the performer and the rasika. Our seniors
have paved the way, let’s follow them.
(N Vijay Siva in ‘Honing art to
perfection’ - The Hindu Friday Review, Dec 28, 2007)
Chennai now boasts several respites
from the main “season,” with the arrival of several festivals, some for
classical music but happily, many for experimental and fused forms. While
a large section of the populace remains skeptical about the quality and
quantity of these, I think the atmosphere that Chennai has managed to create
is highly desirable. We are at a point of inflection in our journey to
define the new Indian reality, exploring new waters and finding sounds
that we like and assimilating them. The finale is yet to happen, and in
a way that is perhaps for the best. There are pockets of artists who have
resorted to agenda-led music creation (typified by the ubiquitous “lets
do a world music album”) in favour of more true-to-the-self creativity.
In time, this too shall pass.
(Anil Srinivasan in ‘Thank you for
the music’ - The New Sunday Express, Dec 30, 2007)
General
The crowded schedule leads to a
general fatigue and as the season winds down, the fatigue is perceptible
in everyone – irritable celebrities, cranky audio technicians, harried
sabha secretaries and even the janitor at the bottom of the pecking order!
(Ramanathan Iyer, editor Carnatica.com,
in ‘Yours musically’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 1,
2007)
The stars may be paid a pittance
by the local sabhas; the fledglings may spend to perform; many concerts
are free; the audience floats in and out; chatterers gossip in the front
row, readers peruse yesterday’s reviews during today’s recital, plastic
bags rustle, mikes crackle in mid-performance, tani avartanams signal exoduses,
even gandharva gaanam cannot keep the listeners in their seats after 8.15
pm. But the Carnatic musician and music lover will not miss the Madras
mela for the world. Wherever they may be, earning dollars or euros, acclaim
and applause, the musicians rush back for the season…
The Chennai festival lacks centralised
authority, and continues to run on private initiative, even personal whimsy.
But this ad hoc hodgepodge character is its charm.
(‘Get drenched in the rain of ragas’
by Gowri Ramnarayan - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 1, 2007)
On Dec 9, 2007, Fortune Refined
Sunflower Oil launched the Fortune Carnatic Express – a fleet of 8 vans
to provide rasikas free transport between sabhas. It is a noon to night
service on weekdays and morning to night service on weekends. The service
works in the T Nagar, Mylapore, Alwarpet and Nungambakkam areas where most
of the main sabhas are located.
It is normal to find vocalists getting
into wild gestures when performing. Some musicians just cannot sing without
stretching out their arms. Some get lost and the facial expressions are
a feast for the cartoonist. But it is a little odd when a rasika takes
to such mannerisms. This person almost hit his neighbour in the next seat
with his swaying arms. He didn’t seem to hear the protests from rows behind
as his vigorously nodding head obstructed the view.
(‘Listening with gestures’ in ‘Music
matters’ - The Hindu Music Season, Dec 19, 2007)
The December season is a somewhat
self effacing creature. It is accessible only to the determined seekers.
Indeed, but for a few apologetic billboards, a casual visitor would be
hard pressed to infer from the streets of Mylapore and T Nagar, the happening
of any more significant an event than a high school fete. A large majority
of the state’s (Tamilnadu) 40 million domestic and 1.5 million international
visitors, many of whom arrive during the ‘peak tourist month’ of December,
pass through Chennai, blissfully unaware of this cultural phenomenon.
(Vijay Sarathy in ‘The Seasoned
Tourist’ - The New Indian Express, artfest@margazhi, Dec 22, 2007)
A few take complimentary tickets
or purchase tickets in bulk for near dear ones to ensure a large audience.
When complimentary tickets are restricted, some even resort to boycotting
the sabha for the season.
(Former committee member of a Mylapore
sabha, in ‘Music faces the music’ - Mylapore Talk, Dec 23-29, 2007)
|
