Masters and trendsetters of Carnatic music
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
GALAXY OF CARNATIC MUSICIANS — Vols. 1 & 2: SVK; Alliance Publishers, Old No. 244, R.K. Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai-600004.
Rs. 150 (Vol.1); Rs. 130 (Vol.2).
A glimpse into the lives and times of Carnatic musicians has always been a source of fascination for avid listeners and rasikas. What makes the artistes tick? How do they structure their practice regimes? Who are their icons, their sources of inspiration? What incidents count as milestones in their career? These and many other questions were answered in a series of interviews conducted by the author with an array of artistesand published in The Hindu dur
ing 1994-96 under two heads, ‘Masters’ and ‘Trendsetters’. These interviews have been compiled in book form.
The first volume features many of the maestros of today who constitute a formidable vidwat bank and provide an invaluable link to the luminaries of the past, whose awe-inspiring prowess shaped the art of their disciples. Having learnt under the Gurukula system, this generation imbibed not only the intricacies of practice and performance, but also the conviction and philosophy underlying the guru’s art.
Bond
What emerges from the author, SVK’s conversations with the seniors is the strong guru-sishya bond that is at the root of an unswerving commitment to music. There were no shortcuts or overnight successes. Establishing one’s presence in the arena took years of dedication, discipline and unrelenting sadhana. Constant self-assessment was the key to improvement. Musing over his evolution as an artiste Mannargudi Easwaran says: “At the beginning I was playing for the talams. Now I am playing for the music.”
Analysing the responses of the current crop of artistes profiled in ‘Trendsetters’ (Vol 2) you gather that changing times have triggered shifting perspectives. Allegiance to a single guru or bani is rarely in evidence. Easy access to and an increasing dependence on the rich archives of concert recordings of the vidwans of the past generation have ensured that the electronic support system complements the experience of direct shiksha from the guru. With media exposure fuelling the child prodigy syndrome, many young stars fulfilled early promise to mature into acclaimed performers. The lure of music prevailed over the attraction of the other career options open to them.
Informative
Thus you have instances of aspiring cricketers, dancers, qualified computer engineers and accountants, choosing to make music their profession after a good deal of soul-searching. Emphasis on voice culture geared to effective use of the microphone and experimental fusion ventures are all part of the young professional musician’s arsenal today. For those interested in details pertaining to background, training and viewpoints of musicians, the books offer an informative read. Literal translation of colloquialisms yields an occasional quaint turn of phrase. A well known critic, SVK (S.V.Krishnamurthy) hails from a family of distinguished musicians and musicologists, whose rewarding association with stalwarts in the field laid the foundation for his formal training and lifelong interest in Carnatic music. His earlier publications include a four-volume series on Tyagaraja.
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