Preserving music's tales
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Siddhramaiyya Mathpathi's thirst for music is insatiable. This vocalist and instrumentalist is also a renowned musicologist
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LONG JOURNEY Siddhramaiyya Mathpathi wants to reach out to all Kannadigas through his writings
As Mark Twain said: "Nothing so liberalises a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kind of people"; truly a chance encounter that brought me face to face with Sidhramayya Matpathi - artiste, academician, author and ardent collector of classical music documentation.
This Reader at the Department of Music in the Basaveshwara Arts University, Bagalkot, is striking in his simplicity and sincerity. As he toils passionately towards conserving/propagating classical music, it is evident that the satisfaction he draws out of it outweighs the monetary benefits.
Musical family
Sidhramayya Matpathi was born into a family of musicians in Gorata village of Basava Kalyan taluk, Bidar. His father, Pt. Virupakshaiyya Swamy Gorata is a sitar player and vocalist, who was conferred the Rajyotsava award (1988) for popularising the Vedas by setting it to a tune; his mother Veeramma was a singer.
After his initial taleem from his father, he decided to shift to Dharwad to pursue higher education in music and literature. He joined Karnatak College, where he had the good fortune of learning from R.P. Hoogar, Pt. Panchakshari Swamy Mathigatti and the legendary Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru himself (during the former's M.A. in music).
How did he get into writing on Hindustani classical music? "As a kid, when people requested me to respond to mail, I would do so with interest. I was impressed with the language used in the local daily and used to attempt that style of writing. Later, as I grew up, the works of Ha.Ma. Naik, H.S.V. and Gulvady influenced me. In the 1980s when Pt. Mallikarjun was awarded the Desikottama award by Shantiniketan (Kolkata), I wrote a iece on him that went on to get noticed. My guru and the Mutt-head urged me to write about other artistes as well, that led to my first book Hindustani Sangeetagaararu, covering 50 stalwarts in the Hindustani classical music scene. The take-aways from meeting senior artistes is manifold - I not only am privy to their trials and tribulations, but can also learn from their experiences, dedication and their journey into music. Music and life was a single journey for those old-timers; these days profession and art are two separate paths in the life of an artiste," he astutely observes.
Through his writing, he wanted to make available to Kannadigas, what was being offered in Hindi and Marathi on the subject. He also wanted to propagate the achievements of local artistes outside their own region. "Many a time, the words of the khayal are mispronounced and sung without paying attention to their meaning. We even completely miss the underlying spiritual message in Sufi bandishes, which appear light and romantic," he says, breaking into a khayal "Payal ki jhaankaar" (by Nyamat Khan `Sadarang').
He explains the qualities of a composer-singer — the Nayak, and a vocalist — the Gayak as defined by our music texts, and explains that the least we can do as singers is to do justice to the composition of our great forefathers.
His life is made of some mind-boggling arithmetic — 10 hours in musical thought, four hours in riyaz — is his daily routine of 19 waking hours. Having written more than 158 articles and giving about 80 recitals annually, this artiste is on an everlasting quest to do more!
Votary for parampara
Speaking of universities and their contribution in propagating music, he says that they are not a substitute to the time-tested guru-shishya parampara. He recalls how the great Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur used to put it: "Universities at least produce people capable of appreciating music". Among his future projects are a Raga directory, a database of classical music journals, and books/texts. What about funding? "I have spent 50 to 60 thousand rupees from my own pocket. I have approached government departments, but nothing has come through yet."
"I have even spent on infrastructure (that included a computer and scanner) at my own cost," says an undeterred Mathpathi. Truly, it such crusaders at the grass-root level who can save our traditional arts from getting eroded by the culture of fast-pace and instant-pleasure.
SMITA BELLUR
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