HIGH NOTES
For the youth only…
R. KRITHIKA
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… not for regular rasikas, say musicians Bombay Jayashri and T.M. Krishna, as they look at taking Svanubhava, the festival of music for students, to the national stage.
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“Strangely students of the performing arts are neglected. actually they have as little access to performers, except their teachers, as anybody else.”
Glued to their seats: Not the usual audience at a classical concert.
Carnatic music is as much a feature of Chennai as is the Marina Beach. While the beach is accepted as a hangout for all ages; a kutcheri is usually left to the elderly. A notion that Svanubhava 2009 stood on its head.
Instead of mamas and mamis in pattu veshtis and saris, you had youngsters with coloured hair and jeans nod their heads in appreciation to the music. They also asked performers questions about the art, about performing, the need for practice, even a “how do I become great?” as one girl asked a stunned P. Unnikrishnan.
Svanubhava (meaning self-experience) was conceived of as a “for, of and by the students” festival in 2008, where they could not just listen but also ask questions, clarify doubts, interact with well known artistes… a way to bridge the gap between the performer and the audience. Launched by Matrka, an organisation founded by Carnatic vocalists T.M. Krishna and Bombay Jayashri, and the Youth Association of Classical Music (YACM), last year’s focus was on Carnatic music since they were testing the waters. But this year the scope was broadened to include a variety of performing arts. Sure you had Carnatic music but there was also namasankritanam, therukoothu, kathak, vilasini natyam…
Only facilitators
Krishna and Jayashri refer to themselves as mere facilitators; “about 98 per cent of the ideas come from the students, we just put it together; give it a structure.” And both underline the need to learn what the students want. Most people presume to know what students require but “what may seem silly to us may be an inspiration to them. It’s very important to learn what they want,” is a common refrain.
This year also saw students from public schools join those from Kalakshetra, the Tamil Nadu Government Music College and the Music Academy’s College apart from 400 “outsiders”, with over 1000 youngsters thronging the venues every day. Since all concerts in Svanubhava also include a dialogue session, the students positively relished the chance to talk to senior vidwans on a one-to-one basis. Watching them as they surround a Sudha Raghunathan or a Birju Maharaj is a bit like watching cricket fans, on a minor scale.
As a student of the government Music College put it, “Where else will I get a chance to see artistes like them?” My response of “December music season” was met with a contemptuous look before another kindly explained, “Either tickets are sold out or we can only afford the last row… Besides here we have a chance to watch up close how they perform, the interaction with their accompanists and talk to them…” and then he ad-libs, “It’s different” as his friends break into laughter. One over-the-moon youngster describes an encounter with Birju Maharaj on the first day. Told that the youngster learnt the tabla, the maestro invited him to show what he could do. Obviously the boy was speechless for the next few days. “There is a great sense of pride and joy at being able to talk to Birju Maharaj or Swapnasundari,” smiles Krishna. “And, it just might be the spur that kid needed.” The other point that concerned them is the institutionalisation of art and lack of interaction between various art forms. Students of different institutions/teachers or disciplines don’t get a chance to meet or mingle informally.
Bigger stage
With two successful years behind them, Krishna and Jayashri are now actively exploring options to take this concept to a national stage. “Why shouldn’t a youngster in Chennai learn more about aspects of Hindustani music or Rajasthani folk music?” they ask passionately. “By the same token, why can’t a youngster in Delhi or Mumbai take home something from a Carnatic kutcheri or therukoothu?”
Photo: R. Ragu
A national framework seems like a logistical nightmare but the organisers are confident that it’ll work. “We have a basic framework,” says Jayashri “and we’re hoping to tie up with institutions and student networks in various cities.”
“We’ve been very lucky in Chennai,” says Krishna emphatically. “We’ve had corporate sponsors like AMM Foundation, the Shriram Group, TAFE, Sri Krishna Sweets, The Hindu group, Ashok Leyland, Airtel, Sabha Foundation, Indus Ind Bank, Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetty, Kalki and one individual (Mr. Shrikanth) who understood the sensibilities of this festival.” The point he’s trying to make is that nowhere — during the six days and at three venues — did a visitor spot a single sponsor’s banner or promotional material. And they’re hoping that potential sponsors elsewhere will be as understanding of the “festival’s needs” as those in Chennai have been. Right now options include Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Madurai… more will follow, they hope.
You wonder: will a festival that targets just students work? Then you hear this gem from one boy who’s defying all conventions with his streaked hair and body piercings: “See, we dance to Vijay’s latest hit or Hrithik’s Dhoom machale but that does not mean we cannot appreciate this”. He flings his hands towards the stage where Sudha Raghunathan has launched into an energetic Ananda natamaduvar thillai and marches off to enthusiastically keep beat on his friend’s head; you watch as Swapnasundari effortlessly keeps a young crowd glued to their seats, not budging even for lunch; you see emotion as Anayampatti Ganesan makes a poignant plea to save the jalatarangam from oblivion (“take vocal music as your main; think of this a subsidiary”); you notice focus and concentration as Karaikudi Mani demands to know which chapu (speed) he was playing at… and you see the point Krishna and Jayashri are trying to make: Youth do not have enough exposure to the arts; that’s not their fault. Provide the exposure and what you gain is a group of culturally confident youngsters, who take that confidence to every other sphere.
“At a very basic level, there is no difference between music and dance or the various disciplines within. They are all forms of cultural expression. We need to give the next generation more access, more exposure so that it adds to their growth; not just as performers but as people,” says Krishna.
Wonder if he would agree that a Dhan Te Nan or a Marukelara are the same at the basic level?
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