Artistes dance to their tune but...
|
They may command high rates and are busier than the artistes themselves but vocalists who sing for dancers have their own grievances, says GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
|
(From left): K. Hari Prasad, N. Sasidharan, Girija Ramaswamy and Radha Badri... can make or mar a performance — Pic. by N. Balaji.
STORIES OF the blind Veenai Dhanammal attending dance concerts to hear guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai, of Tiger Varadachariar or Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar at Balasaraswati's dance recitals to hear Jayammal sing, are part of Carnatic music lore.
More recently, Kittappa Pillai or Rajaratnam Pillai proved that they could draw listeners for their singing as they conducted dance recitals.
Yet, though they are often as rigorously trained as the kutcheri artistes, singers for the dance are regarded as second-class citizens in the field.
Ironically, they often command higher rates, and are busier artistes.
Talking to four established vocal accompanists of Bharatanatyam proved illuminating. Radha Badri and K. Hariprasad were groomed at Kalakshetra by doyens like Puducode Krishnamurti, Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan and Chellam Iyengar.
Singing for the Kalakshetra dance dramas from student days signalled their entry into a different lane.
Trained in the Naina Pillai school, and in gurukula with Yesudas, AIR artiste N. Shashidharan gave over 100 vocal concerts before changing direction.
A trip to Canada to sing for dancer Menaka Thakkar had Girija Ramaswamy swerving from the earlier role.
This Harikatha exponent and Sanskrit teacher, evolved in the Musiri and Pattammal banis, found herself "side staged."
Their sense of loss is evident. Radha recalls how sabhas gave her prizes, but failed to follow up with concert offers.
Multiple prizes at the Madras Music Academy did not upgrade her from the noon slot. ``Prizes are dangerous," laughs Hari. ``They don't guarantee sustained encouragement," agrees Girija who has had her share. ``You can't survive on prizes," says Shashi.
They apply every year to the sabhas, with missionary zeal, but no solo cutcheri.
The sabhas do not see this as denial. Don't the dance singers perform on their platforms more often than the vocalists?
What are the joys then? Exposure to different schools of music expands their repertoires of compositions and sampradayas.
Says Radha, ``If I'd stayed in Kalakshetra, I wouldn't have got beyond ``Manavi" or ``Rupamu juchi." Now I know 50 pada varnams." Song selections with K. J. Sarasa differ from say, Indira Rajan, explains Girija.
Shashi notes that dancers are willing to change their dates to suit the singer, while Hari confesses that dance musicians are forced to take on more than they can comfortably handle because of pressure from the dancers.
Audiences too are becoming more attentive to the quality of dance music. ``We have our fans," they beam.
Does singing for different dance schools mean loss of one's own style and identity? ``We mould everything to our way," they say.
There are other needs too. Singing for Dhananjayan is totally different from singing for a debutante child. Even among youngsters some are good at footwork, others in abhinaya, so that the same song has to be varied according to individual needs.
The orchestra of the day and adequate rehearsals determine class. What about complaints from dancers that mistakes are inevitable at rehearsals? "I have asked for extra rehearsals when necessary," replies Radha. The others say, "We have to be responsible. After all, the singer's slightest mistake is obvious, while the dancer can `sculpt' artistic poses to cover up a big lapse. If anything goes wrong, the singer is blamed".
The group laughs over practitioners who cram incompatible ragas together, or expect the singer to have no difficulty in rendering Begada after Sankarabharanam, Saranga after Kalyani.
Some dancers plan sancharis but improvise their footwork. There are times when the singer has to compose music, or fit it into tala frames, add jatis and swaras, train the orchestra, write out notations for the entire group.
``We have even done dance choreography at need," smiles Hari. ``Actual dancing is the only thing we haven't done."
When the dancer goes multilingual, singers have to deal with more languages than they bargained for. Increasing experimentation poses fusion music challenges. Some even clamour for film songs. Thematic recitals may expect the singer to evoke many colours out of a single composer.
``No excuse for bad throats either," Radha interpolates.
``The concert vocalist can choose songs to minimise the strain, but not we."
Another grouse is that the singer is not always acknowledged in the dancer's brochures or when her recorded music is played.
But aren't dance musicians highly paid for their labours? ``Write about our difficulties, not only about the rates we charge," says Radha.
``Not that we get astronomical sums, though it may be more than what is earned by a middle order concert vocalist," clarifies Hari.
``But think of the rehearsals, the demands on our skills, and last minute adjustments," begs Shashi. ``What about the times when the dancer bags a huge sum and pays us the same rate?" asks Girija.
Besides, don't the singers also reduce their rates for less prosperous performers? Hari believes that the balance sheet thus gets even.
Ask them how they can evoke emotion when they sing, as they often do, with paper in hand, barely glancing at the dancer and they counter, ``It's bad, but are the singers the only ones to be blamed, what about the half-baked, hasty efforts that pass for choreography today?"
If you still persist, and ask whether over-booked schedules and quick, last minute cramming doesn't make them sound the same in varnam or viruttham, padam or bhajan and they answer, ``That's where experience tells."
Singing for the dance requires sound classical training, a computer mind, alertness and adaptability. Also a temperament that accepts the secondary, supportive role without qualms.
The four artistes sum up, ``We are hurt when concert musicians treat us with scorn, but on the credit side our contribution is recognised more and more as vital to the success of the dance recital."
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Music & Dance
