And the twain do meet
|
Fusion is the buzzword when music is going global.
|
HAPPY PARTNERSHIP: Karaikkudi Mani (centre) along with other artistes during rehearsal. Photo: N. Sridharan.
CHITRA SWAMINATHAN
From being subdued accompanists, they have started taking the centre stage. From waiting for a 10-minute tani, they have become lead artistes in cross-cultural bands, even composing exclusive fusion pieces. From local sabhas, they have moved to opera houses. Their listeners now range from the prim and proper rasikas to funkily-clad head bangers.
This is the age of music's globalisation, where Indian percussionists and instrumentalists are entering into partnerships with their western counterparts. The strains of Kalyani and Keeravani and the rhythms of chittaswarams and korvais are echoing in Australia, America and Africa. Similarly, jazz and western classical have found many followers back home. "Though I am not comfortable with the term `fusion,' used frivolously, I think the experiments with sound have elevated our status as musicians at an international level," says acclaimed mridangist Guru Karaikkudi Mani. "It has opened the floodgates of creativity, making you think differently. How else would you have been able to draw musicians from other countries to your tradition?"
Today, the mridangam is making its presence felt on the world stage with artistes such as Mani composing pieces for jazz musicians when they perform together. The stress is on sharing the time, space and music equally.
"We specify the scale of the ragam and the tempo of the rhythm. They then play within the range. While artistes here go by mental calculations, out there even the tempo has notations. Everything has to be on paper. Similarly, when we play their compositions, we calculate the beat and identify the scale according to the notational arrangement," says Mani.
Ever since he started collaborating, Mani has been clear that there would be "no compromising on artistic values. Only the music should blend, not styles. Otherwise, you lose your identity."
Adds mridangam vidwan Trichy Sankaran, professor of music at the York University, Toronto, for 34 years: "Pick and choose your partners. Go for those with sound technical knowledge. It will make the job easy and the music perfect. If there is discipline and understanding, fusion will never sound fake."
New generation
In the 1960s, when Pandit Ravi Shankar performed with legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of Beatles, it opened the eyes of a whole new generation of Indian musicians. His success inspired them to go in for similar commercially and creatively viable global ventures. Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain made Western hearts beat to the Indian rhythm by forming the band `Shakti' with guitarist John McLaughlin. What next?
Tabla was on a roll, its taal and laya dominating many international performances.
When I see an increasing number of youngsters at my school today, I send a silent prayer up to my father. -- VIKKU VINAYANRAM
"If you ask me, mridangam is the king of percussion. The permutations and combinations it offers are amazing. I have found it really thrilling to rearrange the compositions around the complex korvais," says Sankaran.
Technology has played a major role in bringing cultures closer. Artistes exchange notes on the Internet. This way, they start rehearsing when they meet.
Learning experience
Says the only Grammy award winning Carnatic musician Vikku Vinayakram: "Fusion could be a great learning experience for both performers and listeners. Our group `Shakti' set the stage for western, Hindustani and Carnatic musicians to come together. When I got the offer to be part of the group, I was worried about how it would be seen in the music circle. But my father encouraged me to take it up, if not for my sake, for giving exposure to the ghatam."
For six months he stayed in New York, working day and night with Zakir, John and L. Shankar. And 25 years later, `Shakti' is still the most talked about fusion work. "When I see an increasing number of youngsters at my school today, I send a silent prayer up to my father," says Vinayakram.
Vinayakram's son, Selva Ganesh, too is making waves with the humble Kanjira. He already has two international albums to his credit. He is all set to play a 45-minute solo at the World Rhythm Festival in Spain February next. "Without fusion music, I would have played second fiddle all my life." Kanjira does not have a scale and can be fitted into any kind of music. It has only two basic notes. What's more, it can be carried easily.
Commenting on the growing popularity of world music Selva Ganesh says, "There are two ways of doing a fusion — jamming (playing impromptu) or creating structured compositions. Whichever way you look at it, it's a bridge between classical and non-classical listeners."
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Music Season
