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Music Season
Get drenched in the rain of ragas
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Poor returns, floating audience, indifferent acoustics…but the Carnatic musician and music lover will not miss the Madras mela for the world.
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VIGNETTES: Music has no barriers… outside the Music Academy
“Cosmopolitan Chennai is not laidback Madras,” remarked a city-zen, revisiting home after 15 years abroad. Chennai’s December season, originally a showcase for traditional music, has also suffered a sea-change. It is no longer a niche forum for classicists, but includes a range of festivals and stand alone events from food fiestas to film fests. The whole city throbs with a new, vibrant air as it rings in the new.
Of course, Carnatic music continues to be the main attraction. “Will it rain in December this year?” is an anxious query. “Only music,” laughs the Old Madrasi, with 50 years’ festival memories pigeonholed in the mind. The stars may be paid a pittance by the local sabhas; the fledglings may spend to perform; many concerts are free; the audience floats in and out; chatterers gossip in the front row, readers peruse yesterday’s reviews during today’s recital, plastic bags rustle, mikes crackle in mid-performance, tani avartanams signal exoduses, even gandharva gaanam cannot keep the listeners in their seats after 8.15 p.m. But the Carnatic musician and music lover will not miss the Madras mela for the world. Wherever they may be, earning dollars or euros, acclaim and applause, the musicians rush back for the season.
Rasikas lost in music
This season has long since expanded from two weeks in December to encompass November and January. In fact, this year, a regular festival visitor chose the first two weeks of December as “better for quiet listening” of both young and established musicians. Concert figures stand at a mind boggling 2,000-plus in 60-70 days. Sabhas increase day by day. Despite special festival supplements the press struggles to cover them all.
Mylaporean approval
“I don’t want to sing for Madras Mamis. I want an international podium,” announces an ambitious youngster, without realising that Mylaporean approval is the first step towards other goals. Fifteen to 20 concerts during the season establish not just saleability, but ensures safety in numbers.
Chennai rasikas have stopped wondering how the vidwans manage — do they have colossal repertoires? Can they do justice to 20 rakti ragas in a row? With foreign tours round the year, do musicians have the time to take months to perfect a sangati-tiered “Koniyadi,” internalise a mela chakram for the season? Not to worry. The current practice of reading music on the stage from notebooks and loose sheets takes care of some problems. Swara and percussion fusillades take care of others. Some who have achieved a certain level of fame do restrict their recitals. Many others are not yet in a position to refuse platform offers by the ever growing number of sabhas.
Since there are more dancers today than platforms, there is little danger of satiety here. Visiting artistes perform only during the season, ensuring audience interest. Some residents like Alarmel Valli perform little off season, and selectively in season.
Children combining pleasure and work
Once, only Kalakshetra and Krishna Gana Sabha featured dance. Today despite a lack of adequate theatre space and lights, more sabhas include dance, while January spreads a Terpsichorean feast through Pongal time. Since last year, even the Music Academy has felt the need to have its own dance festival.
Bharatanatyam queens it in Chennai, but genres from Kuchipudi and Nangiyar Koothu, to Yakshagana and Kathak, find their space in the increasing number of dance festivals. Modern dance has its takers now. Classical dancers too have become inclusive and eclectic. Veteran Sudharani Raghupathi’s festival debuting ‘Mammuda’ adds Therukoothu, folk forms such as poikkal kudirai, modern dance, and ballet movements to Bharatanatyam in imaging the myth of the Love God.
Kalakshetra’s presents Alexandre Dumas’ ‘Man in the Iron Mask,’ as dramatic a departure today as Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Shyama’ probably was in the past, when choreographed by Rukmini Devi. It is also being revived this year. This year the New Festival (a fresh avatar of the Other Festival) again shows an inclusive approach to the theatre arts. The increased interest in Hindustani music in the city is reflected in Ulhas Kashalkar’s presence in south Madras.
December will hear the north more, even bid farewell to the year with Rashid Khan at the Music Academy.
An essential wing — the food court.
Lec-dems are as many or more than ever. Apart from the regular sessions at the major sabhas, there are ad hoc events to discuss anything from vivadi raga to voice culture.
Cinema has its space with the Chennai international film festival bringing packages from Goa, Kerala and Kolkata Festivals (Dec.14 -23) besides the Indian Panorama. This year the Country Focus is on France and Hungary’s richcinema heritage.
A poetry festival (Dec. 5-30) by Prakriti Foundation is a colourful idea, culminating in a production of Racine’s ‘Phaedre.’ The Chennai festival lacks centralised authority, and continues to run on private initiative, even personal whimsy. But this ad hoc hodgepodge character is its charm.
With the launch of Chennai Sangamam last year spotlighting the folk arts, the season’s major lacuna is getting filled. The State-run Mamallapuram Festival has not received its due yet, but where else can weekend performances find a more stunning venue for tourists and locals to enjoy the arts?
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Music Season
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