Topic started by Rohan (@ 24.247.121.197.kzo.mi.chartermi.net) on Sat Feb 23 14:19:26 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

As a performing musician, I have witnessed audience turn-ups throughout the globe. Unfortunately, the generalization that must be made is that carnatic music is not flourishing. Though certain artists pull more crowd than others, on the whole south indian classical music is not popular amongst most. What can be done?

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac950457.ipt.aol.com) on: Tue Jul 2 13:25:12
  
  Dont get me wrong. Fusion music is different. Your experimentation involves instruments and an attempt to find something common to "fuse".That involves a very very small overlap between two systems of music. Its practically impossible to fuse everything. Thats why more often, I feel it ends in confusion rather than fusion(which was the impression I got from the audience after I left the concert of Kadri Gopalnath with a jazz saxophonist recently at Southsea). But Iam not against it and you dont meddle with the lyrics and there is minimal if not any vocal element.
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac950457.ipt.aol.com) on: Tue Jul 2 13:27:21
  
  The production issue is slightly different. As I stressed before, the quality of record especially when it comes to Carnatic music has been pretty ordinary and continue to do so. That is one area which definitely needs a lot of work doing.
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 3 05:19:13
  
  I think I have just about exhausted my knowledge/experience here for now but have very much appreciated the input from both of you.
  
  Sometimes Sunrise broadcasts older film music, but on the whole it is Bollywood of course, so nothing to do with the south. Funnilly enough I find Hindi songs often easier to listen to than Tamil, and even more odd, so does my girlfriend (she understands tamil, but not hindi). There are a couple of films that can listen to often, but I hate this stuff that just imitates Western pop.
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 3 05:25:16
  
  Back in the late 60s/70s in US/UK in the hayday of that horrid totally commercial pop I keep on using as the yardstick for bad music there was another movement of musicians playing "progressive" rock, some of which has depth and content and was good to listen to. (you may strongly disagree, but I think you will agree at least that there was a difference).
  I wonder if anything like this movement is happening or is likely to happen in India?
  
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 3 05:29:06
  
  Of course cultureplays its part here again, and it was necessary to have a youth culture that was both comparatively wealthy and rebellious to produce this music. (Western youth seems to have forgotten the rebelious bit these days!) Could it happen in Indian culture?
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 3 09:20:11
  
  If the Kadri G Concert format was the same as at South Bank, I would not call it 'Fusion'. First, Evan Parker did his solo thing (which , at first, I found incomprehensible and ended up enjoying). Then Kadri, Balachandar and Venkatesh played Carnatic, then Evan joined in. But what they played was Carnatic*. Evan playing with them didn't make it Fusion any more than my morsing playing with Indian musicians makes it fusion.
  *wasn't it?
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac97f604.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Jul 3 11:48:48
  
  Nick
  Well changes have happened in Indian culture and music.But it has been pretty measured.Look, Carnatic music had its golden age as many would agree in the early 1920s which went on till about 1970.
  Why is that the golden age?Because it was the time when it attained its pinnacle of glory and peaked in popularity in South India. That occured because of major changes in the system. (MIND YOU NO COPYING OF THE WEST)
  It was as are you probably aware brought about mainly by the genius of Sri Ariyakudi. Again that has evolved over the century to the present state. A lot of changes had to be brought about to chieve its present state. But for that change Carnatic music would have been extinct now.
  
  So maybe there has to be another major change in the present century to keep it sustained but again that change shouldnt compromise on the fundamentals which Ariyakudi never did and our artiste under discussion has. What she is doing is altering the whole framework which as I said before is totally unacceptable.
  
  The simplest way to put is, when you hear a piece you would still have to say, "Ah that is Dikshithar's piece" and not "God, How could someone sing a great piece like that?"
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac97f604.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Jul 3 11:55:32
  
  Well atleast the concert was supposed to be fusion atleast as far as the way it was advertised. But it ended up the way you have described. The audience in Southsea were looking forward to a fusion after the initial individual performances. That is why I was in confusion towards the end!
  
  Again I thought Parker played a second fiddle and the acousics cetainly by English standards were disappointing (very loud).The most impressive bit was when the kanjira and Parker played together. I thought they merged really well.
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac97f604.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Jul 3 12:04:08
  
  Yes
  I do enjoy Hindi songs but again I find it difficult to cope with the current Bollywood (or whatever you may want to call it) songs. without failing it does one thing give you a headache. I do have several other things that could potentially do the same so I am afraid I had to strike Bollywood songs off.
  
  Do try and listen to some of the Malayalam and Tamil songs that have either incorporated Carnatic Music well, or incorporated the ragas to compose light music.
  
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 3 12:24:16
  
  My guruji was playing for Kadri for his UK concerts, but Venkatish accompanyed him throughout Europe, so he would have had a lot of experience.
  I enjoyed the concert, but a *little* more fusion would have been interesting. Evan did his bit to play Kadri's way, but there was no reciprocation so it wasn't a conversation. In fact I thought Evan did a very good job, although improvising and following patterns must be, as a jazz player, his daily bread, even if some of the patterns are unfamilar.
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ aca6d040.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Jul 3 13:38:01
  
  Yes,
  
  He adapted very well, but when I meant second fiddle, what I had in mind was the lack of his music(jazz) as part of the "fusion".
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Thu Jul 4 06:26:26
  
  Exactly; there was give, but no take! I'm sure these people spend time playing together off-stage: one of their 'jam sessions' would have been interesting.
  
  
• From: nick (@ host.sumitomomarine.co.uk) on: Thu Jul 4 06:30:14
  
  re film songs: recommendations would be gratefuly received!
  I have a couple of Malayalam tapes (one is Swathi Thirunal, can't remember the other) that I like and that Rosie will listen to in the car. She likes dance-type stuff, with natavangam/konakol, but can't take alapana or much vocal.
  (I'm on holiday now untill 16th)
  
  
• From: pramodh (@ ac9c25d5.ipt.aol.com) on: Thu Jul 4 08:20:34
  
  Have a nice time!
  
  

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