Madras, music, and the month of Margazhi have turn out to be practically inseparable. But do you know that Madras attracted musicians as early because the 18th Century?
By the 1700s, town had established a centre of music patronage and humanities,” historian V. Sriram recounts in certainly one of his talks.
Meanwhile, town’s temples had been internet hosting music and dance performances, and by the tip of the 1800s, many musicians started migrating to Madras. Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Sriram says, the 20th Century noticed the entry of gramophone data and microphones within the Carnatic music scene.
In the Fifties, legendary musicians, akin to D.Ok. Pattammal, M.L. Vasanthakumari, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Lalgudi S. Jayaraman, T.N. Krishnan, and Umayalpuram Ok. Sivaraman, popularised this artwork kind in Madras and throughout the globe.
Carnatic music reached its peak within the Nineties. Mr. Sriram provides, “It was also a time when a flurry of NRIs began visiting the city consistently every December. This coincided with the emergence of a lot of extremely talented young musicians like Vijay Siva, T.M. Krishna, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Bombay Jayashri, Nithyashree Mahadevan, and S. Sowmya. They used to draw full houses.”
Nithyashree Mahadevan says, in the present day, the Carnatic music ecosystem has undergone a sea change. “From a 3.5-hour concert in the 50s, it has been reduced to 1.5-hour concerts. The legends back then could explore a raga like Andolika or Malavi in great detail. But now, we can’t take as much time as the attention span is shrinking,” she says.
Moreover, drawing music lovers to the halls is hard, she says. “When they can listen to Carnatic music on YouTube, why will they venture out to the hall?”
Such issues started to come up within the late 2000s. The pandemic accelerated it and introduced in a paradigm shift. “We are at a time when the artistes are under pressure to deliver something new. Only then can they draw youngsters to concert halls,” she says.
Technology has its good facet, too: music is definitely obtainable, and folks get impressed to be taught it, Mr. Sriram provides.
Musician Sikkil Gurucharan says musicians are going through intense stress on the repertoire and presentation types. “The concept of staying relevant is measured by a new section of the audience who look at what’s trending and going viral on social media. Some of the musicians also have digital managers who keep track of what’s doing well. While we can keep up with the trend and understand what’s going on, we must use it only to draw people to the halls, and appreciate a live concert all the more, rather than drift away to online versions alone,” he provides.
Carnatic music has by no means been as common as movie music, however stands as a distinct segment artwork kind, and thrives amid stiff competitors. “This city has nurtured Carnatic music, and will continue to do so. If a musician wants to make a mark in the field and prove their mettle, only Chennai can create that magic. If you have to savour the flavour of Carnatic music, you could go anywhere, yet nothing can come close to the experience that Madras gives you,” Ms. Mahadevan provides.
