Divinity of art should be protected at all costs

We know that South Indian classical music has been practiced for a number of centuries.  It was patronised by kings and maharajas.  They enjoyed music, dance, poetry, theatre and other presentations. We can also recall European royalty who encouraged a young Mozart or English royalty encouraging young playwright called William Shakespeare, both immortal names in the field of arts. We observe many composers left behind a legacy of important compositions through  “sishyas” .  Even during foreign rule, Carnatic music flourished with stalwarts continuing their prolific songs and concerts in temples or courts of the rajas.

 One prominent “sishya” of the current century is Padma Bhushan Trichur Ramachandran with 60 years of service to Carnatic music and who has won many titles, awards and gold medals. The senior vocalist, in a discussion, says many catchy and tuneful compositions are the creation of his guru Sangeetha Kalanidhi G.N. Balasubramaniam, whose awesome voice, breeze style and impeccable mano dharma, left an ever-lasting impact on the audience.  GNB added bhakti to music and lyrics and created fresh kritis.  

His varnams in Andolika, Kalyani and Yadukula Khambodhi gave a new thrust to varnams in general in the right direction resonating in a new idiom. Long hours of meditation on Ambal (Sri Raja Rajeswari), extensive reading of mantra sastras, questioning and probing sessions of scholars, should be our thrust, which led scholars like GNB to compose mellifluous kritis effortlessly, which have stood the test of time without diluting our standards for the masses, with a perfect understanding of the raga structure.

He affirms that to maintain “originality” and have “inspiration” gurukula vasam is essential.   What is very important is discipline in programmes.  With nostalgic memory, he recalls, in a programme, accompanied by Lalgudi for the first time, 10 minutes into the concert when GNB sir delved into a stream of swaras, each pattern taking off and landing at different points in the talas to elevate Lalgudi’s skill and helped Lalgudi to clinch new heights, that he has already reached, which was always remembered and appreciated with gratitude.

Noted musician Charumathy Ramachandran reaffirms that GNB was a gifted composer of kritis and varnams, which have a definite place in this century in the arena of Carnatic music. His compositions will reflect all-round scholarliness and uniform style and the sangathis well placed and progress logically and smoothly. He concludes that the future is very bright with the tradition.  Divinity of art is to be protected at all costs.  Manodharma sangeetham, the integral part of the presentation, should be both enlightenment  and entertainment but musicians must never overdo.

We agree when he says tradition with modern creativity and cultural underpinning and music with melody were the hallmarks of GNB music that struck a chord with listeners.

(The writer is a well known music critic who has won awards both in India and abroad for propagation of classical arts and music)