A Covet to keep-up classicism in Music

Foreword
“Nabhi-Hruth-Khanta-Rasana-naasaadhula-entho-shobhillu-saptaswara” - preached our musical Guru Saint Thyagaraja meaning “Praise/Sing the divine forms of the musical notes which radiate in the navel (“naabhi”), heart (“hruth”), neck (“kanTha”), tongue (“rasana”) and nose (“naasaadhula”) of the human body.” Those were the days when music was regarded divine; when music was considered to descend from mind and heart; music was then meant to be expressed by the soul and fulfilled through the heart. But today we are in the “synth” musical era. Do we call it a breakthrough or disgrace?

Film music model
There used to be a time when songs like Alaipaayude Kanna, Jagadhoddharana were purred by each kid in every house in contrast to the "hale paatre", "kaadal pisaasu", "tale baachkolo bai muchkolo" of these days. Charity begins at home, so does the taste or choice of music. I am not here to attest - Film Music is bad and anything else is good! Songs like Manasa sancharare, Bhagyada lakshmi baramma, Brochevaarevarura have been popularized through films and are a great hit of their times. Many oeuvres that have shown up in movies though not full-core classical, have been extremely soulful, melodious like “naguva nayana madhura mouna”,“Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein”(Sadma),songs featured in “Amruthavarshini” and oodles more. I am just frenzy about the jarring music, contemptible lyrics, tuneless pieces, prose-like libretto, and the synth-music - all that make up most of the movie music this day. This brand of music is swaying now to a degree that we have forgotten the very roots of music – “Classical music”.I sincerely wish the term remains familiar atleast. And when I state “Classical music”, I am referring to the mainstream music rooted in the tradition; not being predisposed to any one kind -South Indian classical (Carnatic), Western classical, Hindustani or Jazz.

New-fangled and synthetic music styles make most of the film music these days and the very concept of music has become so faint under the modern shield that such a transgression from the divine music to the now-music has passed by almost unobserved. Music, to the new generation is what comes in movies. I often see myself spending more time with people explaining how Classical music is different from film music...so to say, Film music has become a yardstick to which other musical forms are matched up to. Ragas are identified not with their names or their association to a familiar kriti but their similarity with a filmi number. Doesn’t it sound similar to "malare mounama" would be the question instead of isn’t this in raga “darbari kanada”. Does a musical piece get qualified only if it finds a place in a movie or is coupled to a video album? It’s a drift these days that film actors compose and sing their own songs. They shall be unconditionally accepted if they are genuinely multitalented .Does it appear so? Do we not just accept them because they are more acknowledged through the media than the less-known commendable musicians?

Music- an art of articulation
The meaning a musical piece attempts to convey is undeniably a personal expression of the composer's artistic intent; Music composing through synthesizers has made composers’ life easy; but does this music emote the expected expressions? The music of these days is more oriented towards celebrity. Anything that captivates the audience is music today – Does this music slope classically? Does it sound lyrically acceptable? Is it soulful? Is it emotionally strapping? Is it technically MUSIC? - Are these areas attended to? Film music need not be all the time classical music. It would be a sweeping statement to say film music should share ideas of language, emotionality, structure and format with concert music. It isn’t quite possible incessantly, for music in films is more context based. My rationale in bringing together the two topics – classical music and films is with a selfish drive; to make use of the charisma of films to popularize classical music under its banner. Classical music is definitely an art which has survived centuries and doesn’t need films to come for its rescue; but there is unquestionably a distinction between just surviving and being widely understood, accepted and acknowledged.

Music and Film industry
These days, watching films has become a passionate chore, so it would be easier to promote and grant a fine exposure to classical music if it can be accommodated in films. It is to be accepted that classical music demands musically tuned minds; let us at the least get a chance to tune the minds. It wouldn’t be as easy a meal to digest as some simple lyrical forms that we see in most movies. But what we need is a means to reach people and educate them what real music is about. Once they get a grab and perceptive, they will start asking for more. Don’t we find searing item numbers in every movie these days? No serious film maker can resist them. Every filmmaker slivers-in an item number, even if doesn’t fit in the flow of the film and this has become a whim in the film industry .When we can situate item numbers well in movies, why do we fail proffering a place for classical numbers? We have seen trends changing over years- musical trends, choreography tones and filmmaking styles. Film music is aired on TV channels and always gets its share of audiences’response. Can’t we make use of this changing trend to introduce classical music in a phased manner? It may take time to get acknowledged though.

Of classical music and musicians
We have had examples of Classical musicians playing excerpts from film music including our violin maestro Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan. Why not we chase this approach; introduce one classical piece in every film .Thus classical music will be more revealed; Non-film music makers/composers also will get the needed recognition. It is a pity that Classical music artists receive very little appreciation and reward as against their Film counterparts. A playback singer who would have sung 5 songs in films would be more well-known than a classical artiste even after performing hundreds of stage concerts. The classical artists revel in the admiration of the crowd when their concert is on. And once the applause dies down, the curtains are lowered and the reality many classical musicians face is a struggle to make a living. Doesn’t our culture demand us to encourage and reward the worthy deserving Musical talents and help maintain our Classical music, the music of our roots?

Lessons from the past and the way forward
Movie Shankarabharanam led to the revival of Indian classical music in cinemas. The movie opens with the tag-line "Sisurvetti pasurvetti, vetti gana rasam phanihi” meaning Music is enjoyed equally by babies, animals and even snakes. The making of the movie was with an expectation that the audience would appreciate the effort in reaching to them the essence of Indian classical music. The success of this film was paramount that it triggered a sequence of other music-based movies like Thyagayya ,Meghasandesam, aanandabhairavi, sindhu-bhairavi, Saagara Sangamam, Sruthi Layalu, Swarna Kamalam, Swathi Kiranam.
The trend continues. People across ages will accept classical music and such movies even in these days of pop-music provided the movie-makers feature such class-movies without much discontinuity - you don't think about something when you no longer see it.... To top it, if such movies can be cast with public favored hero-ins and heroes, they cannot miss being monster hits; Annamayya featuring Sneha and Nagarjun is a must mention in this context. On repeatedly creating such movies, people with no or little taste of classicism will start appreciating and advocating such ventures. Acceptance is the end product of any repeated act; believing in optimism!

On a concluding note
Many musicians these days can create imperative music. They can create exhilaration and enhance the film sequence. But it is not mere excitement but the soulful stirring that frames true music. Soulful music awakens the heart. Such soulful music cannot be composed by lifeless computers, synthesizers. Good music making is a long-winded struggle that not many can easily master.

We are evolving…But what are we doing in the name of evolution? There's certainly a case for us being more intelligent, but what we're really doing is judging against what our musical ancestors have specialized in. Today’s music is quick music - written with computer skills, composed through synthesizers in contrast to the long-schooled, theory-footed, experience-driven music learnt over years of training. I’ve always reflected any form of art is trickier than we think.

At the end, the truth, of course, is people respond differently to different music. Nobody would cry their tears out listening to a so-called item number. But, when the classical musicians come out calling with a Raga at its depth, whether the emotion they induce is joy or pain, one can be rest assured to not just get a taste of it, but experience the emotions blossoming hundred-fold.

It will do good if this article is read as an ingenuous crave to preserve classicism in Music than a blue murder.

Revathi Sridharan