Essays in Carnatic Music
Here are two essays on Carnatic Music written for Kala Magazine, which, over the last two years of its establishment, has developed into a high-calibre, high-quality publication distributed widely throughout Toronto and beyond. Subsciption infromation can be obtained via email at the following address: jal@sympatico.ca.
 

Part of the rich culture of South India has been expressed through Carnatic music.  As youths living in North America, Carnatic music is a very integral part of our lives. It keeps us in touch with the Indian culture and provides balance in an otherwise Western environment. From a youth perspective, the preservation and pursuit of South Indian classical music in North America and elsewhere is of utmost importance.

As a minority within Canada’s multicultural mosaic, we must seek opportunities to uphold our cultural roots in Canada.  We cannot forget the immense treasure of arts that we have inherited from our ancestors; arts that have been sustained and passed on for generations. It must be our goal to preserve the arts so that we can build ties within our own community, and strengthen our position as an integral part of this mosaic.

Carnatic music is one of the few detachments we have from the chaotic lifestyles we lead, and it teaches us important values such as discipline and devotion. It is indeed frightening that we may lose the efforts of generations in preserving this art simply because we will not endeavour to create awareness of its importance in our education and betterment.

As we move into a new millennium, we will undoubtedly face obstacles that further challenge our quest to preserve our roots. We must take it upon ourselves to meet these new challenges so that we can build an understanding of what our music offers us as youth, and, in turn, create a new generation of awareness as we, ourselves, pass on this gift of history, knowledge, and culture.  Our responsibility as inheritors must be to sustain our classical arts through the social conflicts of this, and future centuries, so that the spirit of Carnatic music may withstand the changing times and forever flourish.

Time has evolved Carnatic music into a territory of myriad frontiers, explored devoutly by great founders like Tyagaraja and Dikshitar, and developed stylistically in the calibre of Madurai Mani Iyer, M.D.Ramanathan, and K.V. Narayanaswamy. However, it is surprising that Carnatic music has withstood the impact of change that often comes with age. Despite the generations of tutelage, global crises, and changing times, we find that the same factors that influenced almost all other forms of art leave Carnatic music untouched. Respected Carnatic musicians still adhere to the same basic rules of composition that were established by founding saints and composers. We continue to admire the unmistakable sounds of traditional ragams, still rendered in words once uttered by famous composers. We continue to marvel in the ancient rhythm of a mrdangam, played according to rules of style and composition pioneered centuries before.

Why, then, does this differ from the music we find today? Music that has changed before our eyes, twice or thrice during our own lifetimes? Music that has been adapted, inspired, segregated, and turned up-side down by most major political and social events in recent history? Perhaps Carnatic music is too solidly founded to be changed by mere decades. Perhaps the integrity with which it was created remains in its every facet today.

We are reminded of one of our lessons with Shri T.K. Govinda Rao, in which he said (in Tamil) that “...Carnatic music is much like a constitution... you are given a set of strict rules to which you must adhere and boundaries within which you must exist, but within the scope of these rules and the limits of these boundaries, you are free to glorify the notes and ragas as you wish”. During another class, he taught that “…Carnatic music, too, is not excepted from the laws of nature… what goes up must come down… in order to run, we must first get up and then gain speed; before we come to a stop, we must slow down… the same form must be adhered to when rendering alapanai or kalpanaswaram”.
Carnatic music has secured its undeniable presence among us as a pure art form; that is, it has demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive the threat of complete alteration entirely on the basis of its historical integrity. Thus, the international musical community is chanced, for the ancient principles of Carnatic music have allowed it to escape the impact of time while surmounting the realms of music and science.
 
 

Concert Reviews
Here is RASICA's first official concert review, which also appeared in Kala Magazine.
 

The Toronto Carnatic Music community was treated to not one, but two outstanding concerts on the fifth of June. As if it were not enough of a privilege to witness the flute mastery of Dr. N. Ramani, the Manram's evening program proved only to augment the excitement and interest of the Toronto audience.

Neyveli Santhanagopalan, accompanied on the mrdangam by Srimushnam Raja Rao and on the violin by Delhi Sunderrajan, began what would nearly become a four-hour kachcheri without the traditional rendition of a varnam. Instead, and subtly reminiscent of the concert beginnings of the great Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Santhanagopalan's first piece was Sri Tyagaraja's "Meru Samaana" in ragam Mayamalavagoula. As he began, his devotion and respect for his music and gurus were demonstrated vividly and without hesitation. Indeed, as he began taking neraval at the phrase "Galamuna Sobhillu," one could even detect the unique vocal character of Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam, one of Santhanagopalan's great masters. His extemporaneous excursions in swara kalpana were brilliantly matched and often excelled by Sunderrajan, whose swaras displayed both aesthetic and structural appeal. Meanwhile, the sruti box remained in frail submission to the nadam of Raja Rao's mrdangam, whose pervasive rhythm was fixed in the minds and hearts of the rasikas in the audience.  Very quickly, the Toronto audience became fondly familiar with the trio's old-school foundations and enjoyed the friendly exchange of glances and gestures between the artistes.

Santhanagopalan then took up a kriti in the ragam Hindolam, for which he sang a brief alapana. Next, the audience was treated to the melodic brilliance of ragam Nalinakanti, a much-enjoyed and welcome repeat from his Cleveland concert earlier this year. To provide still more intrigue, Santhanagopalan followed his beautiful alapana (it should be added, very unconventionally) with a small dose of tanam, perhaps borne of the passionate impulse that comes with a devout rendition of Nalinakanti. Having given only enough tana to whet our interest, Santhanagopalan began "Nata Jana Palini Nalinakanti", a composition of yet another of his great gurus, Thanjavur Sri Sankara Iyer.

Santhanagopalan's next choice truly affirmed the old-school theme he wished to impart form the concert. The audience welcomed the unmistakable grandeur of ragam Bhairavi, which offered a harmonious and well-suited transition from Nalinakanti, while creating an anticipation of which of many possible kritis would be chosen. As he began "Kamakshi Amba", Sri Shyama Sastri's majestic Swara Jathi, the audience traded its expectant silence for the gratifying din of concurrence. Santhanagopalan sang with no unnecessary embellishment, leaving the full credit of aesthetic and compositional beauty to Shyama Sastri and Shyama Sastri alone. It should, however, be mentioned that what began as an exceptionally poised rendition became somewhat disappointing at the arrival of the final charana, "Shyama Krishna Sahodari Shivashankari Parameshwari", which Santhanagopalan sang intermittently in both the madhya and tara sthayi. Whether by choice or by necessity, this alteration seemed to diminish the effect of the parallel swara-sahitya structure built into the composition. Santhanagopalan took kalpanaswaram at "Bhairavi, Kamakshi", which he executed well, but with some disregard for proper maintenance of talam, in which he faltered on more than one occasion. Throughout this piece, Srimushnam Raja Rao was a treat to hear with his unfathomable imagination and calculative expertise in the laya aspect of this great composition. Yet the pure enjoyment is the high timbre (almost metallic) nadam of his low-kattai mridangam and his resonating Thoppi that is a trademark of Raja Rao. At times the accompaniment seemed to be somewhat overpowering but made up for the ups and downs of faltering talam and kept the laya in check.

After taking a small kriti in Purnachandrika, Santhanagopalan continued with even heavier, and thus more challenging, ragas. He carefully elaborated a beautiful alapana in Sankarabharanam. Santhanagopalan's adherence to simplicity and the fundamentals certainly gives him the poise to preserve old-school traditions. Following Santhanagopalan's alapana was an equally excellent rendition of Sankarabharanam by Sunderrajan, who was able to successfully and seamlessly preserve the nostalgia for the benefit of the Toronto audience. Santhanagopalan then began the kriti of Sri Tyagaraja "Swara Raga Sudharasa Yuga Bhakti", and followed it with a neraval at the pallavi (perhaps a tad too brief to do full justice to Sankarabharanam). Then, marked by a hearty glance from Santhanagopalan, Raja Rao began his thaniavartanam. The audience was immediately struck by the power and form of Raja Rao's mrdangam, recognizing the calibre of this great accompanist. Srimushnam, being no stranger to the Toronto crowds, immediately showed his feeling of being home, by the sheer confidence and eager readiness to bring forth a scintillating thani. Over the years, he has made a separate niche in the katcheri scene, forming his own style and introducing introducing to his renditions, very intricate, yet ear pleasing nuances. Being a disciple of the late Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer, Raja Rao's renditions are enjoyable by the layman while at the same time, they are a treat for the seasoned ear -- truly the mark of a seasoned artist. Needless to say, Raja Rao's rhythms are far from being a simple set of korvais.  The thani was started with a standard introduction to the basic essence of the thalam, but as it progressed, there was A transformation into a very intricate calculated medley of laya gnanam and absolute mathematical prowess.  Moreover, there was an exceptional use of the prevalant nadam in his well-tuned instrument. A very dynamic thani at that, the sheer delight of being able to listen to every single "Sollu" coming of the fingers of Sri Raja Rao is not only a treat to hear, but to witness. Throughout this thani, and as a testament to the brilliance of Raja Rao's performance, the profound beauty and sentiment of Sankarabharanam was vividly prevalent in Raja Rao's rhythmic phrases. On a more down to earth point of view, there seemed to be a show of ending chapus, which was not really needed but was probably included to get an audience reaction to the flurry of rhythm issuing forth. Hence, the initial thrill of the stupendous Laya that had been rendered would have quickly diminished. A quick note, which would tie in with the thani, is the practice of rasikas walking out of the concert hall during a thani. Especially for the Toronto crowd, when it comes to Srimushnam, everyone is aware of his discontent when anyone attempts to do so. Still, it could be curtailed on the artist's part, to pardon genuine reasons to walk out on the thani. In short, the thani was a pure, hardcore treat with clear sollus and sunaadam that this senior vidwan has demonstrated time and time again with every visit being a sure testament to genius.

Following the main piece, Santhanagopalan took a quick "break" with a soulful rendition of 'Ramamantrava Jepiso' in Jonpuri. Just as the audience was getting settled for a string of lilting tunes, he surprised us again with a grand alapana in Shanmukhapriya. The tanam was mainly focused on the rishabam; rightly so, for no other place would have done full justice to Shanmukhapriya.  The words of the pallavi --'Saravana bhava guhane shanmukhane dayaparane' - were sung effortlessly and reverently by Santhanagopalan. The kalpana swarams in sahana, bageshwari and anandabhairavi, although extremely pleasing to the ear, were extraordinarily short.  His twining of the sahana swaras with alapana was indeed a refreshing trip to the old school -- reminiscent of the stylings of Madurai Mani Iyer. At this juncture, a swift and pleasing thani was rendered again to just show the sheer mastery over the instrument Sri Raja Rao possesses. Srimushnam Raja Rao is one of the few artists who can make a child remember a concert for not the thani or the krithis rendered but for the music rendered by the troop as a whole. His accompaniment does not possess a separate identity to the music being rendered, and instead embellishes any artist's rendition, be it the starting varnam, ghana raga krithis or thukadas and thillanas. This is attributed to the fact that Srimushnam Raja Rao is a full-fledged vocalist and has had training for many years. Hence, a knowledge of the compositions allows him to further enhance the beauty of the music.

As the evening dwindled, Santhanagopalan continued to render one of his signature songs, "Arabhi Manam" which was a ragamalika consisting of arabhi, anandabhairavi, kalyani, saranga, sama, mohanam, lalita, durbar, bhairavi, purvikalyani, and kamalamanohari.  Regardless of the number of times Santhanagopalan sings this song, each rendition is as beautiful as the last.  The ease with which the song was rendered proves the fluidity and dynamics of his voice.  Before completing the concert, Santhanagopalan presented a short viruttam in Behag, culminating in a flourishing thillana. Then, with a short tiruppugazh, Santhanagopalan ended a truly enjoyable musical evening.

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RASICA - standing for Regional Association for Students of Indian Classical Arts - is a newly formed organization of youths in Toronto seriously pursuing interests in Indian classical music and theory. E-mail: rasica@india.com

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