Carnatic music is one of India's grand traditions, albeit not a big following as cricket or movies, but a niche following. So its interesting when one of this blog's "patrons" LiC and T.M. Krishna noted Carnatic musician decide to joust on the value provided by cHindu's music critics during the music season.
During a felicitation ceremony of S.V. Krishnamurthy LiC made this passing statement that Indian musicians did not respond well to criticism and wanted to listen to words of praise.
In response T.M. Krishna responded,
To which LiC responded,
While in principle I would side with LiC that musicians typically are thin-skinned (knowing quite a few in my family and friends) the larger issue is that LiC should not be the one make that statement. After all he did not like it when others rightly criticized his paper for being a Chinese and communist mouth-piece. He still has the gall to employ people who are assumed associated with the "paid-news" scandal. Its a case of the pot calling the kettle black. In this context if you refer back to cHindu's music reviews they are amatuerish as Krishna rightly claims vacillating between saccharine sweet praise to rabid criticism without details or understanding of carnatic music. I would say this round goes to Krishna on points.
During a felicitation ceremony of S.V. Krishnamurthy LiC made this passing statement that Indian musicians did not respond well to criticism and wanted to listen to words of praise.
He said many musicians and sabhas were “thin-skinned” and “not used to robust criticism that musicians in western countries get all the time whether they like it or not.They want only favourable reviews, but that is decidedly not The Hindu's expectation,” he said, citing the guidelines evolved by the newspaper in consultation with critics for reviewing concerts and dance performances. He said the critic was an individual expert rasika and writer on music and The Hindu chose “its critics and respected their musical knowledge, integrity, independence, judgement and writing style.”
In response T.M. Krishna responded,
No amount of guidelines will help unless the right people are found. I completely agree that robust criticism is very necessary but it can be robust only when people are chosen very carefully and at the same time I do agree that musicians need to understand the role of critics. But one is not going to happen without the other.
To which LiC responded,
We and tens of thousands of our readers, knowledgeable as well as lay (like me), think highly of our critics, most of whom are well schooled in Carnatic music or are experts. The majority of them, in fact, are not staff journalists.
While in principle I would side with LiC that musicians typically are thin-skinned (knowing quite a few in my family and friends) the larger issue is that LiC should not be the one make that statement. After all he did not like it when others rightly criticized his paper for being a Chinese and communist mouth-piece. He still has the gall to employ people who are assumed associated with the "paid-news" scandal. Its a case of the pot calling the kettle black. In this context if you refer back to cHindu's music reviews they are amatuerish as Krishna rightly claims vacillating between saccharine sweet praise to rabid criticism without details or understanding of carnatic music. I would say this round goes to Krishna on points.
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15 comments:
Of late, Carnatic music itself has become extremely dogmatic with a lot of "thou shalt not"s curtailing the freedom of the musician.
Some Subbudu will always find fault with you if you stray from the beaten track.
There are very few musicians who dare to confront the system. Shri Mangalampalli Balamuaralikrishna is the greatest shining example of a vaaggeyakara who very often comes up with his own ragas and kritis that challenge conventional wisdom and yet sound melodious.
The interesting thing is, he is also one of the few musicians recognised by the laiety as well. Everyone outside the circle seems to know BMK, but not many know Semmangudi or Madurai Mani Iyer.
Here is an interview of his:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfVufU_vC-0&feature=related
I listened to TMK in a packed Academy concert and I agree that comrade Ram has to yield to this talented artist on this one ! in the same vein he might argue that he can critique best about sportspersons too just bcos he was the editor of Sportstar at one time !!
Carnatic music appreciated for mellifluous ethereal notes with sublime ecstasy of the hindu's music reviewer pitched in should not be construed as a piece on music by any means. Impoverished in its linguistic skills its long and boring articles lack even a shred of academic rigor[it was different 3-4 years back] and drone with singular sonority on beaten topics. It is yet another case of a fine journal like the EPW becoming a stalinist rag sometimes. TN Krishna, mylapore mamis after their latest baby sitting trip and the upper caste elite,its masters in the middle kingdom and the first family of the tamizhs even greater than the mighty rajaraja chola[achyam yembadu madameya da so the song goes but who will perform it the beginning and the end is one the mighty family who decides the fate of a million tamizhs and its loyal solider the chindu] also known for its 2g antics, being its master god and prophet. Perhaps marxism would have been different had lenin and stalin not intervened? Long live the gods and of the part and its loyal supplicant in India. Other papers are worse. Pity there are few aditya sinhas who carry some of the fire of the 70's. Will Raghuram rajan find a place in the Chindu? No the same tired propagandits who one should be sick and tired of. It is another thing that people dont read galbraith and something that enriches the mind.
Of course pattukotai kalayanasundram can sit comfortably in mylapore communist drawing rooms with hindu, filter coffee and TN Krishna along with the ever present threat of a nation for the self respect of the Tamzih toilers against the bourgeois exploiter outsiders and a call for the return of the glorious days when Tamizhs held their head high and were free and independent [memorable days which the Hindu often forces us to remember as colonial supplicants and the larger past when the dravida nation held her head high and Hinduism is a persian concoction an abrahamic farce]. When will that day come back? Well the threat is always there provided the 2g scam probe is done properly? Its will loyally bash the west and dance to its backers in the middle kingdom and be a loyal subject to the first family the king of kings the carrier of tamizh pride the vanquisher of all other languages.
not one world about the struggles of ordinary people like you and me ordinary chinese men and women who were called for a cup of tea but never came back. Where is the mellifluous ananth krishnan[sipping filter coffee in mylapore? or discussing pay packets of coolies in the bay area at raathna cafe?]Not one word not one sentence of the sad predicament of those who were called for that cup of tea. Myanmar, north korea are no go areas for Mr.Krishnan who should now retire and listen to TN Krishna after a nice afternoon nap.Besh Besh Narasus cafee A1 and tap his belly. Why take the trouble when global times and xinhua are there to dictate the lines? After all the party is always right. But Mr.Rajapakse is never wrong even after so many ordinary people[not necessarily tamizhars died another pet theme the aryan dravidan divide a favorite item of the hindu damn it we are Indian flesh and blood kith and kin to quote zulfikar ali bhutto in the reverse]. There is no Babasaheb Ambedkar now no Subhas Chandra Bose a roaring Bharathi, just a nation of coolies.
ofcourse its litany of bleeding heart liberals of whose necessary qualification should be hindu living in with a muslim offer the counter balance and speak on a wide array of topics from d minor to raga bhairaavi and how imperialism and democracy is a scrounge to corrupt music.You know the delhi jholwaallah india international centre stop we want peace over scotch manto and marx and that romantic discovery of a tribal [verrier elvin style] in a village to invoke the naxal dream brigade!
ofcouse loyalties and obligations to boatclub road need not be forgotten
Yenram will henceforward include critiques of ancient Chinese music in his toilet paper.
First off, thanks to all who commented on this topic. We hope to foster a sense of moral questioning on what has been a cavalier attitude towards journalism by LiC and minions.
Thanks!
Gandaragolaka,
Good to see you back here. Interesting analysis of BMK's musical nuances versus the wornout path of his contemporaries. Probably deserves its own post. We can discuss on where to discuss this further, in your blog or here.
Raj,
Thanks much. haha good point on Sportstar. It fell from grace when LiC took over the mantle there. He has the anti-midas touch.
Anonymous #1,
Thanks for your thoughts. Yup cHindu has become a lap dog for Mu Ka's family and our neighbours up north.
seadog,
haha that will happen in the year 2200.
I entirely agree with
Gandaragolaka that BMK is very good.His Sahityam is the best. NRam , I have never been impressed with this man. He should not compare Western Music with CMusic. Where is the divinity in WMusic like CMusic. Many sing from memory in CMusic compared to WMusic. Critics will maul them in WMusic , if they do not play or sing well with notes kept in front for full view. This may not be a valid point , but I have read critics ( not SVK) in The Hindu attributing some kritis to wrong composer. Some write very dry as if writing a score card for gymkhana cricket match. Probably NRam had too much wine when he talked about this divine form.
Thanks for the offer DD. It might be better to discuss it here, more so because comments for this post exceeds the average number of comments :)
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