CHAPTER III PROPAGATION OF CARNATIC MUSIC THROUGH THE MEDIA

Transcription

1 CHAPTER III PROPAGATION OF CARNATIC MUSIC THROUGH THE MEDIA The media is an additional aid that man has developed. Different kinds of media like spoken word, oral or written, print media like newspaper, books, magazines, articles, etc., electronic media like radio, television and films etc., have a major and positive role in propagating music. During the early stages in the history of vocal music, the media of propagation was oral expression and vocal exercises. Without any external aids, depending largely on the God given gift of vocal ability, classical music was handed down from the Guru to the shishya by word of mouth. Interestingly, even after external aids are being commonly used, signs and lines, symbols and letters, vocal exercises and oral traditions continued to be used, because the aids and media are not suitable substitutes for the audio mechanism of the human throat. The systematic development of Swaralipi or notation of songs on bases like Hastha vina, Gathra vina, rocks, mud pots, wooden planks, metal shafts, palm leaves and finally, the paper materials etc. helped propagation and preservation of music. So Gurukula tradition and its vocal training continued and thrived for a considerable period of time. It is true that the oral tradition was not without drawbacks. Most of these traditions were local and localized linguistically, socially, and even culturally, and as such, their rendering were less known 15

2 outside the places of their origin and growth. The performances of many of the artists were restricted to particular places and occasions like temple festivals, social melas etc. Their visit to other places for better opportunities and betterment continued. Finally the era of gramophone records and recording system dawned. SABHA It is a body consisting of a number of music lovers and enthusiasts, popularly known in South India as Sabha with a person in charge of its affairs, known as Secretary. Lately such organizations came to be known by other names such as, Music Academy, Music Circle, Music Associations, Music Society, Music Club, Music Centre, Kala Samithi, Samajam etc. When other fine arts like dance and drama were also included, these institutions took on the names like Fine Arts Society, Fine Arts Club, Fine Arts Centre etc. But all these organizations are referred to as Sabhas in common parlance. Sabhas promotes and propagates music, literature on music, Dance, Drama, Harikatha, and other allied fine arts in all its forms. It was realised that the first step to achieve the goals of the Sabhas was to start educational institutions such as music schools or colleges. The Sabhas promote music by organizing and conducting seminars, concerts, lecture demonstrations, competitions, film shows and music festivals. They also provide facilities for advancement of such 16

3 education with publications and libraries etc. Scholarships, stipends, prizes etc are also given to further the cause. The very first Sangeetha Sabha was founded in 1927 by great music lovers like Shri. K. S. Ramachandra Iyer, A. C. Ramalingam Pillai, R. S. Mani Raghunatha Pathrachariar, K. S. N. Sharma, Dr. S. S. Krishnan. The second to come up was Sri Krishana Gana Sabha founded in the year 1943 by Sri Varada Iyer, P. R. Sundararaja Iyengar. The Indian fine arts society was founded by Capt. Krishnan, S. Sarangan etc. The present Shanmukhananda Sabha was born in 1943/44, the founders being Sri D. K. Subrahmaniam, T. V. Doreswamy, K. S. Mahadevan, and T. N. P. Easwar. 5 There were many Sabhas and the corresponding term of Sabha in Classical Tamil was Avai. The early practice was to prefix the name of the town or locality to the Sabhas e.g. Mylayi Sangeetha Sabha, Nellayi Sangeetha Sabha. Associating the names of deities was also in vogue. e.g. Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Saraswathi Gana Sabha, Poorna Thrayeesa Gana Sabha etc. That Thyagaraja was the most popular composer, is evident by the large number of Sabhas in all parts of the country named after him. When the number of Sabhas grew in large numbers in the recent past, fancy names came in to vogue. E.g. Nadopasana, Sapthaswara, Rasikapriya, Kalarasana, Ragasudha, Ragamalika, Ragapriya etc. 6 5 Role of sabha, Article by S Sheshadri, Shanmukha- journal, January 2002,Vol.XXXVIII,. Page 19 6 Dr. Radha Venkatachalam, Cruises of musical researcher s pen, Music Education Trust, Page

4 The Sangeetha Sabhas are indispensable for the good of music. The Sabhas serve good causes. First it generates awareness of music and then helps retain its good taste. The value systems among people are nurtured and the musicians are kept alert and enthusiastic. The musicians practiced music as a venerable art with some sort of a blind devotion, in the pre-sabha era. The people respected the musicians, as they would do to a religious head, even without understanding and enjoying what they sang. That was a period when people listened to Classical Music with passion and devotion and the sabhas were at its effective peak. In the beginning, the Sabhas were with modest means, their only source of income being the subscriptions from its members. The remuneration asked and paid to musicians were also small. But the number of the Sangeetha Sabhas grew fast, by the efforts of the great masters like G. N. Balasubrahmanian, Madurai Mani Iyer, T. R. Mahalingam, and Palakkad Mani Iyer who developed the art of singing to entertain and enlighten both literate and illiterate. The proliferation of the Sabhas reached its zenith during the peak period of this generation of musicians. Before them, great masters like Madhurai Pushpavanam, Violinist Govindaswamy Pillai, and Mridangist Dakshinamurthi Pillai had paved the way by generating musical awareness in the common people. The Sabhas helped more and more ordinary people to become music oriented and thus created more opportunities to the artistes to conduct concerts. The Sabha officials, typically, are influenced largely by the concept of music as entertainment. Aware of the 18

5 need to please their constituency, they usually arrange concerts by those musicians who attract the most number of listeners. Ranjani a small Sabha in Bangalore, founded in 1972 with the specific objective of arranging concerts without artificial amplification of sound, popularly known as mikeless concerts. Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in Madras, presents a large number of concerts every year, especially during August- December, and provides opportunities for young or new artistes. It faced financial limitations and held its programmes in an improvised tin-roofed auditorium constructed on leased land. The Bangalore Gayana Samaja is perhaps the oldest Sabha extant, offering Carnatic Classical music programmes. Started on August 5, 1905, it has a commendable history and wellearned reputation for promoting Carnatic music. It has its own building and a theatre by the help from the Government of India and from Srimathi M. S. Subbulakshmi who gave fund raising concerts for it. It was a strong centre for purveying music programmes but also for musicology research and further development of Carnatic music. 7 The Shanmukhananda Sabha is the biggest and the most prestigious one functioning in Mumbai. It has a huge auditorium to seat 3000 people. The Sabha has a membership of thousands of people. People from various walks of life come to the monthly concerts to hear great music rendered by renowned artistes, in the main auditorium. The Sabha Saraswathi established in Madras in 1978, 7 Article by sudha Anantharaman, Sruthi, November 1, 1984, issue-13, Page.no

6 seeks to go beyond entertainment and try to enlighten its members and the general public by organising special programmes devoted to music of specific composers and particular topics. Special days commemorating composers are Saraswathi s speciality. It started with Thyagaraja s jayanthi and has since then saluted Muthuswami Dikshithar, Syamasasthri, Purandaradasa, Mysore Vasudevachar, Narayana Theertha, and Sadasivabrahmendra. The celebrations usually include talks on the composer, lecture- demonstrations on his works and recitals exclusively of his songs. Nicely produced souvenirs, contain a good number of articles on the life and works of the composer whose birthday is being celebrated. The effort reflects the devotion of the Sabha officials to the objective of giving maximum information on the great Vaggeyakara of Carnatic Classical Music. Saraswathi has been conducting music competitions since Its aims have encouraged new talents. It provides incentives to musical aspirants to learn compositions. The Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam was founded in 1929 by a small group of great men of music: Tiger. S. Varadacharyar, Harikeshanallur Muthiaha Bhagavathar, Parur Sundaram Iyer, and T. L. Venkatarama Iyer, who was not a performing artist, were a music scholar and an expert on Muthuswami Dikshithar s composition. The Music Academy had been established at around this time. Their interest was that the Samajam should serve as a means of facilitating musicians own efforts to preserve and propagate Carnatic Classical Music in its traditional form and in 20

7 particular the compositions of the musical trinity. The Samajam also conducts two or three programmes every month. There are usually music recitals, by established vidwans and vidushis as well as by promising youngsters, but there are occasional Harikatha Kalakshepams too. 8 The Bharathi Gana Sabha one of the oldest music Sabhas in Visakhapatnam, was established in 1948, under the name of Sangeetha Mithra Brindam, by a band of well-meaning musicians, musicologists and music enthusiasts with the sole purpose of improving the public s taste in classical music. The Sri Swathi Thirunal Sangeetha Sabha is an old Sabha at Thiruvananthapuram, in Kerala. The commemoration lectures and Carnatic music concerts are the unique aspects of the Sabha s activities. The Sabha s music school is known as the SSTSS Sangeetha Vidyalaya. The Sabha s music competitions are aimed at promoting interest and spotting new young talents. Other activities which Sabha has lately introduced include efforts to recognise Vidwans and Vidushis who have rendered yeoman service to the cause of music as performers and or as teachers, by presenting them with mementos at the annual Sadguru Thyagaraja Aradhana festival and a pilgrim s tour of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Thiruvaiyaru and other places en route, centers of Carnatic Classical Music. A major programme conducted by the Sabha was the celebration of the birth anniversary of Maharaja Swathi 8 Thyagaraja Aradhana in Madras, musical salutes by Vidwath Samajam Academy. Sruthi,March 1987, issue 30, page 6 21

8 Thirunal. The Jayanthi conducted with festivals included recitals of Carnatic and Hindusthani music, dance performance etc. The Sabha s programmes are normally held at Sri Karthika Thirunal Theatre, owned by it. The Thyagabrahma Sangeetha Sabha in Trichur was established in the year Before 1960, public music performances rarely took place in Trichur. The records show that the Sabha has served the music lovers of this area commendably well. A glance through the programme books shows that eminent musicians of the past who took part in these, include Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Madhurai Mani Iyer, Alathur Brothers, G N Balasubrahmanian, Palaghat Mani Iyer, and M D Ramanathan. The Sabha s officials are proud not only about this record of presenting great performers but also about their efforts to encourage up and coming young musicians. YACM - Of the youth, by the youth, for the youth is the motto that guides the Youth Association for Classical Music (YACM). The aim of this organization was to create a new awakening among the youth in the city to start a new movement. A movement that would be characterized by in creasing awareness of and interest in Classical Music. This Sabha wanted the youth not only to politely attend the concerts, but to talk, discuss, think and even breathe Classical Music. The efforts made by the YACM office bearers in connection with the first anniversary also brought them into contact with persons provide financial and other 22

9 assistance to the organization. YACM has started to enlarge its scope of activities. From the start, it had established the practice of printing and distributing, at each concert organized by it, a list containing the names of the songs and their raga-s, tala-s and composers. Late last years, it expanded the notes to include the synopsis of each of the songs. This association also organized special programmes in connection with Thyagaraja araadhana and Children s Day. Other activities which the association made are the preparation of a directory of all individuals and institutions featuring Classical music in Madras, as a basis for providing guidance to youngsters in selecting teachers. Numerous youngsters in their twenties were keen to learn Classical Music, according to the YACM. The organization of a work shop for young musicians, aimed at enhancing their understanding of and skills in specific aspects of Carnatic Music and the organization of music appreciation courses for lay persons. The other activity made by this organization for the propagation of Carnatic Music was the development of a set of music appreciation Cassettes for free distribution to colleges and other institutions. 9 The annual festival in Madras was held in December, when music, dances and dramas were performed in association with different sabhas. This festival had great role in the propagation of Carnatic Music. Many organizations like the Music Academy, the Thamil Isai Sangam, the Indian Fine Arts Society, the Thyagabrahma 9 News & Notes assuring Classical music s Future YACM s Youthful effort, Sruthi, 1987 October& November, page 5, 23

10 Gana sabha, the Cultural Centre for Performing Arts, the Maruthi Bhaktha Samajam, the Kalarasana, the Saraswathi, the Mathangi, and the Ragasudha of Coimbatore etc. participated in this festival. The lecture-demonstration programmes of the Academy, the Indian Fine Arts Society and the Tamil Isai Sangam were notable for their lack of clear purpose. Lecture-demonstrations help expand the layperson s knowledge but such events, especially when organized by a body like the Music Academy, should be better planned and executed to ensure that the papers presented contribute significantly to increase knowledge and are discussed by competent specialists. It is also to be ensured that the knowledge and insights they impart are conveyed beyond the confines of the hall, to the world at large. The Soorya Festival at Thiruvananthapuram is also a very good organisation which was established in 1979 as a film and stage society with the objective of screening film classics and presenting stage performances of high standards, for its members. This evolved into a regular annual music and dance festival. The first such festival was held in 1982 as a 10 day programme starting October 1, the International Music day. The Sri Swathi Thirunal Sangeetha Sabha, a premier organization dedicated to classical music, has been a cosponsor of this festival. The Soorya festival presents the cream of classical musicians and dance talents in the country and also gives meticulous attention to such matters as acoustics, lighting, and punctuality. It therefore quickly gained recognition as a national 24

11 festival. There are Carnatic and Hindusthani music recitals and Kathak, Manipuri, and Odissi dances in addition to Bharathanatyam. Thureeyam Sangeethothsavam has made Payyanur- a small town in North Kerala - a part of Indian music history. This fest is organized by Pothankandam Aananda Bhavan. This festival brings Indian classical music, both Carnatic and Hindusthani closer to the rural masses of the area. Eminent musicians like S/s O.S.Thyagaraja, Neyveli Santhana Gopalan, T.V.Sankara Narayanan, T.M Krishna, Hyderabad Brothers, T.N.Seshagopalan, Sanjay Subrahmaniam, Malladi Brothers, Kunnakkudi R Vaidyanathan and others have participated in this music festival. PRINT MEDIA The pen is mightier than the sword - is a hallowed saying. The Indian music was traditionally passed on orally from one generation to another for centuries. In spite of the authority and sanctity accorded to the oral tradition in performing arts in general, printing had come to play an important role in the propagation of music, soon after it was introduced in the country. The print media including books, newspaper, magazine, telex, facsimile, and internet etc have a great role in the propagation of Carnatic Music. Since the time of William Caxton, when the printing press was invented, the press has played an ever increasingly important part in communication and dissemination of information and in reality it made the world 25

12 figuratively shrink. With the advent of electronics in the print media, information gets flashed immediately across the world. Books and magazines on music, reviews of cassettes, long playing records, and compact discs bring musicians much needed publicity. First, books on music came to be printed in the regional language as well as in English, especially in regions where British rulers entrenched themselves and introduced a new system of education. Secondly, notations of Indian music were also printed. Notations were used for the first time by Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavathar and his son Krishnan Swami Bhagavathar, disciples of Thyagaraja, in the latter half of the 19 th century to record and preserve his krithis for posterity. The printing of books starting with the encyclopedic work by Subbarama Dikshithar entitled Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini; a compilation of the Trinity krithis that helped those who could not learn them in any other way. Different kinds of writing materials were used in ancient times till printing was invented. Stones were used from the earliest times for engraving, with the purpose of making the writings last forever. For example, Kudumiyamalai Inscription of Mahendra Varman Pallava I and the Arichchalur Inscription on Music and Dance, the earliest available records pertaining to dance and music, found in a cave in Arichchalur. Wooden slabs or plates were used before the introduction of slates. Copper was the most popular writing material during ancient and medieval periods. Palmyra leaves were later used for 26

13 writing letters as well as manuscripts of literary work in Sanskrit and other languages. The Kudumiyamalai inscriptions, for the first time gave the varieties in a note by resorting to vowel changes in the name of the note ra, ri, ru, re-ga, gi, gu, ge etc. This inscription also used dots. Somanatha in his work Ragavibodha has suggested useful signs for denoting the various gamakas. In 1873 Tachur Singaracharulu began publishing his graded books on music. He used only the long and short swara letters and commas but not the semicolons and dots. Printing came as a boon during the post Tyagaraja period. The very first publication of Thiruvachakam by Kottayur Sivakozhund Desikar was printed at Saraswathi printing press in Subbaraya Mudaliyar published the Thevaram hymns of Thirugnana Sambandar in Nandanar Charithra Keerthanai was by Anaithandavapuram Bharathi Gopalakrishna Iyyer and the first edition was by a French official of Karaikkal in A monumental work, Oriental music in European Notation in 1892 by Mr. A M Chinnaswami Mudaliyar, made musicians of the West wake up to the beauties of Indian melodies. 10 Sanskrit work on musicology from Bharatha s Natyasasthra down to Govindacharya s Sangrahachoodamani as also Tamil and Telugu works on musicology were published. Compositions like Shivashtapathi and Ramashtapathi were written on the lines of 10 Article by Dr. R Kousalya, The role of Media in Carnatic music, Sruthi, 2008 March- April, Issue 282] 27

14 Jayadeva s Githa Govinda and books on the science and history of music were also published. Periodicals, especially Anandavikatan and Swadesamithran, played a role in propagating Carnatic music. Articles on music and musicians were written and notations of the songs were also found in these. A page of Swadesamithran on display showed how the songs were presented, the sahithya word by word and sentence by sentence meaning, the total meaning and explanatory notes, and then the notation of the composition, were given in that order. In the modern world of research in music, the results are communicated through articles, monographs, books, and handbooks. These journals are the main vehicles and the articles containing the results of research are published in them. Some of the journals are Chhayanat (Hindi quarterly, Sangeeth Natak Academy,Qaiser Bagh, Lucknow), Indian Music Journal (Thyaga Bharathi Educational Society,Malekote), Journal of Indian Musicologial Society (Annual, Jambu Bet, Dandia Bazar, Baroda), Journal of Madras Music Academy (Annual, T.T.K. Road, Madras), Sangeeth (Sangeeth Karyalaya), Sangeeth Kala Vihar (Hindi, monthly,brahmin Puri, Miraj), Sangeeth Natak(Quarterly, Sangeeth Natak Academy, (Feroze Shah Road, New Delhi), Sruthi (The journal of Music and Dance, Madras,), Shanmukha (English and Tamil, quarterly, Mumbai), Vageeshwari (English and Hindi, annual, Music Department, Delhi University, Delhi), Samudra, Samakalika Sangeetham, Keli etc. 28

15 Dictionaries deal with words in a language or of some special subject, authors etc. Biographical Dictionaries contain life sketches of many musicians and the persons related to the field of music. Some of the Biographical Dictionaries are: Glimpses of Indian Music (by Gowry Kuppuswamy and Hariharan, New Delhi, Sandeep Prakashan 1982), Another Garland (by Rajagopalan, N, Madras, Carnatic Classicals, 1992.), Biographical Dictionary of Carnatic Composers and Musicians (by Rajagopalan, N, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, 1990), Great Composers (by Prof. P. Sambamurthy, Indian Book Publishing House, Madras.) etc. The Bibliographies like Indian Music and Dance by Kendanath G. C, Indian Dance and Music Literature by Gowry Kuppuswami and Hariharan M, Indian Music Literature by Mohammed Haroon etc. help the Indian music researchers in their literature surveys. Discographies are the list of gramophone records in Indian music. This is a unique publication giving sources of audio materials that contain information about the main artists, ragas, compositions, accompanying artists etc. Newspapers have an important place in the propagation of Carnatic Music. The role of a critic in any art is significant and important. Critics are cheerleaders for boosting talent in the artists and if they are experts, knowledgeable and articulate, can help to define and clarify the standards for excellence in the art. They and their criticisms are necessary ingredients for the growth of art. It is true in case of music too. Both the artist and art form can gain from 29

16 their contributions and it is entirely up to the critic to rise up to the challenge of taking the art to a higher plane. Even today, there are many newspapers that review music concerts. Reading reviews encourages and develops the capacity for critical and enlightened listening among the people, thus paves the way for patronage and promotion of music of better quality. Press reviews of music concerts will promote awareness of music in people. Late Kalki Krishnamurthy reviewed concerts in magazines some decades ago. He was indeed one of the best writers in Tamil. The newspapers can come forward to give space, free or at a concessional rate, to announce and advertise music concerts that take place in a particular area. This will help in getting the name of the artist and possibly his picture published, whenever he conducts a concert. Music Reviews appear in the newspapers like The Hindu, Indian Express, week end issue of Mathrubhoomi, etc. The press need to look at as a necessary evil in today s commercial world. Everything in this world is done with a purpose and the press reviews too can be of some help, if done with sincerity and efficiency. In an ideal situation, the critic from the press has to be a person who is capable and willing to give genuine and frank opinion about a music performance to help readers to become more enlightened listeners and patrons with good taste. 30

17 ELECTRONIC MEDIA The science of electronics has totally revolutionized present day life. It influences ones thoughts, style of living and working etc. Parallel to their influence on one s life, electronics and electronic gadgets exert stunning influence and make great impact on all disciplines including music. The musician and his music are catapulted by the electronic media into a bewildering world. ELECTRONIC GADGETS MICROPHONE Musicians have to depend on technology to reach larger audiences. Microphone has been an extremely important invention. It along with an amplifier help increase the volume of human voice several times to reach a large gathering assembled in a big hall or open space. The system plays an important role in broadcasts and telecasts. The purpose of the mike system is to carry speech or music to a large number of people whom the ordinary levels of voice will not reach. The mike has acquired a very important place in the conduct of concerts. In concerts held without the mike system, the vocalist has to raise his voice and instrumentalist the sound from the instrument, to a level at times above the desirable one, for a sizeable audience to hear. Loudness is but one facet of musical sound and there are nuances in classical music, which get marred if the instruments are pushed beyond certain levels, to increase the volume. This applies 31

18 both to vocal and instrumental music. The mike system is of great help in such cases. It can carry even the low toned nuances or even a whisper to large audiences in big halls. The musicians can save his energy and voice, if he has the support of the mike. TAPE RECORDER Pre-recorded music on audio cassettes, compact discs, long playing records, spools is the wonder of this age in propagation of Carnatic Music. These days, students of music commonly use the cassette tape recorder as a learning aid. They tape lessons given in classrooms or by their private Gurus, use pre-recorded music from discs and cassettes tapes, radio broadcasts and live concerts to further their studies. They listen to the tape again and again, to supplement what they learn in the classroom or from a guru. Some may even use them as their main source of learning. If a student were asked to talk briefly about my guru, the tape recorder, he might attribute the following positive qualities to Sony, Coney, National, Peico or whatever happens to be the name of the guru: ability to reach the guru almost any time and have the guru at his side, even the bedside, if he is inclined to learning in comfort for as long as he wants, being able to start or stop the learning lesson. 11 The tape recorder is only an inanimate gadget. How it is used makes the difference. In the West, tape recorder and similar aids are 11 Article, Carnatic music during the decade, How it was ten years ago, Features of the contemporary kutchery, Teaching and learning, Sruthi 1994 July, issue 118, page

19 used for the development of new methodologies in teaching and learning. Here in India, the teaching fraternity and institutions are only slowly getting used to them. Even music academies, supposed to teach and impart knowledge in music fail to fulfill their objectives for want of these gadgets. The movement of the music industry into the Digital Age marks a revolution in the quality of the reproduction and the versatility of music distribution entertainment. The Digital language of computers has been incorporated into nearly every aspect of our lives, including audio and visual. Once music is in the digital form, and then it can be stored on computer media (CD s, hard disks, floppy disks computer memory) just like other computer files. COMPACT DISC was revolutionary in the way they dramatically changed consumer music and provided the musician with the first effective drop-the needle random-access tool for music recordings. They truly were seen as miracle media by many musicians and their fans. This Compact Disc was first introduced in 1982 in Europe (1983 in U S). The CD-ROM was a bonanza for music education in that it enabled mixing of Computer and Digital audio media to create never before seen interactive music instruction. 12 CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) and CD-RW (Compact Disc Re Writable) are aids to a music lover for storage of data. On both these disc formats, recording can be done. But on CD-R, recording can be done only once (originally called CD-WO for Write One). However, 12 David Brain Williams, Peter Richard Webster, Thomson and Schirmer, Experiencing music technology, Lark Baxter- publisher, Third Edition,1996,1999,

20 materials recorded on CD-RW can be erased and the disc can be reused for recording. The real advantage of the DVD Video format, compared to others, is its ability to deliver professional quality digital Video and Audio. Looking beyond movies and video applications, DVD-Video provides a format for musicians to produce surround sound digital audio with significantly higher sampling resolution than CD-Audio. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is based on data structures that represent music performance data or machine coded instructions for playing music. MIDI is a part of digital world that can be used to manipulate and control the sonic realism of digital audio and many professional musicians and composers use MIDI as an everyday tool while performing and recording. GRAMOPHONE To start with, the invention of Gramophone recording can be considered as the first and the foremost gift of science and technology to music. The gramophone led the way to audio recording initially on spools and then to magnetic tapes. Now it is CDs. All these help music. Simultaneously the amplifying microphone system brought the fine art of music to large audiences. The marvel of recording music is a boon to millions as they can enjoy their favourite past and present songs or concerts from the comfort of their living room. As a medium, gramophone companies played a vital role in shaping the careers of musicians. The two major rivals in the field were His Master s Voice (HMV) and Columbia Company. Each one made great contribution to 34

21 music, helped musicians in early 1930s to bring out their best and helped them reach great heights. It is significant that more women than men figure in the list of musicians, whose songs were recorded by the Gramophone companies during the first decade of their existence. Some of them are Salem Godavary, Bhavani, Ammakannu, Salem Pappa, Vadammal; Dhanakoti Ammal, who belongs to the direct sishya parampara of Syamasasthri and sang many of his krithis, and Bangalore Nagarathnammal, who concentrated mainly on Thyagaraja krithis as she was a great devotee of the saint. While healthy competition among musicians is good, the Gramophone companies sometimes tried to create an atmosphere of unwanted and unhealthy rivalry among them. For seven long decades, the HMV has been recording the golden voice of M.S.Subbulakshmi. She was the greatest money spinner for the company in South India. Albums of her memorable concerts at the United Nations, the Edinburgh Festival and Carnegie Hall and her ever-widening repertoire of devotional songs and powerful Sanskrit chants were made accessible to countless fans, rich and poor, all over the world. The Columbia Company, in the early 1930 s brought D.K. Pattammal into prominence. Many years later, in her Presidential Address to the Madras Music Academy, D K Pattammal with great humility, declared that it was the gramophone companies that shaped her carrier. The other female voice heard from gramophone disc at this time was that of K B Sundarambal whose music, drenched in religious fervour 35

22 touched a chord among the masses. N. C. Vasanthakokilam, was a close runner-up to star was born when M.S.Subbulakshmi. In the early 1940s a bright M.L.Vasanthakumari, the brilliant daughter of singer Lalithangi cut her first 78 rpm disc. Her scintillating brigas and cascading voice created a sensation in music circles and there was no looking back for her after that very first recording. This was in the 1940s, when a large number of records of M.S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal, K.B. Sundarambal and N.C.Vasanthakokilam had already appeared. The Gramophone companies played a vital role in the development of Carnatic music. Some of the gramophone recording companies are:- a) Gramophone Company of India Ltd. b) Twin Record Company. c) Gramophone Disc Record Company. d) Hindusthan Record HMV& Syndicate Broadcast India. e) V musical Products Ltd, Madras. f) Beaka Grand Records. g) Vallabhadas Lakxmi Das company, Bombay (Mumbai). h) Gramophone Monark Record. i) Polydor Music of India International Company. j) His Masters Voice (HMV). k) Columbia Record Company. l) C F P Record Company. m) M.F.P Record Company. 36

23 n) Odeon Record. o) Regal Record Company. p) World Pacific Company. q) T Series Company. Etc. One can t tell how many old 78 rpm records were cut with pure classical music by these companies during this long period, but the number will not be less than thousands by any guess. These records will serve as a propagator of classical music and as a source of reference for researchers in the history of music and the heritage of India. ALL INDIA RADIO- A REVOLUTIONARY MEDIA-ITS IMPACT ON CARNATIC MUSIC The ALL INDIA RADIO opened new vistas in the field of audio music. In ancient times music was practiced for the self purification and an artist never performed for others. After passing through various stages, it became a source of entertainment. Microphone gives an artist, an opportunity to present his performance to a large number of people. All India Radio s role in preserving and propagating Indian classical music is laudable. It has not only presented the well-known artists but also brought the budding artists to the fore. The name and fame of an artist spreads more quickly through this media. Although it has its share of drawbacks, the advantages are more. 37

24 Broadcasting as a mass medium has assumed global importance on account of its power, reach and impact. Its significances as a medium of information and education are enormous in a vast and developing country like India. The growth of the broadcasting network in our country started more or less after independence. An eminent political thinker Mr Pattabhi Sitharamayya presented a note to the constituent Assembly on April 28, 1947 pleading concurrent jurisdiction over broadcasting in the constitution of free India stating that broadcasting has to play a very great part in future India particularly as a medium of educating and informing the masses. Its value is greater to the rural than the urban areas. While to the urban people it may be an instrument of entertainment, to the rural population it will be a powerful medium of education through entertainment. 13 When broadcasting of classical music was done on a regular basis, many listened to it. This had a very positive effect on the popularity of classical music. More people became aware of classical music. They were able to listen to it sitting in their homes, appreciate and understand it and at least get to know of its intricacies at least on a smaller scale. They could also listen to various artistes from all over the country singing in different ways and styles. Basically the AIR caters to the welfare and pleasure of individual listeners or groups. That is why the logo of All India Radio envisages Bahujana Hithaya Bahujana Sukhaya. It has been widely accepted that All India Radio rendered yeoman service in patronizing and 13 Sharafat yar khan, Fundamentals of broadcasting, Ideal impressions Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, Page no. from

25 popularizing Carnatic music, particularly after the abolition of princely states and zamindaries, some of whom were ardent lovers and patrons of art. Classical music was once the personal preserve of a chosen few. But the AIR brought it to the doorsteps of the common man. It helped connoisseur of music to listen to eminent artists in the comfort of their living room. Radio has been an effective medium for a large number of good musicians to reach an unseen but vast audience, when getting a platform to perform was difficult. This is Radio s greatest contribution, to music. Apart from the Sabhas, the only important institution purveying music is the All India Radio. The Radio reflects contemporary life and helps in accelerating socioeconomic development and cultural transformation. It was basically responsible to preserve the old masters voices, and old and rare ragas sung only by a very few artists. Through the radio broadcast, classical music reached the common household. The listeners could recognize the voices and identify the ragas. Services rendered by AIR are:- YUVA VANI The progress and development of a nation depends on the youth. Young men and women are the real builders and architects of the future of a country. All India Radio is among the very few international broadcasters having a channel exclusively to cater to the 39

26 requirements of the youth. The channel for the youth is called Yuva Vani, the voice of the youth. VIVID BHARATHI SERVICE The basic objective of a broadcasting organization is to provide wholesome entertainment to its listeners, besides information and education. The Vivid channel is the largest single channel providing entertainment programmes broadcast over Akashavani. The programme spread consists of music, devotional, patriotic and film music. In its initial stages, Carnatic and Hindusthani music were recorded at other stations and given to Vivid Bharathi. That is why it was called Library Service. The service is now well designed to make it more attractive. NATIONAL CHANNEL The National Channel of All India Radio came on the air on The programmes include high quality Hindusthani, Carnatic, and Western Music, investigative reports, features, magazines, plays, sports, and Urdu segment. AIR is a powerful and effective channel for the preservation of Carnatic music. Carnatic and Hindusthani music are broadcast for 60 minutes daily while light music 45 minutes, Regional music for 30 minutes and Devotional music 50 minutes every day from 5 am are broadcast from National channel of AIR in early times. Today daily after 9 30 pm AIR broadcast Classical music programmes. Regional channel of AIR broadcast 40

27 Classical, folk, light, devotional, film, and Western music. The weekly National programme of music, the Annual Akashavani Sangeetha Sammelan and weekly Sunday night concerts are designed to provide the listeners the best classical music in Hindusthani and Carnatic forms of style. 14 The external services of All India Radio act as a bridge between India and the world. The broadcasts follow a composite pattern and generally comprise of news bulletins, commentary on current events and a review of the Indian news. Besides these, newsreels, programmes on sports and literature, talks and discussions on socioeconomic, political, historical, and cultural subjects, features on developmental activities, important events and institutions, classical, folk and modern music from diverse regions form a major part of the programme output. As a patron of music, All India Radio presents the cultural heritage of India. It seeks to bring together and encourage different forms of music like classical, semi-classical, light and folk music from different parts of the country. National broadcast of such programmes ensures better appreciation of music from different regions, nationally. This helps in promoting national unity and integration. Constant efforts are being made by All India Radio to find new dimensions and directions in the field of light music and orchestral music. Folk music, in all its variations presented by AIR, helps to popularize this form of 14 Broadcasting in India- All India Radio, Sage publications, New Delhi. 41

28 music which is intimately connected with the day-to-day life in rural India. Besides promoting the music programmes in its daily broadcast, AIR also organizes weekly, monthly and yearly programmes with a view to encourage and inculcate listening habits and an ability to appreciate music. Some of the music programmes presented by AIR are:- NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF MUSIC This programme covers the entire country and was inaugurated on July 20, In this programme, choicest music of India, both Hindusthani and Carnatic in its different forms are presented to listeners. This programme brings new talents to the fore and keeps the style of master musicians alive. The National programme of music includes music of classical, light classical, folk and other varieties. This programme is broadcast every Saturday night from Delhi and is relayed by all the other stations of AIR. Distinguished vocalists as well as instrumentalists of both Hindusthani and Carnatic music, representing different schools are invited to perform. Regional music also has found a place of pride in the National Programmes. AKASHAVANI SANGEETH SAMMELAN It is divided into two categories, one for Hindusthani and the other for Carnatic music. About twenty-five concerts are organized at various venues in the country in the Northern and Southern regions. 42

29 A notable feature of the Sammelan is that some of the concerts in Hindusthani music are held in the South, while some concerts in Carnatic music are held in the North. Concerts are held during the morning hours also to facilitate broadcasts of performances of morning ragas during morning hours itself. All the Carnatic and Hindusthani music concerts are broadcast on the National hook- up. These concerts help a great deal in preserving the traditions of concert and keep alive the interest in traditional and various styles of different schools of music. These concerts play an important role in bringing together the exponents of both the Hindusthani and Carnatic music and thereby contribute to mutual understanding and integration. Recordings of the Tansen Music Festival held annually at Gwalior, are broadcast by all the stations of AIR. This is a festival of Hindusthani music in which eminent musicians representing the various Gharanas of vocal and instrumental music perform. Selections from the music concerts performed during the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival held at Thiruvayyaru in January every year are also broadcast by All India Radio. Annual music competitions conducted at all the stations of All India Radio help to locate and encourage new and young talents. The competitions are open to all young artists. NATIONAL ORCHESTRA All India Radio has encouraged experimentation in orchestra, while maintaining the basic character of Indian music, i.e. Melody. It 43

30 is generally believed that orchestration and harmony do not suit Indian music, but this has been proved wrong by some unforgettable orchestral compositions by some of the maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Panna Lal Ghosh, Anil Biswas, Emani Shankara Shasthri, Dr M Balamuralikrishna and others. The AIR Vadya Vrinda was started in It consists of musicians of both Hindusthani and Carnatic traditions. The melodic character of Indian music combined with other elements has given a unique distinction to the AIR s orchestra. In the orchestral compositions of the AIR Vadya Vrinda, a very fine balance is maintained between Hindusthani and Carnatic music. Efforts of All India Radio to popularize folk music are laudable. In the beginning, folk music was broadcast only in rural programmes of the AIR, but in 1957 it acquired a new dimension when it was taken out from the rural programmes. Specially selected items of folk music are broadcast from 1957 in the National Programme of music, thus giving it a place in the main stream. This has given folk music respectability and has made it popular with the listening public. In order to create better appreciation of the musical heritage of the country, especially among the younger generation, AIR broadcasts music lessons and music appreciation programmes regularly from various AIR stations. New talents are continuously scouted through regular music audition as well as annual competitions. Many artistes joined AIR in B, B High, A, A-Top grades. Young and promising 44

31 artists of higher grades are featured in public concerts through a system of chain booking which enables artists of one region get exposure in other regions of the country. During Radio Sangeeth Sammelan a few Hindusthani music concerts are arranged in the Southern region and a few Carnatic music concerts in the Northern region. In terms of patronage to musicians the contribution of AIR is perhaps unparalleled. Apart from making payments to casual artists, the AIR is the largest employer of artists. Nearly one thousand five hundred musicians are among the staff of the AIR, enjoying all the privileges of a regular Government employee. Today there are thousands of musicians in different grades broadcasting from the AIR in different categories of music like classical, folk, light, devotional, and western. As a medium of mass communication, the radio broadcasts quickened the process of democratization of classical music started by the gramophone companies, by swiftly widening its listener base from the elite aristocracy to an unseen audience, spread all over the country. It marked the beginning of a new epoch in the history of Indian classical music and played a crucial role in moulding the tastes of the public. Till the advent of television and the cassette revolution in the country, AIR was the sole electronic medium which served as the most convenient and easily affordable means of entertainment to a majority of people. Highly respected and seasoned artists like Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G.N. Balasubrahmanian, Emani Sankara 45

32 Sasthri, Voletty Venkiteswarulu, Dr Balamuralikrishna and Mysore Doreswami Iyyengar were closely associated with AIR in its formative years and radio concerts acquired a high degree of prestige and respectability. The system of involving highly professional people for planning and production of programmes, which was introduced by Dr. Keskar, was dispensed with sometime ago for administrative reasons. As a result, today in many stations of AIR, one does not find competent people handling music programmes. In the case of the National Programmes, there is no effective machinery for monitoring its quality. The National Programmes and the Sangeeth Sammelan concerts are fast losing the glamour and prestige because of a steady deterioration in quality. There is no reason why these concerts held before audiences should be restricted to fifty-five minutes. A longer duration, will allow the musician to warm up and give a better performance and portions where the artists perform his best could be selected and broadcast. Selection of artists for prestigious concerts should be purely on the basis of their current form. For sheer convenience of listening, there is no substitute for the radio. A section among the discerning audience is naturally concerned with the policies and practices of AIR and Dooradarshan as reflected in programme schedules. One has seen a dangerous trend in some stations where Classical music chunks are curtailed and sponsored programmes bringing revenue to the organization are introduced. The music content in AIR 46

33 programmes has shown a steady decline from an all India average of 60 percent prevalent in the initial stages to an alarming 40 percent in recent years. It is worth recalling a portion of the first report of the Controller of broadcasting published in 1940 which seems to be relevant even today Broadcasting in most centuries does not base its policy exclusively on pleasing the majority. It is to the advantage of the broadcasting organizations Classical music gains a place which the majority may not vote for and it is undoubtedly true that taste for classical music has in many countries been this policy. Regrettably, furthermore, AIR has failed to evolve a definite policy regarding its archives. 15 By the time AIR started doing recordings on magnetic tapes, most of the senior artists like Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Musiri Subrahmanya Iyer, G N Balasubrahmanian, Madhurai Mani Iyyer, etc had passed their prime and their recorded performances available in the AIR archives cannot be considered as their best. There should have been a constant endeavour to enrich the archives by recording artists when they were in their top form. Compared to the modern gadgets available in private recording companies today, the equipments available in most of the stations are still archaic. Old recordings are great source of inspiration for Carnatic music students and music lovers. There are so many people who over the years have developed a very good understanding of classical music and learned it by listening to the 15 Sruthi

34 radio broadcasts. Classical music received a great fillip due to the radio. With the start of regular broadcasting, many musicians perform regularly on the radio. It has become a source of income for them. Along with the main performers, opportunities for the accompanists also increased. The most important aspect was that it became a source of inspiration and income for the lesser known artistes who did not get programmes outside. They still have opportunities to satisfy their innate desire to perform and have it broadcast over the radio. Hope and opportunity keeps one s art alive. While the sabhas are reluctant to risk giving chances to budding musicians, the AIR is to be congratulated for encouraging young artists. But there is one major drawback that has happened to our music concerts because of the AIR. That is shortening the duration of music programmes. In the early days of radio broadcasts, concerts used to last for an hour and a half. This was not the actual duration of a concert. It was only a half of it. But the discerning listeners were thankful that at least they could listen to a reasonably good part of the programme. There was also a good programme, Ragam- Thanam- Pallavi by eminent musicians, which kept up the old traditions. But the abridged radio concerts had a bad effect on the public concerts. It gave room for reducing the duration of live concerts by the artists to less than three hours. In fact, in several reputed organizations devoted to the promotion of Carnatic Music, the rule now is to curtail even the major concerts two and a half hours. The 48