Aneesh Pradhan » Aneesh

‘Tender’ Archives at NCPA

Aneesh — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:21:28 +0000

Musicians were given to understand that music archives in India, are non-profit organisations working expressly to promote documentation and research. Not for a moment was there ever any mention of a commercial transaction between the archive and a record label or any other organisation for disseminating this material. Dissemination was to be carried out only on the premises of the archive, by way of arranging listening sessions for one or more persons. Each archive had a set of rules for depositing material and for accessing it thereafter. However, in the past year or so, one has come across several attempts being made by archives to sell or license their recordings to record labels for commercial release. While I am all for a commercial release, it can be done only after procuring requisite permissions from the performers. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case, as is evident from the recent steps taken by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai.

The letter attached below, addressed to the NCPA and its consultant from the UK, is self-explanatory.

From: Shubha Mudgal [mailto:shubha.....com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 12:17 AM
To: Suvarnalata Rao
Cc: anepradh1……com; vmehta…..com; omortimer…….com [emails obfuscated]
Subject: Archives

Dear Vijayabai, Owen, and Suvarna,

Thanks very much for informing us of your efforts at commercially releasing archival material in the possession of the NCPA. We also read about this in the Times of India. After going through the PDF that you had sent earlier and the catalogue that you were kind enough to also send, we have the following response:

1. We are happy to hear that NCPA wishes to make its archival collection widely accessible. However, we are extremely distressed at the manner in which you have chosen to accomplish this task. We and other artistes had always believed that the NCPA was a premier institution that housed a selection of the country’s most valuable archival recordings. Artistes had permitted some of these recordings only on the basis of their being housed for archival purposes. The fact that you have now chosen to commercially release these without first consulting artistes, is tantamount to going against the wishes of the artistes.

2. Your letter did mention the fact that the legal status with regard to these recordings was such that they were licensed to the NCPA expressly for archival purposes and that the copyrights rested with the artistes. However, we wish to point out that the NCPA at most times did not take permissions from the artistes even to record for archival purposes. We have both performed at various venues at the NCPA on innumerable occasions, and but for the recent change in policy which requires the artistes to sign a document permitting recordings, such permissions had not been taken earlier. Indeed, even if these permissions had been acquired from the main performers, the accompanists were never asked for similar permissions. This was neither done in writing nor verbally.

3. On occasions when artistes were aware that their performances were being recorded, they sometimes requested NCPA to give them copies of these for study purposes. However, their recordings never reached them, ostensibly because they needed to be in the safe custody of the NCPA archives and that making them available to the artistes could lead to their misuse! Artistes were told that they would be in a position to negotiate deals with record labels for their personal gain. However, the NCPA now chooses to do the very same thing, without taking the artistes into confidence. May we ask how an institution that has taken upon itself the task of safeguarding the property of artistes, can now attempt at selling these, without the express permission of the artistes to even begin such an endeavour? Strangely enough we were copied on an email that invited tenders, but nobody from NCPA thought fit to consult us in our capacity as artistes featured on the catalogue for sale.

4. We are sure that some artistes and their heirs would agree to such a sale of their recordings and would therefore not like to jeopardize their interests by protesting against this move. But it seems strange that the NCPA chooses to seek potential buyers only when it finds itself reeling under financial constraints. Significantly, it did not part with the recordings when the artistes faced financial burden that would surely have been infinitely greater than NCPA ‘s need for funds.

5. The appointment of consultants for this endeavour, uploading the catalogue and preparing a sampler CD has evidently taken up much of your time. But nobody thought fit to invite consultants/representatives from the artistic community. If it is accessibility that the NCPA hopes to achieve why did it not think of uploading the catalogue on the NCPA site? In fact, this should have been done several years ago.

6. Needless to say, we would not like you to include any of our recordings in the catalogue that you choose to sell to potential buyers.

7. We would like you to send us copies of all recordings in the possession of your archives that feature us as main performers or accompanying musicians.

8. The trend to make archival recordings commercially available was started in a major way by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the NCPA has followed suit without so much as thinking of the far reaching adverse consequences. We fear that other archives will look upon this as a precedent and even make concerted efforts at selling bootlegged recordings that have now become their prized possessions. All this will be done without consulting artistes prior to inviting tenders. Naturally, this does not relate to or impact you in any way, as in all likelihood you will say that these are policies that institutions choose and execute on their own steam. However, this will be treated as a huge letdown by several artistes including us who reposed their faith in institutions such as yours. We would like you to know that we were on the verge of facilitating the deposit of an invaluable collection of archival music with the NCPA archives. But, the recent move initiated by NCPA has prompted us to advise the source not to think of depositing anything any longer with NCPA.

9. We wonder how this will impact the lives of folk artistes, but then again, you may well reply that they have given you their total consent to archive and publish their recordings on any format in perpetuity!

In utter dismay,

Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan

Fusion music-confusion or confluence

Aneesh — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:25:05 +0000

Published in Vivek Saptahik, Divali issue 2006.

फ्युजन म्युझिक – कनफ्युजन का संगीतसंगम?

दोन किंवा त्याहूनही अधिक संगीत प्रकारांचे एकमेकांशी संभाषण आणि यातून झालेला आविषकार म्हणजेच ‘फ्युजन म्युझिक’. या प्रक्रीयेचा प्रदीर्घ इतिहास असला तरी फ्युजन म्युझिक हे नाव अलिकडेच म्हणजे गेल्या तीन-चार दशकातच प्रचलित झाले. सर्व प्रथम ही संज्ञा पाश्चात्य संगीत प्रकारांमधील देवाण-घेवाण दर्शवण्या करीता वापरण्यात आली. जॅझ-रॉक फ्युजन हे याचे एक उदाहरण.

या संपूर्ण काळात, रसिकांचे कान वेधून घेण्यासाठी रेकॉर्ड कंपन्यांनीही या नावाचा उपयोग करून नवीन रेकॉर्डस बाजारात आणल्या. आपल्या मालाचा खप वाढविण्याकरीता देखील काही कंपन्यांनी असेही संगीताचे प्रयोग ध्वनिमुद्रित केले की जे फ्युजन म्हणून प्रसिद्ध झाले पण ज्यात फार काही तथ्य नव्हते.

फ्युजन म्युझिकचा जगभर प्रसार झाल्यामुळे आजच्या पिढीतील भारतीय कलाकारांवर या प्रयोगांचा प्रभाव पडला आहे. म्हणूनच आज आपण हिंदुस्तानी आणि कर्नाटक शास्त्रोक्त संगीतकारांना इतर देशातीलच नव्हे तर भारतातील पिआनो, गिटार, सारखी पाश्चात्य वाद्य वाजवणार्‍या कलाकारांबरोबर प्रयोग करताना पाहातो आणि ऐकतो.

भारतीय शास्त्रोक्त संगीताला सुमारे पाच हजार वर्षांचा इतिहास आहे आणि या संगीत पद्धतीत या कालावधीत फारसा बदल झालेला नाही, असा समज एकूणच कलाकार आणि कलाप्रेमी मंडळीत आढळतो. याला कारण म्हणजे आपली संगीत पद्धती ही जगातील संगीत पद्ध्तींपेक्षा खूपच जुनी आणि श्रेष्ठ आहे आणि तिचं जतन आपण केल्यामुळे ती आजतागायत तशीच्या तशी आपल्या समोर उभी आहे हा समज. असा समज असूनही काही मंडळी तितक्याच ठामपणे हेही सांगतात की आजच्या पिढीच्या कलाकारांनी आपल्या संगीत पद्धतीची अवहेलना केली आहे. अति द्रुत लयीत गाऊन किंवा वाजवून आणि ध्वनिक्षेपण यंत्रणेचा दुरुपयोग करून, या कलाकारांनी संगीताची मारहाण केली आहे असे या मंडळींचे मत आहे. एवढेच नव्हे तर आजच्या कलाकारांनी इतर देशातील कलाकारांबरोबर सांगीतिक प्रयोग करून स्वतःच्या परंपरेची हानी केली आहे, अशीही टीका ऐकू येते.

ही मते परस्परविरोधी आहेत. प्रदीर्घ इतिहास असताना कुठल्याही संगीत पद्धतीत बदल झाल्याशिवाय कसा राहील? इतिहास जाणणार्‍यांना हे हास्यासपद वाटणे सहाजिक आहे. विशेषतः आजच्या पिढीने बदल घडवलेत हे मान्य केले, तर आधीची गोष्ट चुकीची आहे हे लक्षात यायला फार काही तर्कशास्त्र लागत नाही. परंतु वरील काही गोष्टीत थोड्या प्रमाणात सत्य आहे. भारतीय संगीताचा इतिहास प्रदीर्घ आहे ही गोष्ट खरी असली, तरी ह्या संगीतात बदल झालेला आहे हे विसरून चालणार नाही. आंतरसांस्कृतिक सांगीतिक प्रयोगांचे उदाहरण घ्या. आज, हे प्रयोग ‘फ्युजन म्युझिक’ म्हणून ओळखले जातात. खरं तर, फ्युजन म्युझिक ही संज्ञा आधी वेगवेगळ्या संगीत प्रकारांची देवाण-घेवाण ओळखण्यासाठी वापरली जाणारी विसाव्या शतकातील होती. नंतर, हे प्रयोग आणखी व्यापक झाले आणि इतर संज्ञा वापरात आल्या. याबद्दल पुढे चर्चा होईलच पण तत्पूर्वी या संदर्भात काही मूळ प्रश्न उद्भवतात ते पाहू.

हे प्रयोग खर्‍या अर्थाने सध्याच्या काळातच व्हायला लागले की ह्यांनाही इतिहास आहे? आणि जर का पूर्वीच्या काळात असले प्रयोग घडले असतील, तर त्यांत आणि आजच्या परिस्थितीत नक्की फरक आहे का? आणि हा फरक असला तर तो कुठल्या प्रकारे आपल्या समोर येतो? हे प्रश्न आणि त्यांच्याबरोबर इतरही काही मुद्दे आजच्या संदर्भात बारकाईने अभ्यासायची गरज आहे. या लेख़ात हा प्रयत्न करीत आहे.

इतिहास आपल्याला असे सांगतो की संगीत हे भारतीय समाजाचे अविभाज्य अंग होते आणि मनुष्याच्या प्रत्येक कार्यात संगीताचे कुठेना-कुठेतरी स्थान होते. मग ते कार्य जन्म, विवाह किंवा मृत्यु ह्यांच्याशी संबंधित असो, की ते श्रमाशी जोडलेले असो.

इतक्या समृध्द सांगीतिक वातावरणात, वेगवेगळ्या संगीत प्रकारात देवाण-घेवाण होणे सहाजिक होते, आणि तसेच झाले. उदाहरणार्थ, मध्य युगात प्रचलित असलेल्या ध्रुपद या गायन प्रकाराचा काही अंश नंतरच्या खयाल गायकीत दिसतो. आणि ठुमरी गायकीत खयालाचा आणि लोक संगीताचा अंश दिसतो. धार्मिक संगीतातही हेच दिसून येते, आणि विसाव्या शतकातल्या फिल्म संगीतात तर केवढेतरी सांगीतिक प्रभाव ऐकायला मिळतात. हे सर्व प्रभाव फ्युजन म्युझिकचेच अंग असून त्या-त्या संगीत प्रकारांना अशी एक नवीन दिशा देऊन गेले की जिच्या मुळे नवीन संगीत प्रकार जन्माला आले किंवा या प्रभावांना आधीच्या संगीत प्रकारांनी स्वतःत सामावून घेतले. अमेरिकेत जसे जॅझ-रॉक सारखे दुहेरी प्रकार तयार झाले तसे भारतात तेवढ्या प्रमाणात झाले नाहीत हे खरे पण तरीही टपखयाल किंवा बन्दिश की ठुमरी असे प्रकार दोन प्रकारांचे फ्युजनच दर्शवतात.

या सर्व घडामोडीत, भारतीय संगीत प्रकारांवर वेगवेगळ्या क्षणी दुसर्‍या देशातल्या संगीत प्रकारांचा प्रभावही पडला. आज आपण जुन्या वास्तुशिल्पात व हस्तकलेत इराण (पर्शिआ) व युरोप सारख्या प्रदेशातील प्रभाव चट्कन ओळखू शकतो. पण संगीतात तेवढासा प्रभाव ओळखू शकत नाही. याचा अर्थ असा नाही की असे प्रभाव भारतीय संगीताने अनुभवले नाहीत. हे प्रभाव खूप शतकांपासून होत आलेले आहेत आणि भारतीय संगीताचा प्रभाव इतर देशातही पसरला. व्यापार आणि राजकीय व आर्थिक कारणांमुळे झालेल्या लढाया, या दोहोंच्या बरोबर सांस्कृतिक देवाण-घेवाणही झाली. विशेष म्हणजे मध्य युगात फार्सी संगीताचा प्रभाव भारतीय संगीतावर पडला आणि त्याचे फळ आपण आजही आनंदाने अनुभवतो. हा प्रभाव बर्‍याच मार्गानी पडला – कधी वाद्यातून तर कधी नवीन स्वररचनेतून. हा प्रभाव भारतीय संगीतात इतका बेमालूम मिसळला की आता त्यालाच आपण वेदकालीन संगीत समजतो. एवढेच काय, तर आपण गेल्या पन्नास वर्षांच्या कालखंडातील ध्वनिमुद्रित झालेल्या संगीताची आजच्या संगीताशी तुलना केली, तर यातील फरक लगेचच लक्षात येईल. असे असल्यामुळे आधीचे प्रभाव आपल्या संगीतावर झाले आणि त्यामुळे आपले संगीत बदलले यात मुळीच शंका नाही.

भारतीय सिने संगीतच घ्या. फ्युजन म्युजिकचे ह्यापेक्षा अधिक चांगले उदाहरण भारतात सापडणं कठीण आहे. लॅटिन आणि आफ्रिकिन लयीचे प्रकार आणि त्या-त्या प्रांतातील लय वाद्य, अरबस्तानातील काही चाली, जॅझ, डिस्को, पॉप, वगैरे प्रकारांचे प्रभाव आजही सिने संगीतात आढळतात. या प्रभावांचा कितपत जाहीर स्वीकार करतो आणि त्यांचे आभार व्यक्त करतो हा रचनाकारांच्या इमानाचा प्रशण आहे. पण हे प्रभाव आपल्या संगीतावर वरच्यावर होत असतात ही वस्तुस्थिति आहे.

गेल्या चार एक दशकात भारतीय संगीताने आंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तरावर अनुभवलेल्या सांगीतिक देवाण-घेवाणीबाबत एका गोष्टीची आवर्जून नोंद केली पाहिजे. या काळातील फ्युजन म्युझिक हे पाश्चात्य कलाकारांच्या वाटचालीमुळे जास्त प्रसारात आले. या कलाकारांनी भारतीय संगीत (हिंदुस्तानी व कर्नाटक पद्धती) आणि भारतीय कलाकारांबरोबर संबंध जोडण्याचे प्रयत्न केले. भारतीय कलाकारांनी पाश्चात्य देशाना भेटी दिल्यामुळे भारतीय संगीत तिथल्या कलाकारांच्या कानांवर जास्त पडू लागले.

विख्यात ब्रिटिश ग्रूप ‘द बीटल्स’ नी 1965 मध्ये आपल्या गाण्यात सतारीचा उपयोग केला. हे गाणं म्हणजे ‘नॉरविजियन वुड (धिस बर्ड हॅज फ्लोन)’ जे त्यांच्या ‘रब्बर सोल’ नावाच्या आल्बममध्ये होते, व यातील सतार या ग्रूपच्या लीड गिटार वादक जॉर्ज हॅरिसननी वाजवली. काही काळानंतर जॉर्ज हॅरिसन यांनी विख्यात सतार वादक रवि शंकरांचे शिष्यत्व पत्करले होते.

याच काळात भारतीय शास्त्रोक्त संगीतातील विचारांचा प्रभाव जॉन मॅकलोफ्लिन सारख्या काही जॅझ संगीतकारांवर पडला. काही पाश्चात्य कलाकारांनी बरेच ग्रूप किंवा बॅंड तयार केले आणि भारतीय संगीतकार या बॅंडस् मध्ये भाग घ्यायला लागले. ओरेगोन आणि शक्ति हे यातील प्रमुख ग्रुप्स होते. त्रिलोक गुर्टु, ज़ाकिर हुसैन, एल. शंकर, विक्कु विनायकराम, ह्यां प्रख्र्यात भारतीय कलाकारांचा या ठिकाणी विशेषत्वाने उल्लेख केला पाहिजे.

यातील काही मुख्य प्रयोगांकडे वळू. 1980 च्या दशकात ‘शक्ति’ नावाचा ग्रुप प्रसिद्ध झाला. जॉन मॅकलोफ्लिन (गिटार), ज़ाकिर हुसैन (तबला), एल. शंकर (व्हायोलिन) आणि विक्कु विनायकराम (घटम), हे ह्यातील कलाकार. या ग्रुपचा नवीन अवतार ‘रेमेम्बरिंग शक्ति’ या नावांने ओळखला जातो. यात जॉन मॅकलोफ्लिन (गिटार), ज़ाकिर हुसैन (तबला) खेरीज यु. श्रिनिवासन (मॅंडोलिन) आणि सेल्वा गणेश (खंजीरा) चा सहभाग आहे. जॉन मॅकलोफ्लिन ट्रायोत त्रिलोक गुर्टु चा सहभाग होता. तसेच राय कूडर नावाच्या गिटार वादकाबरोबर विश्वमोहन भट्ट या भारतीय कलाकाराची ‘मीटिंग बाय द रिवर’ ही रेकॉर्ड प्रसिद्ध झाली व 1994 मध्ये या रेकॉर्डला ग्रॅमी पुरस्कार ही मिळाला. सुखविंदर सिंघ नामधारी (तबला) आणि जोखिम कूडर (दारबुका) हे या रेकॉर्ड मधील इतर कलाकार होते.
या सर्व ग्रूप्समधले साम्य असे की यात हिन्दुस्तानी व कर्नाटक पद्धतीतले कलाकार सामील होते. यातील पाश्चात्य कलाकार हे जॅझ व ब्लूज म्युझिकचे प्रख्यात वादक होते. यामुळे आपल्याला असा निष्कर्ष काढता येईल की या आंतरसांस्कृतिक सांगीतिक प्रयोगात सहभागी होणारे कलाकार हे दोन प्रमुख भारतीय शास्त्रोक्त पद्धतीतले तर पाश्चात्य संगीतातील जॅझ म्युझिकचे उपासक.
यामुळे असे गृहित धरता येईल का की पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त संगीताचे कलाकार अशा प्रयोगात सहभागी झाले नाहीत? विख्यात वायलिन वादक येहुदी मेनुहिन आणि काही प्रमुख सिम्फनी ऑर्केस्ट्रा अशा प्रयोगात सहभागी झाले, पण त्यांनी भाग घेतलेल्या प्रयोगात ‘इम्प्रोवायजेशन’ ही बाब जवळ-जवळ नव्हती. सर्व संगीत एका रचनेत बांधले होते व अशा रचना रवि शंकर व एल. सुब्रमणियम सारख्या कलाकारांनी रचल्या होत्या. ऑर्केस्ट्रातील वेगवेगळ्या वाद्यांची भूमिका काय असली पाहिजे हे ठरलेले असायचे व हे सर्व काही पाश्चात्य नोटेशन पद्धतीत लिहिलेले असायचे. या प्रयोगात ऑर्केस्ट्राची भूमिका आणि त्यातून एकत्रित रुपाने ऎकू येणारी स्वररचना ह्या गोष्टी भारतीय संगीताच्या संदर्भात काहीशा विपरित वाटतात. भारतीय संगीताचा गाभा एकाच स्वर रचनेचे तर्‍हेतर्‍हेचे प्रकार करु पाहणे हा आहे. याला ‘लिनियर मेलडी’ किंवा एका ओळीतच स्वरांच्या आरोह-अवरोहाच्या आकृत्या. पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त संगीताच्या आधीच्या परंपरेत लिनियर मेलडी पेक्षा ‘हार्मनी-काउंटरपॉईंट’ वर जास्त महत्व दिले जाते. ‘हार्मनी-काउंटरपॉईंट’ म्हणजे एकाच वेळेला बरेच स्वर समूह एकाच वेळेला मांडण्याची प्रक्रीया. अर्थात, विसाव्या शतकात पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त संगीतात खूप बदल झाले. श्रुतींचे उपयोग (आपण मात्र याला भारतीय ‘जन्मसिद्ध हक्क मानतो’!), कठीण लयींच्या आकृत्यांचा समावेश व नेहमीच्याच तर्‍हेने वाद्य न वाजवता इतरही प्रकारांनी ते हाताळणे, या सर्व गोष्टी प्रख्यात रचनाकारांनी प्रसारात आणल्या आहेत.

पण आधी म्हटल्याप्रमाणे पारंपरिक पाश्चात्य संगीत पद्धतींच्या मूल सिद्धांतात फार फरक असल्यांने, या दोहोंमध्ये एका मर्यादेबाहेर फारसे प्रयोग झाले नाहीत. जॅझ म्युझिक मध्ये ‘इम्प्रोवायजेशन’ ही प्रक्रीया असते आणि यातील काही भाग भारतीय संगीत पद्धतीतील ‘विस्तार’ (स्वरांचा व लयवाद्यातील बोलांचा विस्तार) या प्रक्रियेशी सामंजस्य साधतो. कदाचित या कारणामुळे जॅझ कलाकार भारतीय शस्त्रोक्त संगीताशी जास्त जवळीक साधत असावेत.

आणि एक महत्वाची गोष्ट म्हणजे भारतीय-पाश्चात्य संगीत प्रकारांच्या प्रयोगात, भारतीय लोक संगीतातील कलाकारांचा अभाव. त्याचबरोबर, इतर भारतीय प्रकार अशा प्रयोगात आढळत नाहीत. असे का? इम्प्रोवायजेशनची कल्पना अशा प्रयोगात इतकी रूढ झाली आहे की ज्या संगीत प्रकारात ही प्रक्रिया नसते, त्या प्रकाराला प्रयोगात सामील केले जात नाही, असे गृहित धरता येईल का? क़व्वाली सारखा धार्मिक संगीतातील प्रक्रार पाश्चात्य कलाकारांच्या गिटार वादनाबरोबर प्रयोगात आणला आहे, पण त्याचे कारणही क़व्वालीतील इम्प्रोवायजेशनची क्षमता असावी. जगप्रसिद्ध पाकिस्तानी क़व्वाली गायक नुसरत फतेह अलि खाँ ह्यांच्या गायनाबरोबर गिटारचा उपयोग केला, पण या गिटार वादनाने त्यांच्या संगीतात फारसा बदल घडला अशातला भाग नाही. यामुळे असेही दिसून येते की काही वेळा कलाकार स्वतःच्या संगीताबाहेरील वाद्य नवीन संगीत विचार आणण्यासाठी करीत नसून, एक नवीन नाद आणि रंग जोड्ण्यासाठी करतात. मूळ संगीत प्रकार तसाच राहतो आणि एखादा रंग त्यात मिसळतो आणि तेवढ्यापुरतं नाविन्य घडवून आणतो.

गायक कलाकारांचाही अशा प्रयोगात कमी समावेश असतो. भाषा हे गायनाचे अविभाज्य अंग असल्याने, त्याचे संस्कृतीशी अतोड नातं असतं. यामुळे एखाद्या प्रांताची भाषा ही इतर प्रांतातील कलाकारांवर तेवढी प्रभावी ठरत नसावी. अर्थात, प्रयोगांच्या माध्यमातून यातून मार्ग काढता येईल.

पण याचाच अर्थ असा की फ्युजन म्युझिकचा पाया काही ठराविक गोष्टींवर अवलंबून असतो. एकतर दोन्ही संगीत प्रकारात काही प्रमाणात का होईना पण साम्य असते, ह्या साम्याला अनुसरुन पुढचे सांगीतिक विचार केले जातात व कधी त्यातून कलाकारांच्या सृजनात्मक भूमिकेला वाव मिळतो.

कुठलेही संगीत टिकवण्यासाठी आणि त्याला चांगला प्रतिसाद मिळ्ण्यासाठी फक्त कलाकारांची कुशलता पुरेशी नसते, तर संगीतातच अशा काही गोष्टी घडल्या पाहिजेत की ज्या भावना आणि बुद्धि यांना जागृत करतात.

फ्युजन म्युझिक संबंधी आणखी एक प्रश्न म्हणजे हे पाश्चात्य आणि भारतीय संगीतामधीलच प्रयोग असतात की हे इतर संस्कृतीतही आढळतात? याचे उत्तर असे की फ्युजन म्युझिकशी साम्य असणार्‍या इतर ज्या संज्ञा आज प्रचलित आहेत आणि ज्यात कधी फरक प्रत्यक्ष संगीतात दिसतो तर कधी दिसतही नाही. ह्या संज्ञा केव्हा-केव्हा फ्युजन ह्या विस्तृत नावाखाली येतात. यातील काही संज्ञा म्हणजे ‘क्रॉसओवर’, ‘क्रॉसकल्चरल’, ‘इंटर-कल्चरल’, ‘वर्ल्ड फ्यूजन’, वगैरे. याचाच अर्थ असा की असे प्रयोग जगाच्या कानाकोपर्‍यात होऊ शकतात आणि यात कुठलेही संगीत प्रकार सहभागी होऊ शकतात.

जपानमधल्या कलाकारांनी तयार केलेला ‘एशियन फॅंन्टसी ऑर्केस्टा” घ्या. यात जपान, चीन, भारत या देशातील पारंपरिक वाद्ये आणि जपान व फिलिपींस मधील गायन पद्धती, या सर्व सामील आहेत. त्याशिवाय या ऑर्केस्ट्रात पाश्चात्य वाद्येही आहेत. परंतु यातील मुख्य बाब अशी की यातील सर्व कलाकार आशिया खंडातील देशांचे प्रतिनिधित्व करतात.

असे आंतरसांस्कृतिक सांगीतिक प्रयोग आज इतक्या वेगाने आणि इतक्या मोठ्या प्रमाणात अनुभवायला मिळतात याचे कारण म्हणजे जगात दळणवळण व संपर्क ह्याबाबतीत झालेली प्रगति. आज, जगातील कुठल्याही भागातून कलाकार इतर ठिकाणी जाऊन आपले प्रयोग करू शकतात.

इतकेच काय तर आजच्या इंटरनेटच्या जमान्यात कलाकार कधी-कधी एकमेकांना न भेटताही इंटरनेटच्या माध्यमातून आपले ध्वनिमुद्रित झालेले संगीत एकमेकांना ऐकवतात व आपले सांगीतिक प्रतिसाद मूळ संगीताच्या ध्वनिमुद्र्णावर ध्वनिमुद्रित करतात.

अर्थात, अशा प्रयोगांना आर्थिक पाठबळाची फार गरज़ असते. कलाकारांना वेगवेगळ्या देशात जाऊन आपले प्रयोग तिथल्या कलाकारांबरोबर साधणे तेवढेसे सोपे नसते. पण पाश्चात्य देशात अशा प्रयोगांसाठी आर्थिक मदत तिथल्या सरकारांकडून पुष्कळदा मिळते. या मागे काही राजकीय व काही आर्थिक धोरण असतात आणि अशा धोरणांबाबतचा इतिहासही आपण वाचतो. पूर्वी एखादा राजा आपल्या राज्यातील आर्थिक व राजकीय परिस्थितीला अनुसरून संस्कृतिला जसा आश्रय द्यायचा तसेच आज लोकशाहीतही दिसून येते. जागतिकीकरणामुळे जगातील वेगवेगळ्या देशात आपली आर्थिक मजल पोहोचवण्यासाठी खटाटोप करणारे अमेरिका, ब्रिटन वगैरे देश, हे या धोरणाच्या अनुषंगाने त्या-त्या देशात आपले सांस्कृतिक दूत पाठवित असतात. यातच संगीतकाराचाही समावेश असतो. अशा गोष्टींसाठी या देशातील सरकारे आर्थिक मदत करायलाही तयार असतात. काही वेळा, आपल्या देशात ‘मल्टीकल्चरलिझम’ला प्रोत्साहन देत आहोत हे दर्शवण्याहसाठीही ह्या देशातील सरकारे आंतरसांस्कृतिक सांगीतिक प्रयोगांना पाठिंबा देतात.

अशा प्रयोगांना आणखी एक आश्रय काही रेकॉर्ड लेबलही देतात. त्यातही त्यांचा आर्थिक फायदा कुठे आणि कसा होईल या गोष्टींवर त्यांचा आश्रय अवलंबून असतो.

या सर्व मुद्यांबद्दल येथे विस्ताराने माहिती देणे शक्य नाही. या संगीतबाध कारणांमुळे फ्युजन म्युझिकचे प्रयोग काही वेळा फार खोलवर न जाता, अगदी पुसट असे ऐकण्यात येतात. आर्थिक आश्रय असणे महत्वाचे आहे, पण तितकेच मह्त्वाचे किंबहुना त्याहूनही जास्त महत्वाचे म्हणजे कलाकारांची सृजनात्मक ओढ आणि एकमेकांच्या संगीत पद्धतींना खोलवर जाणून घेण्याची इच्छा. ही इच्छा नसली की अशा प्रयोगातील संगीत खालच्या पातळीवरच राहाते आणि लगेच लोकं फ्युजनच्या सर्व प्रयोगांना ‘कनफ्युजन’ हे नाव ठेवून मोकळे होतात. ‘फ्युजन’ म्हणजे खरे तर ‘कनफ्युजन’ ही टीका आता जुनी झाली आहे आणि ह्यात काही संगीताबाबत फारशी पारख असल्यासारखे वाटत नाही. काही प्रयोग चांगले वाटले नाही म्हणून संपूर्ण संगीताच्या प्रकाराला नावं ठेवणे कितपत जबाबदारीचे आहे ह्याचा प्रत्येकाने विचार करणे आवश्यक आहे.

तरी, एवढे खरे की आंतरसांकृतिक सांगीतिक प्रयोग नेहमीच कलाकारांकडून होतात असे नाही. त्यात इतरही गोष्टी समाविष्ट असतात. त्या संगीत प्रेमी जनतेलाच काय, तर कधी-कधी कलाकारांनाही ठाऊक नसतात.

फ्युजन म्युझिकचे प्रयोग केव्हा चांगले ठरतात याचे उत्तर ठामपणे सांगता येणार नाही. फ्युजन म्युझिकच काय तर पारंपरिक संगीतही आपले उद्देश साध्य करेल की नाही हे कुणालाच सांगता येणार नाही. पण एवढी खात्री बाळगणे चुकीचे ठरणार नाही की संगीत – पारंपरिक असो वा फ्यूजन असो, यात कलाकारांत निष्ठा असणे अत्यावश्यक आहे. निष्ठेचा एक मुख्य अर्थ असा की संगीत प्रयोगात कलाकारांनी स्वतःला वाहून घेतले पाहिजे आणि कार्यक्रमाची किंवा इतर आर्थिक लाभाची काळजी करता कामा नये. अशा परिस्थितीत समाजाचे आणि सरकारचे कर्तव्य हे ठरते की अशा प्रयोगांना उघडपणे आश्रय दिला पाहिजे, मग त्यातून कार्यक्रम किंवा ध्वनिमुद्र्ण लोकांसमोर येवो की न येवो. ह्याशिवाय अशा प्रयोगांची आवड असणार्‍या कलाकारांना पाहिजे तसा वाव मिळणार नाही.
अशाच एका प्रयोगात गेल्या दोनएक वर्षांपासून माझा सहभाग आहे. त्याचा इथे थोडक्यात उल्लेख करून हा लेख आवरता घेतो.
2002 साली जर्मनीत स्थाइक झालेले पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त संगीताचे प्रख्यात रचनाकार संदीप भगवती यांनी काही भारतीय गायक-वादक कलाकारांबरोबर संपर्क साधला. आतापर्यंत झालेल्या भारत-पाश्चात्य संगीत प्रयोगात, पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त कलाकारांचा समावेश कमी प्रमाणात होता. त्याचबरोबर, दोन्ही बाजूचे कलाकार एकमेकांच्या संगीताची प्रचलित स्थिती जाणत नाहीत, असे भगवतींना वाटले. ही तफावत दूर करण्याकरीता या दोन्ही कलाकारात वेगळ्या प्रकारचे संगीताचे प्रयोग व्हावे यासाठी भगवती यांनी संपूर्ण वर्ष अथांग परिश्रम केले. भारतातील सहा कलाकारांना जर्मनीत येण्याचे निमंत्रण मिळाले (डॉ. अशोक दा. रानडे, ध्रुब घोष, उदय बवालकर, शुभा मुदगल, गणेश आनंदन आणि अनीश प्रधान). तत्पूर्वी फ्रॅंकफर्ट येथील ‘आनसाम्बल मॉडर्न’ या नावाजलेलल्या ऑर्केस्ट्रातील काही सदस्य मुंबईला आले व या भारतीय कलाकारांशी त्यांची चर्चा झाली. त्यानंतर भगवती यांनी भारतीय कलाकारांना विसाव्या शतकातील पाश्चात्य शास्त्रोक्त संगीत रचनेबद्दल व नवीन नोटेशन पद्धतींबद्दल माहिती दिली. पुढे, भारतीय कलाकारांना रचनाकार व गायक-वादक म्हणून जर्मनीहून आमंत्रण आले. आनसाम्बल मॉडर्नच्या इतर सदस्यांबरोबर स्वतःच्या रचनांचा रियाज़ झाला व भगवतींच्या देखरेखीखाली या रचना पाश्चात्य नोटेशन पद्धतीत लिहिल्या गेल्या. शेवटी आणखी सहा महिन्यांनी (ऑक्टोबर 2003) या प्रयोगातील तयार झालेल्या रचनांचा कार्यक्रम बर्लिन येथे झाला. वर्षभर प्रयोगाला आर्थिक पाठबळ बर्लिनच्या हौस ऑफ वर्ल्ड कल्चर्स यांनी पुरविले.

ह्या प्रयोगाचे पुढचे पाऊल जुलै 2006 मध्ये जर्मनीत पुन्हा कार्यक्रमाच्या स्वरूपात पडले व आता ऑक्टोबर महिन्यात तिसरा टप्पा पार पडेल. या प्रयोगातील तयार झालेल्या रचना सांगीतिक रित्या किती उच्च दर्ज्याच्या आहेत किंवा त्यांना जाणकारांचा काय प्रतिसाद मिळेल हे काही काळ गेल्यानंतरच कळेल. परंतु या प्रयोगाला दोन्ही पद्ध्ती जोपासणार्‍या कलाकारांनी निष्ठेने स्वीकारले, एकमेकांच्या सांगीतिक मूल्यांबद्दल सखोल विचार केला आणि वेगवेगळ्या पातळींवर देवाण-घेवाण झाली हे तेवढेच खरे.

अशा आणि या सारख्या इतर प्रयोगांमुळे भारतीय पारंपरिक संगीतावर नेमका काय परिणाम होईल हे सांगणे तितकेसे सोपे नाही. काही काळ ओलांडल्या शिवाय आपण या प्रयोगांचे निष्पक्ष रीतीने निरुपण करु शकणार नाही. पण ह्या प्रयोगांमुळे काही कलाकारांची मने व सांगीतिक विचार बदलले किंवा मोकळे झाले यात काही शंका नाही. ही मोकळीक केवढ्या प्रमाणात वाढू शकेल ह्याची प्रचिती आपल्याला काही काळ गेल्या नंतरच येईल.

Who is instrumental?

Aneesh — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:15:08 +0000

Published in DNA April, 2007

One has noticed the odd article or news item in the recent past drawing the reader’s attention to musicians patenting their inventions. Some musicians have also made it a point to include such information in their bio-sketches, a move prompted more by the need to ‘safeguard’ against any contrary claims from others in the fraternity than by any business motives. While this may even be an inevitable ramification of the professionalism that a global economy demands, one can’t ignore the fact that it would have been impossible for musicians to construct new instruments or make structural changes in existing instruments without vital contribution from instrument-makers.

Admittedly, the extent of the instrument-makers’ role depends upon the nature of the innovation desired. Lessening or increasing the number of sympathetic strings would require a different level of expertise than would be demanded of the instrument-maker when experimenting with a completely new body for the instrument. Then again, some innovations would perhaps require a more physical but less intellectual role, but others may require a high degree of sensitivity about tonal variation and tuning.

Whatever be the case, it is quite clear that instrument-makers have played a crucial role in crafting Indian instruments. It is well-known among musicians that instrument-makers have at various points of time suggested or made alterations to instruments in a bid to achieving better sound and making instruments more amenable to the needs of musicians. In most cases, they have not articulated their role in this regard, but this does not in any way lessen its significance. This is obvious from the fact that certain manufacturing peculiarities have made the makers’ names inseparable from some instruments. Take the case of Hiren Roy’s sitars, Hemen Sen’s sarods, Limaye’s flutes, Vishnu Sutar’s tablas or the Mirajkar tanpuras. One has to only do a Google search on some of these names or read through the Indian music newsgroups on the net, to find the avid interest among musicians and students in good quality instruments crafted by these instrument makers.

In sharp contrast, while awards for instrument-makers have been instituted through non-government organisations, they still remain far from the limelight that performers enjoy. One has yet to come across important awards at the national level going to instrument-makers. Far from them making zillions out of the business, they are even discouraging their progeny from taking to the same vocation. In cases where there is no conscious effort at discouragement, the next generation has chosen to steer clear of this vocation and to pursue more steady means of supporting themselves.

We need to take a cue from this state of affairs and discuss possible ways of recognising the contribution of instrument-makers, which they so richly deserve. We can continue writing about the need to patent innovations and inventions, but we need to equally make sure that instrument-makers are made partners in the process. They will retain their importance, so long as acoustic hand-crafted instruments are the mainstay of Indian music. But discussions need to be held with instrument-makers, to evolve ways in which their work can move a step further from looking at short-term benefits to a more professionally managed business that would make it a more attractive proposition for the next generation.

Hindustani music finds a ‘rudali’

Aneesh — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:27:44 +0000

An Open Letter to the Outlook Magazine in response to its cover story for the September 25, 2006 issue.

Congratulations on striking the death knell for Hindustani classical music! One can’t quite remember the last time that Outlook did a cover story or a feature on classical music, but I am happy that you have chosen to don the role of the ‘rudali’ in the absence of anything else.

On a more serious note, Arindam Mukherjee’s article has left many musicians like me completely dumbfounded. He has done little to mask the lack of effort, scholarship and originality in his piece.

How long will we continue to go down the same path every time a senior musician passes away? Sure, it is an irreplaceable loss and a legacy that needs to be cherished, but it isn’t the most original of ideas to lament that the departure of a senior musician forebodes the end of Hindustani music. Here’s a request to Mukherjee and to Outlook – do come up with something more original. It pains one to read an Outlook issue that is searching high and low for possible story angles, even if it amounts to creating a ghost out of a living tradition.

Less said the better about the level of scholarship that Mukherjee’s article exhibits. It need hardly be said that traditions do not exist solely because of the acts of single individuals, but because of a variety of circumstances that are of far greater consequence. Merely listing the country’s best known Hindustani musicians and their prominent disciples and heirs, makes a mockery of a rich tradition. It has been well over a century of ups and downs, of tireless efforts on the part of many that have led to Hindustani music becoming a more democratised space. Amateurs took to learning and performing this music after much resistance from several quarters and we finally reached a stage when people from outside families of hereditary musicians took to music as a profession. The Hindustani music tradition is not and never was dependant upon the continuance of ‘dynasties’ of musicians, as Mukherjee would have us believe. Individuals come and go; geniuses sense the pulse of the moment and take a leap forward leading the rest of society. But culture is the result of several social, economic and political forces acting at many levels. Indeed, there are problems that pervade Hindustani music and many other traditional arts in the country, but to portray the absence of ‘heirs’ to the maestros as the core issue is an absurdity.

Mukherjee has elicited the typical one-line quick-fix statements from maestros who have trained several students. Agreed, that these students may not be performing at the best-known venues and music festivals at home and abroad, but with a bit of effort on his part, Mukherjee could have spoken to these disciples to learn more about their reality. He would have then been able to get a better idea of what ails the Hindustani music tradition. And even this would be only a part of the answer. For a more complete picture to emerge, one would have to step out of one’s tearing schedule of meeting deadlines and creating a sensation out of a non-issue. By doing so, Mukherjee would even be able to access positive occurrences within the tradition. He would then realize that young people continue to take to learning and performing; that an essentially oral tradition continues to exist and prosper when the scholastic tradition also moves in tandem – one has only to study the recent researches in Hindustani music carried out by scholars; that the tradition has senior representatives other than the more identifiable ones and that the former also contribute by training young disciples.

For the next time that Outlook and Mukherjee wish to do a story on Hindustani music – hopefully, before the demise of another senior musician – here are a few pointers from an insider to the tradition.

You could look at the positive aspects mentioned earlier. Please don’t have huge photographs of young musicians and bits from their biodatas and another string of one-line statements from them. Please, please exercise your imagination just this once.

And if you are wishing to highlight problems, you could examine the relevance and status of Hindustani music in society, look closely at the ‘business’ aspect of music-making, or discuss the aesthetic perceptions of musicians today.

DJ Divine

Aneesh — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:59:34 +0000

It is well over a century since Maharashtra first saw the public celebration of the Ganesh festival or what is more commonly called Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. The use of these public festivities as a political weapon by Lokmanya Tilak during the colonial period is a well-known fact. But it would be relevant to remember at this point that these celebrations always featured music performances and other events of a high intellectual order.

Eminent vocalist Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale performed every year during the Brahman Sabha Ganpati celebrations, and his disciple Krishnarao Phulambrikar, more popularly known as Master Krishnarao, was also invited to sing at the celebrations held at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Other vocalists like Vinayakrao Patwardhan and Narayanrao Vyas also performed at Sarvajanik Ganeshotsavs. Importantly, these Ganeshotsavs also gave an opportunity to amateur performers.

Evidently, the association of the deity Ganesh with Indian performing arts has been a long one. He is propitiated before undertaking a new project or performance, and qualities that the god is said to embody are featured in performance repertoire like Ganesh vandana (invocation) or Ganesh paran (a special composition for pakhawaj/tabla solo repertoire).

Why then is it that we only seem to hear perfunctory aartis today that soon give way to the Top Ten Bollywood numbers? While record labels compete with each other to release the latest Ganpati bhajans just before Ganesh Chaturthi, they seem to be blissfully unaware of traditional repertoire that lies unexplored and that faces near extinction.

Is this not yet another sign of the times we live in, where diversity in music and other walks of life is facing a serious threat? Amidst all the celebrations, do we not need to give adequate attention to this aspect? In a culture that has had different kinds of music associated with various stages of human life, do we now stand as mute witnesses and allow Bollywood music and dance to take over every aspect of our lives?

To the mind of a rationalist, it may matter little whether the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav celebrations feature a classical performance or DJ nite, but if truly concerned about preserving the diversity of Indian culture, even the rationalist will need to take a stand on issues such as these.

Confluence of musical streams

Aneesh — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 08:27:31 +0000

This is an unedited version of a piece that was published in the DNA, July 1, 2006

The need to articulate musical concepts related to technique, repertoire and more, has been an ongoing pursuit for many scholars of Hindustani music. The introduction of the print medium in India, enabled scholars, other intellectuals and musicians to communicate music-related material to the music loving public since the nineteenth century. But there has been a palpable divide between the scholastic and performing streams of Hindustani music with practitioners of both viewing each other with suspicion and antagonism.

In such an atmosphere, the contribution of eminent scholar-musician Dr. Ashok Ranade assumes special significance, as he has successfully brought together the two streams through his writings in English and Marathi, and through related work spanning over three decades. He has maintained consistently that performers have always theorized, but that they must now articulate these concepts, particularly so if they believe others do a shoddy job of it!

His own training in vocal music with learned musicians belonging to diverse styles, and his research in folk and other forms of music have made him a proud inheritor of a rich and large body of knowledge. This strong foundation and his incessant inquiry into the nuances of the performing and scholastic traditions, has led Dr. Ranade to make one of the most seminal contributions to the world of Indian music in the form of his latest publication Music-contexts: A Concise Dictionary of Hindustani Music. The work defines and records a host of technical terms related to repertoire, performance practice, and specific occasions that occur in the musicians’ milieu. It also provides the reader with etymological details. But above all, it demystifies North Indian music by moving away from the conventional adjectival approach that most other endeavours of this nature have adopted in the past.

Addressing the heterogeneous nature of Indian music, Dr. Ranade has always spoken in favour of breaking down preconceived hierarchies and barriers within musical categories and genres. His writings on folk music, theatre music and Hindi film music substantiate his claim and his forthcoming publication entitled Hindi Film Song: Music without Boundaries promises to be a real treat for music lovers in this context.

A staunch believer in the inseparable relationship between the practice and theory of music, Dr. Ranade has not restricted himself to writing on music and theatre. He has lent his expertise to composition for film, theatre, and art music. His thematic concerts, workshops and lectures are a sheer treat to students of music and theatre and performers like me. The incisive interviews he conducted with many notable musicians during the days of black and white television are still fresh in my memory.

One of India’s pioneer ethnomusicologists, Dr. Ranade’s perceptive vision has given definite shape to several important institutions in the country, which have in turn benefited students of music in a major way. Feted by several prestigious non-government organizations in India and abroad, Dr. Ranade continues to work tirelessly to disseminate information related to Hindustani music in all its splendour.

Shobha Gurtu

Aneesh — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:12:41 +0000

This is an unedited version of an article that appeared in the Tehelka, October 9, 2004

Yesterday, we lost one of India’s finest voices. Yesterday, another window into the past was shut on us. Yesterday, I lost Shobhatai – more familiar to music lovers as Shobha Gurtu, the 79 year old thumri exponent who left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of innumerable fans.

As a child, I heard Shobha Gurtu on television, and found myself immediately caught under the magic spell of her voice. Little did I know then that I would have the opportunity of accompanying Shobhatai on the tabla for well over a decade – an association that went well beyond a mere professional arrangement between a main artiste and an accompanying musician. I feel privileged to have been permitted entry into a space that is normally reserved for close family. But this would not have been so, had it not been for Shobhatai’s open-hearted manner, her ability to cross-over and connect with those several years her junior, in age and experience. It was perhaps this very quality that engaged her listeners across generations.

In many ways, Shobhatai remained a child at heart often remembering her childhood days. Though born in Belgaum, she would narrate anecdotes of her early initiation into music in Kolhapur where her mother learnt from Ustad Bhurji Khan, the youngest son of Ustad Alladiya Khan (founder of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana). As a young girl, Shobhatai had a keen observation and could mimic compositions and other musical material that her mother was being taught. She soon became a favourite with Ustad Bhurji Khansaheb’s family and spent long hours in their company. Later, the Jaipur-Atrauli tie was strengthened when she studied with Ustad Alladiya Khan’s nephew Ustad Natthan Khan. But her musicianship flowered under the guidance of Ustad Ghamman Khan, who had been engaged to teach her mother thumri-dadra and allied forms. Ustad Ghamman Khan also taught young Shobha these forms during his stay with the family in Mumbai. After her marriage, Shobhatai received guidance from her father-in-law Narayannath Gurtu, a highly-placed officer in the Belgaum police force but a sitar player by passion.

Given the various musical streams that had influenced Shobhatai in her formative years, it was left to her to make sense of it all and develop a style that was unique to her. While focusing her attention on thumri-dadra, chaiti, kajri, and such other forms, she intelligently introduced in her thumri singing, taan (fast melodic passages) patterns and glimpses of jod ragas (compound ragas) like Basanti Kedar and achhop ragas (rare ragas) like Bahaduri Todi, which she had inherited through her Jaipur-Atrauli association. Not for a moment did this take away from the emotive aspect of her singing. In fact, her voice had an endearing quality that attracted the listeners even before she launched into a thumri. Though not a trained dancer like her mother, she would at times introduce adaa/abhinaya (gestures) to highlight a particular line from the text. While transforming herself from one singing of playful or coy Radha-Krishna dalliances to one yearning for union with the Ultimate, Shobhatai demonstrated her inimitable style of musically acting out each of these roles. This ability was seen even in the rare appearances she made as a singer for Hindi and Marathi film and non-film songs, and in the collaborative ventures heard on her son Trilok’s jazz albums.

Shobhatai’s unique style won her many fans round the world and brought her several awards, the Padma Bhushan coming as crowning glory. But despite all the public acclaim, Shobhatai remained humble right through. Her humility was evident in the manner she carried herself at concerts, interacting freely on and off the stage with accompanying musicians like eminent harmonium player Pandit Purushottam Walwalkar and me. She even looked forward to spending lighter moments with us, at times cracking jokes and at others talking about food and special recipes!

We will miss Shobhatai, but we will cherish the moments we spent with her. Her music will live with us through her recordings and through the students she trained over the years. She will long be remembered as one of the last vocalists to have specialized in and contributed to the thumri-dadra forms.

Her voice trailing off at the end of the Bhairavi bhajan with which she would often conclude her performances will continue to haunt me . . .

Saiyaan nikas gaye, main naa ladi thi raam

Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy

Aneesh — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:08:51 +0000

This is an unedited version of a piece that appeared in the Times of India, Mumbai, Februay 25, 2004

Renaming institutions to ostensibly bring back lost glory and to weed out foreign elements in Indian society has been a favourite pastime of the saffron brigade. The recent move to rechristen the Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy, Bhopal, by Anup Mishra, Minister for Culture in the Madhya Pradesh BJP Government, therefore does not come as a complete surprise (TT 7/2/2004). The move prompted by the Minister’s grand discovery of the Ustad’s so-called Bangladeshi origins, smacks of ignorance and intolerance. Classical musicians across gharanas are angered by this total disregard for the respect that Ustad Allauddin Khan commands to this day. The Minister, who happens to be the poet Prime Minister’s nephew, has obviously not bothered to check facts before making this ridiculous demand. What could have prompted this ill-informed behaviour? Is it the mad race to win more votes in the next general elections on just about any agenda, is it a craving for cheap publicity, or is it part of a more sinister plot to change history to suit a sectarian and parochial view of Indian society much in the same vein as is being done through changes being introduced in school text-books?

The Minister for Culture in his haste to turn the issue into a contentious one has got his dates wrong. Bangladesh did not exist when Ustad Allauddin Khan moved from his hometown Shibpur to Kolkata, Rampur, and thereafter to Maihar in Madhya Pradesh. It is common knowledge that many people including reputed artistes residing in erstwhile East Bengal or present-day Bangladesh, moved to West Bengal before Partition. However, Ustad Allauddin Khan migrated to Kolkata much earlier to pursue his study of music. If the Minister for Culture had only consulted with the Sangh Parivar, he would have learnt that Ustad Allauddin Khan also studied music with Habu Dutt, the brother of Swami Vivekananda. Later, the Ustad spent several decades of his life as court musician in Maihar and died there a year after the formation of Bangladesh. The issue of his being Bangladeshi is therefore redundant.

Students of music and music lovers are familiar with the monumental contribution of Ustad Allauddin Khan to the world of sarod and to Indian music. His musical legacy has been popularised by eminent disciples Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Smt. Annapurna Devi, Pandit Pannalal Ghosh, Pandit Nikhil Bannerjee, and a host of others. The Maihar Band started by Ustad Allauddin Khan, incorporating Indian and Western instruments, was a milestone in Indian ensemble music. Indeed, Ustad Allauddin Khan’s genius has placed Maihar on the global music map, a fact that the Culture Minister should have realised before launching his tirade.

And if indeed Ustad Allauddin Khan was a Bangladeshi, why was the Padma Vibhushan, one of the India’s highest civilian awards bestowed upon him? Of course, BJP leader Pramod Mahajan would lead the chorus against this honour for different reasons. For, was it not Mahajan, who publicly denounced the bestowing of these civilian awards on musicians who he chose to denigrate as gaanewalas and bajaanewalas? If Ustad Allauddin Khan was indeed some run-of-the-mill “gayak” as the Minister for Culture chooses to describe him, why did the government issue a stamp commemorating the Ustad in 1999?

Ustad Allauddin Khan does not need certificates to prove his Indianness from anyone, much less from the Minister for Culture in the Madhya Pradesh government. Quite clearly, the Ustad’s deep respect for Islam and Hinduism prevented the Minister from playing the communal card. The Minister has for some inexplicable reason remembered the musical worth of Tansen and now wants the Academy to be renamed as Tansen Academy. One wonders whether we will continue to be mute witnesses when the Minister informs us in the years to come that even Tansen is not to be regarded Indian, because of his purported conversion to Islam and because of his service in the Mughal durbar.

Culture policy

Aneesh — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 07:58:43 +0000

This is an unedited version of a piece that appeared in the DNA, Mumbai, February 18, 2006

Come January and arts’ circles are abuzz with rumours about possible Padma awardees. Not before long, hopes and anxieties are met or put to rest, when the headlines carry the final list of awardees. And the government makes its ‘commitment’ to the arts evident to the people of this country by way of yet another of these token gestures.

Looking back though, one finds that national leaders in the past had shown a greater concern for the arts. Classical or art music was supported during colonial rule by sections of the Indian intellectual elite. This patronage was inspired by a larger agenda of bolstering symbols of national cultural identity that had stood the test of time and that could portray a rich heritage to counter the colonial racial antagonism. Classical music became a symbol of the nascent national consciousness that rose against colonial rule. Not surprisingly then, Dadabhai Naoroji, the ‘Grand Old Man of India’, frequently advised the Parsi Gayan Uttejak Mandali, perhaps the first formal music club in Mumbai. He was later made President of this club and held this office between the years 1885 and 1890. While it is not certain from available writings, whether Naoroji was an ardent admirer of Indian music, it is clear that his acceptance of this position was a tacit approval of the Mandali’s musical activities. The Mandali promoted music performance and education among families among amateurs, at a time when these activities were the sole preserve of hereditary musicians and courtesans. That these families of musicians and courtesans had to bear the brunt of social stigma from some sections of society, is another issue and one that would demand a separate discussion.

But going further, enlightened intellectuals like the eminent jurist K.T. Telang and the scholar R.G. Bhandarkar took to learning music from the reputed vocalist Balkrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar, who had trained in the Gwalior gayaki and resided in Mumbai at the time.

Moving on to the twentieth century, leaders like Lala Lajpatrai were admirers of vocalist and educationist Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, who set up the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore to promote music education and popularize the art. Later, Paluskar moved the headquarters of the school to Mumbai and Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sarojini Naidu, Lokmanya Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi visited the vidyalaya premises on various occasions.

The importance given by national leaders to music in their personal lives will remain a mystery, but one can get faint glimpses from scattered references, naturally at the cost of these being biased. M.R. Jayakar, a noted barrister and music lover, notes in his autobiography that he did not find many keen music lovers among the Congress leaders, other than Chittaranjan Das and Rangaswami Iyengar, though Mahatma Gandhi on occasions had shared with him his desire to enjoy music at Jayakar’s hometown.

Though the latter did not happen, it is equally true that Gandhi spoke in favour of music education and the need to make music a part of one’s life. Gandhi’s insistence on making music a part of everyday life was influenced greatly by his urge to spiritually awaken the masses, and to that extent therefore, did not directly concern the promotion of music per se. Consequently, he stated, “It is sad that the study of music is generally neglected in our country today. Without it, the entire educational system seems to me to be incomplete . . . Music pacifies anger and its judicious use is highly helpful in leading a man to the vision of God”. (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol.37, p.2). In pursuance of his ideal, he requested Paluskar to send a good musician to Ahmedabad for setting the Sabarmati ashram bhajans to music. Paluskar sent his disciple Narayan Moreshwar Khare, who set several bhajans to tune and these were published without notation in a compilation entitled Ashram Bhajanavali. Khare became an inseparable part of the ashram and was one of the prominent figures who accompanied Gandhi during the Dandi March.

Even later, the correspondence between some Congress leaders shows at times, a concern for the quality of music and its dissemination. In a letter to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Interim Government, Maulana Azad sent his comments on music broadcasts on the All India Radio. He stated, “You perhaps do not know that I have always taken a keen interest in Indian music and at one time practiced it myself. It has, therefore, been a shock to me to find that the standard of music of All India Radio broadcast is extremely poor. I have always felt that All India Radio should set the standard in Indian music and lead to its continual improvement. Instead, the present programmes have an opposite effect and lead one to suspect that the artistes are sometimes chosen not on grounds of merit.” (The Selected Works of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: Vol.III–1947-48, p.28). Coming from a senior leader, this would seem quite out of place in the current scheme of things, where leaders at the highest level are far removed from the ground reality or then choose to simply neglect it. The present state of music on the government broadcasting networks is abysmally low, what with the sharp decline in recordings and a constant need felt to raise TRP ratings in the face of competition from private networks. That innovative programming can possibly raise TRP ratings is something that has perhaps not occurred to the bureaucracy and to those in power. Meanwhile, artistes are left high and dry to locate potential sponsors for their broadcasts.

Jawaharlal Nehru also noted the importance that the arts needed to receive and it was during the Nehruvian era that the country saw the birth of cultural institutions like the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations sent delegations consisting of top-ranking artistes overseas to encourage cultural exchange between countries.

But what has become of these noble ideals? Are we to stop where we began, or do we go forward from here? I am not for a moment suggesting that nothing of value has been done in the past decades. However, we seem to lack a holistic view. Government policy cannot rest on the enlightened outlook shared by a few individuals. Also, recognition of personal talent and contribution to the arts is welcome, but cannot replace the need for a wider perspective. The governments at the Centre and the State need to look at culture policy afresh, if indeed such a policy exists. They need to come up with a policy that would be relevant to the rapidly changing situation in the country and across the world. The examples from the past indicate the role that subjects like music education and performance had to play in public discourse at the time. Naturally, reasons for laying a greater emphasis on the promotion of classical music need to be examined separately. But for now, we could take cognizance of the lessons from history that direct us to the course that we need to take.

The Reality of the Accompanist

Aneesh — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 05:10:02 +0000

This article was first published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XLI No.21, May 27-June 2, 2006

Lakshmi Subramanian’s article (EPW, April 8-14, 2006) on the role of the accompanist in the larger aesthetic of Indian music presented a fresh look at the issue, particularly so, after the now media-sensationlised and much-hyped ‘Shanmukhananda Hall’ episode. Ironically, it took an episode of involving celebrity musicians to bring media attention to the role of the accompanist, and yet, the discussion that ensued over the next few days in leading dailies was restricted to trivia, without any attempt at understanding the dialectic in the music that has given rise to the current image of the accompanist. Moreover, public memory being what it is, the episode remains but another anecdote for music lovers and musicians to be recounted over and over again, often with added masala, completely skirting the more important issue at hand. Subramanian’s article was therefore a welcome change from all this.

Her piece focuses on the Carnatic music experience concerning the role of the accompanist since the nineteenth century. The broader framework of her argument, that of examining Carnatic performance practice and aesthetic in its social context is noteworthy, but as a tabla player interested in a similar study of Hindustani music in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, I would like to present a situation that may be at variance to the position stated by Subramanian.

It is indeed a truism that music does not take place in a social vacuum, but it is equally true that all musical trends need not always stem from the extra-musical situation. In other words, factors like patronage certainly play a role in deciding the fate of artistic expression, but they are not solely responsible for the same. Any assertion of the latter, would not only take away from the individual’s role in shaping the music, but would even paint musicians as a gullible bunch of performers, willing to be pushed any which way if only for a bit of patronage. Meaning no disrespect to listeners, vocal compositions on the intelligence of the listeners or the lack of it are proof enough of the musical ingenuity of the performer!

As with most things related to the oral tradition in India, the evolution of musical forms and the reasons for the rise and decline in popularity of instruments are aspects often shrouded in mystery. The lack of documentary proof and the prevalence of anecdotal references that are often tailored to suit the narrator’s purpose have made these aspects a problematic area of examination and analysis. Even so, we can attempt at assessing the logic supporting phrases like “Uttam gaanaa, madhyam bajaanaa” – phrases that have been used in common parlance among Hindustani musicians.

Instruments in Hindustani music are used today in two formats – solo and accompaniment. Until the eighteenth century, they were primarily used to accompany the dhrupad form. The decline of dhrupad and the rising popularity of khayal and thumri, relegated the pakhawaj and been, rhythmic and melodic accompanying instruments to dhrupad, to the background. Conversely, this led to the rise of tabla and sarangi, the rhythmic and melodic accompanying instruments to khayal and thumri.

The aesthetic basis of khayal and thumri was significantly different from that of dhrupad, though all three forms adhered to the raag-taal paradigm in varying degrees. This basis manifested itself in khayal through the vistaar or free-flowing melodic elaboration with percussion accompaniment. Earlier, dhrupad had free-flowing melodic exposition of the raag in the form of an aalaap or a long prelude to the composition. The elaboration of the composition was largely rhythm-bound, allowing and even demanding an anticipatory role from the pakhawaj player. Thus, the dialogue between the singer and the percussionist was more overt and mathematical, interestingly, much in the same vein as the current Carnatic music aesthetic.

There were different styles of khayal, some of which were more influenced by the dhrupad framework, and yet the emphasis on free-flowing melody with percussion accompaniment was quite evident. Consequently, the demands placed on the role of the percussionist in this musical dialogue were different from those in the dhrupad form. The need for a uniform rhythmic canvas was important for this free-flowing melodic exposition. This had nothing to do with the presentation of a new ‘streamlined’ performance, nor does one come across a discourse among music-lovers, critics and scholars to this effect. It had nothing to do with making the performance a more accessible musical experience for the listener. It had more to do with the specific requirements of the musical form.

It is well-known that certain Indian intellectuals influenced by a Victorian sense of morality labeling of women singer-dancers as being a ‘debauched’ lot led to the social stigmatization of these performers and by the same token of musicians in general, many of whom were associated with them as teachers or accompanists. The shoddy treatment meted out to tabla and sarangi players even among the community of musicians was also due primarily to the condescending attitude towards thumri and its practitioners. But this did not in any way tell upon the importance of tabla in a thumri performance. In the latter case, dance played an important part of the rendition, with the result that the tabla player had to reproduce, anticipate and suggest rhythmic passages that were in tandem with the singer-dancer’s footwork. This section known as laggi or laggi-chanti was once again a requirement of the form. In fact, it became such an inseparable part of thumri that even when the dance element was removed from thumri, laggi continued to be played at the tail end of the vocal rendition to bring about a climax.

Concomittantly, changes in the construction of instruments like the sitar and sarod, and the creative genius of some musicians enabled some instruments to move out of their conventional roles like providing accompaniment to vocal music. They established a solo status for themselves and developed repertoire that was specific to instrumental solo performance and in some ways different from the older dhrupad-based treatment. Similarly, tabla players built on the language of their instruments and developed solo repertoire involving special forms that were influenced by pakhawaj repertoire and other percussion instruments used in folk music. Undoubtedly, these changes would not have been possible without the patronage they received, but it would be difficult to map a direct correlation between patronage and other extra-musical factors on the one hand, and the larger aesthetic on the other.

Also, the foregrounding of one performer from amongst the ensemble in Hindustani music has been and is as much due to the peculiar nature of the music as to the professional arrangement between soloist and accompanists. Musical decisions of performance repertoire and general presentation may be taken by the performers if they consider themselves members of a team, but those of pitch and instant tempo changes are and have been the prerogative of the soloist. This does not have anything to do with the status of the accompanist. The social status of the accompanist is in fact determined by extraneous factors like the ratio and mode of distributing fees (in most cases, even to this day, payments are made directly to the main performer by the patron – whether corporate, government, or individual patron), or the publicity of the event (it is not uncommon to find huge advertisements with no mention of the accompanists). This in turn colours the manner in which the accompanist is regarded by the general public, though musically the accompanist in many cases contributes much to the performance and is equally free to do so without any reproach on the part of the main performer. Of course, there are those who feel threatened if the accompanist plays well and also receives applause from the audience, but that is something that does not even merit mention here.

We also need to take note of the fact that the early recordings of Hindustani music whether from the acoustic or electrical eras, used a single microphone, with the result that the main performer was seated closest to the device and the rest of the ensemble sat behind him or her. The muffled sound of the accompaniment on these recordings, does not therefore represent the nature of the accompaniment in those times, and if at all only projects it as a secondary entity in the entire performance. The disc jackets then and the CD covers even to this day rarely mention the accompanists’ names prominently. Once again, these circumstances do not take away from the music or do not determine the nature of the accompaniment or the musical relation between the main performer and the accompanists.

Clearly, the musical reality is not always commensurate with the social and economic reality. The flip side of the argument also needs to be discussed briefly. There are times when lovers of Hindustani music swear by the music they had heard several decades ago, when the accompaniment was ostensibly less ‘noisy’ or when the tabla player did not ‘play the song’ on the instrument (meaning thereby that the tabla player did not anticipate the melody and text and reproduce it on the instrument – an element that is considered by many old-timers as a device only to cater to uninformed listeners). Similarly, there are many who believe that the recognition tabla has received in the West in a variety of musical situations, has harmed the general tone of an art music concert, with the tabla player either straying into musical areas that are not customary for Hindustani art music or with him or her demanding louder amplification. Leaving aside the subjectivity of such opinions, if indeed this freedom to place demands on the amplification and the music is considered an indication of the rising social status of the accompanists, then nothing could be further from the truth. The attention is still focused on the main performer, though the accompanists may contribute equally in heightening the musical experience of the listener.

The musical inputs of the accompanists in Hindustani music may often be driven by the need to making a personal display of their talents, but there is no denying the fact that the inner dynamic of the musical forms also demands such inputs. Such inputs may be guided by a need to cater to a larger and diverse audience, but this is not a ground rule. While some accompanists may gain popularity due to their talent, their status as accompanists does not always change to their benefit.

Finally, one also needs to remember that in the performance context, musicians often take spot decisions based on the relation they share with their co-artistes. Today, the status or level of expertise of a tabla player is often judged by his or her ability to render solo passages while accompanying a vocalist or instrumentalist. However, the aesthetic involved in accompanying Hindustani music has a much deeper intent and may involve but is not necessarily restricted to solo passages. Even the most understated accompaniment can enhance the beauty of the performance, and once again, this is a decision that is not always guided by extraneous factors.