There is a lot of discussion on the 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax imposed on musical instruments of Western origin. By an unfortunate quirk of decision making, this will include the violin but not the harmonium. While the lawmakers certainly saw some logic in doing this, I wonder if they realised that the antecedents of the modern violin actually lie in the humbler and yet unquestionably subcontinental ‘Ravanahatha,’ a stringed ancient violin played with a bow? Or that the harmonium is an 18th Century creation of Alexander Debain in France, and later imported to the subcontinent? Or for that matter, that the piano itself is a combination of various influences including that of the antique dulcimer (the same parent as the santoor), and the harp (which is also an instrument that was common in the ancient trading world and found even in Southern India!).
More than the law itself, it was the reactions to it on social media that intrigued me. There were passionate cries of “Western instruments have no place here” or its equivalent. The irony of expressing this in English and on a technology platform did not escape me. However, some misperceptions needed to be corrected and hence the factoids mentioned above. This idea of ‘truly Indian’ and ‘truly Western’ is fraught with dubious origins and mixed histories in many cases. The correct approach is to look at the educational and holistic benefits of instrumental learning for children and adults and review the tax slabs rather than get into bigotry.
Role of social media
Which brings us to another discussion on the medium itself. Social media has created an alternative reality and platform in itself. Through their considerable might, social media platforms have unearthed a plethora of musical talent. YouTube sensations are now making it into mainstream festivals and events and new combinations of voices and instruments abound. It is amusing to see some of the quirkier hashtags that accompany these videos (one read #CarnaticMadeCool while another read #StickItToTheMan #WhoCaresAboutSabhas) and for some reason also espoused anti-establishment views. History seems to have been conveniently sidestepped (which is no wonder in an era where we get WhatsApp forwards that ask “did you know that there is such a thing as the Indian Constitution?”), and I am almost tempted to agree with Mr. Mathrubhootham in his glum prognosis of the millennials!!
Long before the advent of ‘cover’ videos and ‘Pop Up Art’ to ‘make Carnatic cool’, there were bilateral influences in classical music forms. While Baluswami Dikshitar and the violin are famous examples of the Western influences on Indian music, less known and perhaps under-emphasised in history were the influences Indian classical music had on Western composers. These were global musical giants who, like most original inventors, were shorn of any cultural bias or closed mindedness. Gustav Holst (English composer, 1874-1934) was deeply influenced by Indian mythology, as is evident in the musical structure and compositional form of his 1911 Rig Veda Hymns, his operas ‘Sita’ and ‘Savitri’ and a host of other pieces; while Claude Debussy (1862-1918) uses Hindustani classical motifs after an encounter with Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), a North Indian classical music scholar and Sufi mystic (apart from being the great-great grandson of Tipu Sultan). There were others too, including Georges Bizet and minor composers and performers including Maurice Delage (1879-1961) who travelled to South India and studied the Carnatic form before going on to compose his famous Ragamalika for prepared piano.
Almost all art is by nature syncretic, and has always used multicultural influences. Attempting to impose nationalistic discourse on art, artistes and instruments is fraught with dangers of misunderstanding and needless differentiation. Further, the idea of synthesising different influences (musical or otherwise) is not new, and has been in vogue forever. Technology perhaps makes proliferation easier, but it does not wipe history away. Getting ourselves into knots over perceived cross cultural infiltration maybe a bad idea without assessing things in perspective, and perhaps delving a bit into history.
The author is a well-known pianist and music educator based in Chennai
