‘When ego vanishes, Music becomes Divine’

November 20, 2014 07:53 pm | Updated 08:00 pm IST

N. Vijay Siva.

N. Vijay Siva.

This is the final set of questions which Carnatic vocalist N. VIJAY SIVA has answered:

The essence of Carnatic music lies within the seven notes ( Sa re ga ma pa da ne ). Who first established or conceived of the sequence and tonal position or scale of the seven notes, and when?

Nalini Parthasarathi, Chennai

It’s difficult to find an answer to this one. Possibly could have been established during the Vedic period by rishis who did ‘Sama Gana.’

Yesteryear stars such as Ariyakudi, Semmangudi, Musiri and Madurai Mani Iyer, were full-time musicians who practised and taught music with single-minded devotion. But many front ranking musicians today are chartered accountants, engineers and doctors. Does this dual act affect the quality of music?

K.A. Rajagopalan, Chennai

Single minded devotion and practice are always the best but some take up another vocation because they are unsure of the financial aspect. Eventually, most of them land up at a crossroads, succumb to the power of music and repent that they did not do so in the first place!

Are we not curtailing innovation and creativity in the name of traditional singing?

L. Rangarajan, Chennai

Our past masters, while emphasising on the importance of proper handling and handing over of tradition, also understood an artist’s urge to create. They carefully crafted avenues such as niraval, alapana and thanam. We are, therefore, expected not to treat one like the other. But who said traditional music is all about innovation, creativity, etc? I have not seen a single reference to creative music in the kritis of Trinity, Tamil Quartet or Purandaradasa (except for a comment on singing apt sangatis).

In fact, Tyagaraja has spoken against kalpanaswara singing. In the Carnatic system, creativity is a licence, not a rule, and that is why it becomes the responsibility of the practitioner to stay within safe limits. But the beauty of the system is that it allows for greatly individualistic expression even within its tight framework. An artist who has the maturity to understand this will never feel deprived or curtailed.

When does Music become Divine?

Vedantham Narayanan, Chennai

When the ego vanishes.

Please tell us about your guru, share some experiences that you had with him and the most important lesson that you learnt from him.

D.S. Rajagopalan

At the age of 10, D.K. Jayaraman tested me for two qualities -Talent and pluck. I went on to learn more of both from him.

Does adherence to patantara restrict one’s creativity? Why are vivadi ragas not so popular? The soulful touch of artists of yesteryear is missing these days. Why?

Lalitha Subramaniam, Chennai

Popularity has little to do with being vivadi or non-vivadi. Nattai and Varali are vivadi, yet popular. Organic ragas such as Ananda Bhairavi and Khambodi, which did not stem from arohana-avarohana, are widespread whereas inorganic ones such as Rishabhapriya and Naganandhini which popped out as arohana-avarohana from the permutations of swaras during 72 Melakartha formation or any other premeditation, are not. Like health watchers preferring organic products, our musical seers too focussed more on organic ragas!

Why is learning varnams so important and how does it help in manodharma?

Veena Suryanarayan, Bengaluru

Varnams help loosen up the voice and at the same time, serve capsuled inputs on the ragas in which they are created. This helps manodharma considerably.

How important is theory of music for a Carnatic musician? What’s your take on research?Is there any subject in Carnatic music that’s close to your heart?

Meena Sundaram, Chicalim, Goa

*Theory is as important to a performing musician as a dictionary is to spoken language.

*Research is always welcome.

*I am very curious to learn what are the underlying secrets of music as seen by the Trinity. Tyagaraja must have seen much of it in Swararnavam , the treatise that Narada is believed to have gifted him. This text is lost to posterity.

Do ragas with composite names such as Mohanakalyani and Kapinarayanihave their own aarohana and avarohana or do they take the aarohana/avarohana of the individual ragas such as Mohana or Kalyani in the case of Mohanakalyani or Kapi and Narayani in the second example?

Kanthimathi Ramanathan, Chennai

Let the nomenclature and classifications remain as they may. Each one is a separate entity and stands on its own. Did you notice that some of the children ragas (janyas) were born before their parents (janaka)!

Are sabhasare doing their homework to keep the quality of music as a parameter while selecting artists to perform? Whatshould be done to improve listening standards?

Madhavan Gopalarathnam, Chennai

*Like in all walks of life today, ‘home work’ is done to track and endorse quality, only to the extent that it does not affect commercial interests. It requires conviction of a rare and high order to go beyond.

*If it is about enhancing knowledge, tune in to music books, websites, lec-dems and satsangs. If it is bettering the concert atmosphere-‘no disturbance to co-rasika or artists on stage during a concert.”

(Concluded)

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