“I just went full blast like I would go anywhere”
It was a totally different experience for people in Jaffna last Sunday as Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, the first musician of note from India in nearly three decades, enthralled the audience for two hours and fifty minutes. The Veerasingham Hall was packed to capacity as the veteran rendered one composition after another leaving the listeners spellbound, barely 10 hours after a back-breaking, 12-hour bus ride from Colombo.
Over the next few days, he had equally mesmerised different audiences at the Central College, Kilinochchi, and the Urban Council Hall, Vavuniya.
“In Jaffna, I sang as I would sing in Chennai. I sang the raagam, thanam, pallavi … the works. The reception was fabulous. I was initially not sure how many people will stay back till late evening, till around 8.45 p.m. … Jaffna was the heaviest of the three concerts. I just went full blast like I would go anywhere … There was a lot of enthusiasm in all three places,” he said. Comparing that with his concert in Colombo in 2010 (in memory of Neelan Thiruchelvam), he said the Colombo and Jaffna experiences were “pretty similar.”
Krishna was impressed by the fact that the Music School in Jaffna (Ramanathan Academy) was fully functional and discussed with Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha how the school could be developed further. “When I went there, there were 200 students in that hall. They were like students in any other music school — same level of enthusiasm, happiness … Developing that institution to a world-class one is something we should do. Because the institution has a history [Maharajapuram Santhanam headed the institution till the early 1980s] … If there is any way in which, we in India can also work with people here to build this institution, it will be great,” he said.
Krishna wanted to clarify that this support should not be viewed from a political standpoint. “This is about the people, and preserving their cultural moorings. People everywhere should support this.”
Emphasising the need to nurture talent because an institution was not merely “instruments, tables, chairs and buildings,” he said that now, once students reached a certain level of proficiency, they could not go any further. This was because neither the teacher nor the student could manage the exposure required to reach the next higher level. “So we have to create special programmes that can support this institution and the students,” he said. He was willing to work with the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities on this.
Hub of culture
Jaffna can regain its stature as a hub of culture with the right inputs to institutions like the Academy, he said. The optimist in him sees the future thus: 15 years from now, like in the 1930s, musicians from India will travel and perform in Jaffna. “I hope we get world-class musicians from Jaffna,” Krishna said.
Congrats TM Krishna for bringing a healing touch to the Citizens of Jaffna through his music concert.I hope many such events take place not only in Jaffna but also in Other Tamil areas so that people get some healing through music after more than 3 decades of war there .
Dear Mr. Krishna, it is wonderful on your part for having taken the initiative to entertain the music lovers of Sri Lanka. Such cultural exchanges are the need of the hour not only in Sri Lanka but also as regards our relationship with Pakistan. The civil society, media, musicians, Bollywood & Kollywood artists and the NGOs are all to be involved in endeavors to bridge the differences between our nations. All of South Asia is bound by common cultural heritage and this should the springboard to normalize relations among all our brothers and sisters in this part of the world.
Correction: Shri Maharajapuram Santhanam was in Jaffna as the the Principal of the Ramanathan college of music between 1960 - 67
Who told T.M.Krishna that Maharajapuram Santhanam headed the Ramanathan Academy in 1980s? Krishna should check proper history. Santhanam was at Jaffna in early 1960s. I should also comment on one Dev's aside relating to LTTE terrorism. The real terrorism in Jaffna occurred 50 years ago,in 1961, when the then prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike sent the military to smother the non-violent satyagraha campaign of the Federal Party led by S.J.V.Chelvanayakam. As long as the Sinhala-dominated Sri Lankan army stays in Jaffna, one cannot say that terrorism had been vanquished.
Music is a great equilizer! This once peacefull nation of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims was plagued by the mennace, the LTTE for 30 years fighting a futile politically driven war. Now that we have got rid over the war as normalcy fast returns to the country the peace move will be so much uplifted with Sinhala musicians having concerts in the North-east provinces. These concerts must be offered free as a goodwil gesture to provide a glimpse of the stuff we sri lankan are made of regarldess of whether Sinhala or Tamil.
I remember going to Jaffna in 1975 on a school excursion. It was such a coincidence that when we arrived in Jaffna that day there was a Sinhala Movie being screened in one of the theaters. "Sangeetha": I still have a vivid recollection of this movie being screened in Jaffna as the hall was "HOUSE FULL". That was the response the Sinhala movie with Vijay Kumarathunga being the main actor. Lets bring back the glory days to Jaffna!
What SMK could not do TMK will be able to do!- Yes I mean S M Krishna!
Hats off to TM Krishna, for taking the initiative & for the Organizers to conduct such a wonderful event which helps Lankan people to return back to normal life. This is another example which shows that music is the best medium to convey the message of Peace. Lets hope & wish this event is just a beginning!
In the late 70's, when there was no LTTE terrorism in Northern Sri Lanka, I recall
Sri Lankan Sinhala singing sensation during that time, Victor Ratnayake, held his
popular show "Sa" in Jaffna which became a major attraction - and due to the huge
demand by the people, this show was extended for a longer period there. The
terrorist menace of the LTTE thereafter ruined this cultural interaction. I believe that
Sinhala artistes need to return to Jaffna now that the terrorists have been eliminated
and provide the entertainment these people there are craving for.
While 36 year old T.M.Krishna was growing up in Chennai surrounded by a
family of music connoisseurs, the kids of his age in Northern SriLanka
lived their daily lives for decades immensely surrounded by gun fires,
bomb blasts and dead bodies.
As a part of bringing back people of his age in Northern Sri Lanka to
normal life, T.M. Krisna's concert is greatly appreciated.
Music can mesmerize, befriend, unite, heal, pacify, transform, elevate, allure and enchant - humans. Hence it should be not only supported but promoted at all costs.
Sri Sri Ravishankar went earlier to Sri Lanka and advocated more humanitarian aid to the Tamizh people. Now that Krishna went there as the ambassador of music, I wish the Govts of Tamil Nadu, India and Sri Lanka devote sincere efforts in funding schemes to foster culural exchanges between India and Sri
Lanka. Now is the time to nurture such cultural bonds that is traditional and historic.
I am not surprised by either the quality of TMK's concert and the response he got.It is events like these that reinforces my faith in humanity's capacity to moderate if not totally eliminate all our problems, including terrorism.The message is culture, especially music,transcends all differences arising from religion and language. My blessings to TMK so that he carries on his service sections of humanity who have gone thro' hell, like Sri Lankan Tamils.
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