Sometimes, at a dance recital, the spotlighted left side of the stage commands our attention, the undivided kind. Usually, it is where the singer sits. Surely, we have, guiltily perhaps, stolen moments from the dancer to allow the customary, yet beautifully sung ‘Mahaganapatim’ imprint itself on our mind or be charmed by the five unexampled ways in which ‘Roopamujoochi’ could be sung. I, for one, have wondered if the voice bends to the expression in dance or the other way round.
There is little doubt that it takes years of sound training and a deep knowledge of both music and dance to be able to sing for a dancer. The question, however, is whether singing for dance is acknowledged as a separate genre, whether it is getting its due and lastly, if we truly understand what it entails.
Many vocalists, especially the ones who perform regularly at dance recitals, say that it is not recognised as a separate genre. This is partly because it is not held in high regard, they say. “There is a perception among other vocalists that singing for dance is a lesser genre. Perhaps, this opinion is because there are many restrictions in this art form and the format involves ample amount of repetition. But, what they do not realise is that within those constraints, there is so much scope for improvisation. In fact, it is a challenge to be able to sing the same line in so many different ways,” says Srikanth Gopalakrishnan.
Gomathinayagam agrees with Srikanth. “It is indeed an art to sing for dance. Singers have to go according to the dancer and each dancer is different in his or her style and rapport. Of course, there is lesser scope for manodharma in this genre but at the same time, it is not an easy task,” he explains.
Sudha Raghuraman feels that the condescending attitude is mostly prevalent in Chennai and is hardly seen in other cities. “I perform in Delhi and have not come across such a bias against dance vocalists there,” she explains.
“It was definitely worse in the past when it was considered a lesser art,”says Roshini Ganesh . “Now, things are changing but, it is still somewhere considered just an accompanying art form,” she adds.
Her sister, Randhini , feels that reviewers too do not make an attempt to refer to this as an art. “In a dance review, generally, the last line mentions the name of the singer who rendered vocal support. If one is lucky, one gets a “sang very well.” Even if it is constructive criticism, we welcome it as long as this aspect of the concert too is given equal importance,” she explains.
In a marked contrast, Radha Badri feels that singing for dance is actually getting its due. “A lot of sabhas have now constituted awards such as ‘Best Vocal Support for Dance,’ etc. So, we cannot say it is not given credit. Obviously, we do not share the same prestige as that of a solo artist. But there are people who come to dance recitals especially for us,” she substantiates.
K. Hariprasad , who has been in the field for the past 25 years has a more balanced view: “In a dance recital, it goes without saying that the dancer is the centre of attraction and the others accompany the central artist. Acknowledgements, appreciations and credits do come our way. Occasionally, there are artists who by design or default cease to acknowledge our contributions,” he says.
Further, he also challenges the notion that singing for dance is a back-up option for most singers. “I see a changing trend where popular concert artists are being pooled into singing for dance. If it is secondary and a back up, why would popular artists accept? Music is the same be it for a concert or for dance,” he explains.
None of this, however, affects the opportunities vocalists get, says Randhini. “While solo kutcheri opportunities are not that many in a month, singing for dance ensures that there is a concert to sing for on every day of the month assuring popularity and income for the singer,” she explains.
Over the years the genre has progressed and assimilated new trends. Hariprasad, for instance, recounts that a lot has changed since the time when singers and instrumentalists used to sit behind the dancer. “Rukmini Devi Arundale is believed to have changed this and musicians were given a place on the left side of the stage,” he says.
Today, the orchestra has to incorporate different rhythmic patterns, musical forms and a variety of instruments such as the keyboard, rhythmpad and other electronic instruments. Thematic productions too have now become the dernier cri .
But, the question beckons, do we really know what singing for dance really encompasses?
Nandini Ramani says that barring a few, singers today do not actually know what singing for dance really entails. She recounts the predicament of singers who sang for dance back in the days of dancer Balasaraswati. “When Balasaraswati danced and Gnanasundaram sang, the audience was baffled because they did not know whether to listen to the singer or watch the dancer. Such was the calibre of the singer.
He would sing with gatram,” she says. “None of the mainstream vocalists ventured towards dance back in the 1970s and 1980s too. They thought it was not good for them to sing for a dance programme,” she adds. Singers (Gnanasundaram was one of them) were trained by dancers such as Balasaraswati to sing for dance recitals. “Those days the singers would stay with the dancer for long periods of time. They knew each other so well that the dancer would know when the singer would take up the next line and the singer knew when the dancer lifted a hand to show the next sanchari. They made a perfect team,” adds Nandini.
Notation is not music, stresses Nandini. That singers look at their notes and sing is a problem, she says. “In order to sing for dance, insight is necessary and manodharma too is necessary. One cannot sing like one sings for kutcheris. Sangatis must be moulded and crafted for dance especially. They cannot be predictable,” she adds. “Bala used to identify or work on sangatis that were sculpted specially for natya. Not like it is now. Singers look at the paper, the pauses are all wrong and they sing in the same manner everywhere,” she observes.
“The singer could preferably memorise the item. So that he or she can look at the dancer and sing,” Srikanth suggests.
Hariprasad feels that hours of practice, keeping one’s voice intact and knowledge of dance are vital elements. “The fundamental requirement is strong knowledge of Carnatic music, the ragas and the emotional quotient. Next, is the aspect of laya,” he says.
(The debate continues next week with inputs from more vocalists about the art of singing for dance, a course that teaches students this art and more. )
