Learning Carnatic music has become a commercial venture with students and parents seeking shortcuts to learn an art that required years of effort, said vocalist Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, who was presented the Mudhra Award of Excellence here on Friday.
“Nowadays, the study of music has become a commercial venture. Before equipping [himself/herself] as an artist the platform is ready along with television channels,” Mr. Krishnamurthy said in his acceptance speech at a function organised by Mudhra.
“This has resulted in fewer dedicated students for teachers steeped in traditional values. Parents must realise that there is no shortcut to learning music for it is an emotional, scientific and divine art,” he said. He attributed his expertise in Carnatic music to an encouraging audience and teachers like Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, whom he considered his “manasiga guru.” The award included a shawl, citation and a cheque for Rs.1 lakh, instituted in the name of P. Obul Reddy.
S. Vijay Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Vijay Numan Co. Pvt. Ltd., who presented the award, said Nedanuri's creativity as a musician, scholar and teacher reflects in the number of sishyas he has produced.
Vocalist P.S. Narayanaswamy recalled his performances and said he had popularised the Thanjavur Bani in Andhra Pradesh and had generated a large following through his students. V. Shankar, president of Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha Mumbai, who inaugurated the 16th annual festival of Mudhra, said awards presented to a person in his lifetime carries relevance and was a kind of thanksgiving to the artist who had contributed to the culture. The custom of holding concerts in temples and honouring the artistes was a way of ensuring that they were cared for.
Mudhra's president Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, vice-president A. Natarajan and secretary Mudhra Bhaskar spoke.
