The recent two-day Music Inc. conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel had some interesting panel discussions, focusing on subjects as diverse as streaming, technology and branding to forms like indie music, Indipop and hip-hop. One of the most absorbing sessions was on ‘The Lost Genres of Indian Musical Landscapes’.
The genres in question were Indian classical music and folk. And though it lasted only 40 minutes, several interesting points were covered. Moderated by Atul Churamani, founder of Turnkey Publishing, it featured singers Shubha Mudgal and Papon, Durga Jasraj of event organisers Art and Artistes, and Abhinav Agarwal of the Anahad Foundation, which promotes Indian folk music.
Expanding the universe
One may find the term ‘lost genres’ a bit extreme, considering that both these forms have their own dedicated following. But the fact is that they don’t come under the mainstream category, and do not get the industry backing that film or indie music get. As Mudgal pointed out, “In classical music, there is a lack of awareness, a fear of the unfamiliar, a mindset that it will not be appreciated by a large section.”
Here again, one may argue that certain artistes draw packed houses, and that even young musicians get sizeable crowds in Pune, Ahmedabad, Sangli and Dharwad, besides many part of the south India, where Carnatic music is followed closely. Yet, the overall support from both the industry and government bodies is limited.
Durga Jasraj talked about the importance of creating awareness about Indian musical instruments, and spreading music education in schools, without making the syllabus too heavy. Mudgal said there needed to be organised data collection of all professional musicians, and that craftsmen should be given due credit. As Churamani put it, “We know Fender (the guitar makers) but we don’t know the tanpura manufacturer.”
Agarwal pointed out that only a small percentage of folk music was actually heard through recorded material, and that even the quality of these recordings was poor. Papon, who sings Assamese folk besides popular and film music, observed that traditional songs were not performed at functions too often.
Focus on regional
In his keynote address, Neeraj Roy, CEO of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, said regional music promised to be the next mainstream. While that is a valid point, the truth is that there must be more availability of regional music on streaming platforms, and a means to create awareness of different forms of regional music. For instance, those who don’t understand Bengali can be exposed to Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Baul and Bhatiali music
One has observed that the division of musical tastes continues to be region-specific, which has to do with language. The exceptions are Punjabi and Rajasthani music, which can be followed by the Hindi-speaking audience. The states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal are associated with legendary film and classical artistes who have also sung folk forms. Instrumental music can work across regions, and artistes like violinist L. Subramaniam and saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath have gone beyond the traditional Carnatic audience. The need of the hour is to give more artistes, both a live and audio platform. One cannot afford to talk of lost genres.
