It is a truism to say that the pandemic and lockdowns changed how we ply our trade, define our workspace, express our creativity and engage with people. But what is absolutely fascinating is that some of these changes are here to stay, for the good of all. Sorely shaken humankind, while rebuilding broken supply chains (commercial, physical and emotional), is certainly spoilt for choice when it comes to soul food.
While the privations and deprivations of the last three years are real, there is also the fact that a veritable feast, a treasure trove, has been opened up for us all. Museums, archives, galleries, music organisers, writers, artistes, fitness and yoga gurus, musicians, comedians, wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, actors, mental health practitioners, and more… all opened up their vaults and allowed us virtual access to their many riches.
As several people have observed dryly: the next time universities and governments cut funding for the arts, they should remember, how it is the arts that held the pandemic-ridden world together and still do.
What is delightful is how informally performers learnt to beam themselves to you. There is one playful video going around — while the music is operatic, the cellist, the violinist, et al, the ballerina too, are in their kitchens or balconies, wearing home clothes, and playing their hearts out, as if in full concert. On top of it, many of them are wearing funny head gear or finger puppets, for the amusement of their kids.
The National Orchestra of France produced a magical patchwork quilt, each musician playing their part of ‘Bolero’ alone in lockdown, which was then all put together and broadcast as one presentation. Most of the musicians of the orchestra were far removed from one another because of the lockdown. This exercise brought them all together and brought them to the audience too. Starting with three instruments, and musicians being patched in along the way, it culminates in a full-fledged orchestra of 50 people! It was pared down to four minutes, from its original 15, to make this experiment social-media accessible. Much pre-preparation went into the making of this video, with scores and tracks being emailed to musicians earlier.
On a more home-grown level, the video of Italians singing, dancing and playing music from their home balconies as they remained quarantined from one another, was probably the clarion call for us all to ‘stand up and make some noise’, despite the situation. For a ‘triumph of spirit’ message to circle the globe. Sadly, for some reason, this meant beating of thalis in India, while we could well have been singing ‘Mile sur mera tumhara’ together.
During this time we have seen over 4,000 Hindustani and Carnatic musicians participating live, from the confines of their homes via various virtual spaces, like the Artists United Facebook page. This involved braving the limitations of their home sound equipment, their cameras, and their level of concert-preparedness. While there were technical snags and lags, most of them gamely performed for us, looking at first uncertainly into their phone cameras, and talking to an unseen audience. Today, they have the equipment and a three-year learning curve, to refine these presentations technically, and here we are.
Through the thick of the lockdown, all of us woke up or fell asleep to a hum of questions in our minds. What will life be like after the lockdown? How will we re-enter ‘normalcy’? How many of the lessons learnt during this time are going to stick, and how many will be brushed away as a mere bad dream? Happily, the curtain has not dropped on all of this exuberant generosity and unity, this outpouring of notes. Musicians and artistes of every hue and standing, known and unknown, as well as archivists and aficionados have simply kept those doors open and continue to act in abundance.
The writer is a columnist and has authored nine books.
