What’s the state of Hindustani music in Chennai? M. Narmadha and Lakshmi Sreeram voice their opinions.
M. Narmadha and Lakshmi Sreeram. A violinist and a vocalist. One belongs to an illustrious bani, the other hails from a rich musical tradition. The common link? They both have this rare ability of performing in both Carnatic and Hindustani genres with the same felicity and flair. Even better, the artists can deliberate for hours on the two styles, their similarities and differences and the Hindustani scene in a Carnatic bastion.
Naturally.
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Violinist M. Narmadha, scion of the Parur family, has a doctorate from the Delhi University and her thesis compares the North and South Indian music styles. Trained by her grandfather Parur Sundaram Iyer, who himself learnt from the legendary D.V. Paluskar, and her father M.S. Gopalakrishan, Narmadha has left a deep impact both as a soloist and an accompanist. And she is taking the Parur legacy forward through her school, Sancara.
Lakshmi Sreeram has trained under stalwarts, both in Carnatic (Alamelu Mani, T.K. Govinda Rao and V.V. Subramaniam) and Hindustani (Madhubala Chawla (Jhaveri), Pandit Vasantrao Kulkarni, a well known teacher of the Gwalior and Agra gharanas, and Pt. Krishna (Babanrao) Haldankar of the Agra gharana). A guest Professor of Music at IIT Madras, Lakshmi is happy straddling both worlds with élan.
Here the artists share their thoughts on Hindustani music and its place in the city’s cultural arena.
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The past…
Narmadha: There has always been a great rapport between Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and Veena Dhanammal were great friends, and she even taught him a Tyagaraja kriti. Similarly, my grandfather and Pt. Omkarnath Thakur were gurubhais, both being disciples of D.V. Paluskar. Hirabai Badodekar was another regular visiting artist so was Gangubai Hangal. And we had Pt. Ravi Shankar, again a regular in Madras’s music scene. And whenever Pt. Omkarnath thakur came a visiting, he and my father would perform a chamber concert together. So, I think, the link between the North and the South is strong; it’s always been there, and continues to this day.
Lakshmi: I agree. Madras has been a city that has embraced music of different genres, especially Hindustani. Major sabhas have patronised musicians from the North, and several versatile artists have come together for peerless jugalbandis such as Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and M. Balamuralikrishna or Lalgudi Jayaraman and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. And today, several artists from the North are greeted with a full house.
The Hindustani style…
Lakshmi: I feel Carnatic music is more demanding on the voice. Which is why many Hindustani musicians are able to retain their vocal chords even past their prime. The main thing in Hindustani singing is fixing the pitch; it’s also about purity of notes. And there’s that amazing aspect of khyal.
Narmadha: True. There’s kalpita sangitam in Carnatic, but it is more well-defined than in Hindustani. Also speed and traversing of octaves are important aspects. Everything finally boils down to voice culture and practice.
Lakshmi: ‘Kharak sadhana’ (rigorous practice)… those two words are the fulcrum on which an artist’s musical abilities rest. And, like Narmadha said, voice culture is vital to a Hindustani musician as the accent here is more on alaaps and taans than the words.
The ups and downs…
Lakshmi: One of the biggest challenges facing the genre here is the lack of teachers at the basic level. Most reputed gurus prefer to take students who have reached a certain level of performance. Also, there is a general lack of awareness about the art itself. Having said that, I also believe there are many discerning rasikas who appreciate the finer nuances of the genre. Do you know we do not have a tabla player here? If I have to present a Hindustani concert, I have to find somebody from Bengaluru!
Narmadha: Economics is another key point to ponder over. Sabhas are willing to bring North Indian artists here. But at what cost? Except for a few reputed artists, not many get that kind of attention. Naturally, sabhas have to do a rethink.
What is needed…
Lakshmi: Creating more awareness is the key. Hold workshops and lec-dems. And try to promote the few Hindustani artists who are in Chennai. It will definitely go a long way…
Narmadha: I have a few students in my school who are keen on pursuing Hindustani music. You have to catch them young. That’s a great beginning
Having said all this, both the artists feel people here still prefer Carnatic music as it’s familiar, time-tested and ingrained in our cultural ethos.