The world renowned December Music Festival which has just commenced in some sabhas in Chennai, has been part of the city’s great culture of arts for years. No wonder every year, the season attracts huge crowds, which includes the Indian diaspora. But, one cannot deny the compelling fact that caste-elitism has its strong presence in divine Carnatic music for some years now. The perception at large is that Carnatic music is generally ruled by musicians, connoisseurs, and the organiers from the elitists of a certain community that sits atop the caste hierarchy. As the saying goes, ‘music has no language’ and has no caste barriers. Therefore, should not Carnatic music reach out to the masses ideally? It requires a massive effort from the triad of musicians, organisers and sponsors to ensure that spiritual Carnatic music is strongly pushed for its inclusivity in the socio-culture fabric of Chennai city.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
