Carnatic music - one hundred years from now

girish_a · Post by **girish_a** » 10 Feb 2009, 18:04

Just for kicks, it will be fascinating to hear your views on the form and shape of Karnataka Sangita in the distant future - a hundred years, or two hundred, from now.

Will it evolve, or will it regress? Will ever-advancing technology have its effect on the soul of this music? Will natural disasters or social and political upheavals have any impact? Will Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, the Trinity and Swati Tirunal be forgotten? Is it conceivable that new ideas will alter or supplant existing concepts which form the basis of Carnatic music?

In your mind's eye, how does the land lie?

musicfan_4201 · Post by **musicfan_4201** » 10 Feb 2009, 18:11

I dont think there is anything worh a discussion. No offence meant... Go back 200 years and 100 years and see how the music has changed/transformed. It will give you a part answer.

musicfan_4201 · Post by **musicfan_4201** » 10 Feb 2009, 18:22

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 10 Feb 2009, 18:55

Well, nothing wrong in hazarding a few guesses and certainly better than some of the other unwholesome discussions we'e seen recently

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 10 Feb 2009, 19:15

Will it evolve or regress: Well, in my humble opinion, that is a meaningless question.

Will ever-advancing technology have its effect on the soul of music: Technology may aid the spread of other kinds of music more, but soulful music, from Carnatic or any other genre, should remain as long as humanity does. Of course, technology can finish humanity if we let it

natural disasters or social and political upheavals have any impact?: Well, they can of course have an impact. Rasikas have become geographically and politically widespread enough to sustain some upheavals. But socially ... it's still by and large enjoyed by only certain kinds of people, and that's a potential problem.

Will Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, the Trinity and Swati Tirunal be forgotten?: Who is Kanaka Dasa? (You may ask me Who is Oothukadu? Who is Marimuthu Pillai? and so on) I guess The Trinity won't be forgotten. But social upheavls may make Kannadigas may forget Annamacharya and OVK, Tamils forget Purandara Dasa and so on.

Is it conceivable that new ideas will alter or supplant existing concepts which form the basis of Carnatic music?: Recording and publication preserves existing concepts very well. Unless something very revolutionary comes, they shall stand firm.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 10 Feb 2009, 19:29

My 2 cents:

CM a 100 years from now, or even a 1000 years from now will be very similar to Hindusism a 100 or 1000 years from now - may bend, but will not break. So, I think it will exist in some form, and will be connected to CM as we know it today, just in the same way as CM today is connected to CM a 100 years ago....

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 10 Feb 2009, 19:50

@ rshankar

But Hinduism and Carnatic music have both begun having fanatics of late.

Music · Post by **Music** » 10 Feb 2009, 21:13

Depends on:

A. How many children are being seriously trained in CM today and how well they are being trained (volume & quality). That in turn depends on:
1. How many parents want their kids trained in CM?
2. How well they are the kids being trained by their teachers? Can the teacher create future stalwarts?
3. How many people love to listen to/patronize CM? No patrons, no performers/learners.

B. How much Indian music is featured in World Music festivals/performances?
This is how the world knows more about CM. Fusion concerts will help here (this doesn't mean I am OR I am not a fan of fusion music).

If CM should strive & shine 100 years from now, the number of good teachers, learners, performers & rasikas should be on the rise steadily. More the merrier. Speculation as to whether the numbers are steadily increasing & whether that will continue & whether it is all enough is very subjective.

My personal speculation on the rise in these numbers - with enhancements in technology & increase in population over time, these numbers are definitely on the rise. CM will survive all right. But, if CM is to reach wider audiences and strive & shine even better than today, the numbers are not enough.

girish_a · Post by **girish_a** » 10 Feb 2009, 22:33

For those saying this is not worth discussing, well, maybe not, but what's wrong with having a few people air their views? If nothing, it will at least have some curiosity value.

girish_a · Post by **girish_a** » 10 Feb 2009, 22:38

srikant1987 wrote:Who is Kanaka Dasa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaka_Dasa

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 10 Feb 2009, 22:40

The present trend in TV and college competitions lead us to believe that fusion music will dominate. If CM has to survive, it has to be encouraged and those who are practicing artists must get enough income to continue their profession. We have now dearth of gurukulam trained hindu priests as the priest family progenies go for other well paying professions and this will happen to CM too.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 10 Feb 2009, 23:28

Pre-20th century, is there any data on if kids from the populace at large learnt music like they do today. They may not have any ambitions to become music professionals but many parents (from the general population) want their kids to learn music. Is that a 20th century practise or that existed in the prior centuries as well?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 11 Feb 2009, 04:41

vk,
I think Pre-20th century, young girls learning CM, was mainly for being able to sing a song during the 'girl -seeing' occassion-(peN-pArkkum padalam). The popular refrain to the teacher was 'EdO nAlu pATTu sollivaiyungO;peN pArkka varumbOdu kEppA' ;
(just teach a couple of songs; when the boy's side come to see her, they will ask); the boy's side also used to ask 'poNNukku pAdattheriyumA? enga oru pATTu solla sollungO, pAppOm' (does the girl know to sing? Ask her to sing a song)
All this is hearsay-what our elders used to say and our music teacher used to say that too).

As for young boys, probably a few used to go in for learrning music (vocal or mridangam etc.)

rajumds · Post by **rajumds** » 11 Feb 2009, 09:41

20th century could well be the century of technology or change. Almost everthing we use now right from cars ,train,, recordings (be it digital or tapes), mass destruction weapons to anything you name were discovered or invented in the last 150 years. If CM has survived this era , it will definitely survive in any scenario.

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 11 Feb 2009, 10:04

now - may bend, but will not break

Fully agreed. That is the beauty. There was a dull period where in not many people were interested in learing CM. I feel TV has changed. If you watch Idea Star Singer of Asianet [1 crore prize money], you will automatically know the depth of compettion and to win you necessarily require CM.

saramati · Post by **saramati** » 11 Feb 2009, 11:50

I feel that the future is bright for carnatic music. About 30 years ago, the number of performers, teachers were not as many as we have in our midst today. Is it not a fact today, that although today's children have the latest technologically driven gadgets like the ubiquitous T.V, internet and other interactions / distractions, the level of interest, sincerity, knowledge that they are imbibing is definitely on the rise.

The number of sabhas, concerts, competitions, lec-dems - all have increased to the point where we hear laments about the number being
too many.

I humbly feel that this is a precursor to the future trend, and I guess that carnatic music is in safe hands today, and would be so in future too.