Music beyond Religious Boundaries

[vgovindan]

http://tamil.thehindu.com/opinion/repor ... epage=true

I request Rasikas to go thru this link and ponder as to how this lady can be absorbed into the main stream - this is in regard to a comment in a parallel thread that in Kerala, there is a wider range of musicians (from religion and community perspective) than in Tamil Nadu.

PS : This link is in Tamil. For the benefit of those who do not know Tamil, I may briefly state that there is one Muslim lady by name Yasmin Begam who is a performing artist of CM and whose father was instrumental in bringing her up in that field. BTW, the lady is accumulating all the collections from her cutcheri for the benefit of other disadvantaged musicians.

[rajeshnat]

http://tamil.thehindu.com/opinion/repor ... epage=true

is the url that vgv wanted to share.

[vgovindan]

yes. I was not able to paste this as a invokable link. I don't know what was wrong.

[VK RAMAN]

I one hundred percent endorse vgovindan comment as to how we as rasikas can promote Yasmin Begum!!!

[arasi]

Govindan,
Thank you. A bitter -sweet real life story.

What a role model Yasmin is for the younger generation, with the set of values her parents instilled in her! And the father! I can't but think of:
The power of music.

How sad it is when people see faith (of any kind) solely in religious beliefs and practices and not in the light of humane qualities and universality. After all, all religions teach us the same human values.

Yes, art is mightier than the sword in uniting us.

Charity along with her music will make Yasmin richer. Her father's memory is honored by her music and her wanting to continue in the path he has laid out for her. Loving best wishes to her. May she be the ideal woman she aspires to be...

What a young woman like Yasmin can do for music and its practitioners who are in need can inspire us. We do have some at Rasikas.org who have been doing this. We have had threads on this. For example, last year, Nick did mention about the widow of a vidvAn. Chiravina Ravikiran spent quite some time on explaining how we could help...

[venkatakailasam]

Kerala Muslim girl Hanna Yasir, an 11th Class student from Vadakkangara in Malappuram district in Kerala,
impresses with 60 Carnatic kutcheris...

http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/121 ... -kutcheris

I read some where( I have only dotted it in my collections).. (not getting the link)..
" South India’s high culture has little influence of Islam. It is Hindu culture, not a mix. There is not as much secular music in Carnatic as there is in Hindustani. There’s no equivalent of “Ganga Jamuni”, as the northerner refers to his high culture, a mix of Hindu tradition and the aristocratic Perso-Arabic tradition produced during Muslim rule. This might be seen as a bad thing. But the south Indian is actually quite tolerant."

[VK RAMAN]

what a picture hindus with viputhi as pakkavadyam and the main artists dressed in Kerala Islamic style. I have seen similar performances by people of Islamic faith in the TV channel owned by Film actor Mammootti.

[cmlover]

In Kerala CM is secular, but in the rest of SI it is not!

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... I read some where (I have only dotted it in my collections).. (not getting the link) ...
"South India’s high culture has little influence of Islam. It is Hindu culture, not a mix. There is not as much secular music in Carnatic as there is in Hindustani. There’s no equivalent of “Ganga Jamuni”, as the northerner refers to his high culture, a mix of Hindu tradition and the aristocratic Perso-Arabic tradition produced during Muslim rule ..."

Paragraph 12 of:-
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/N94gMnS ... south.html

[munirao2001]

cmlover

Karnatik Music supports both religious-devotional values and equally entertainment - including social values. Great Maestros in nagasvaram, Muslims in particular, lived and living in other parts of South India, besides other religions and faith. They have great respect towards Hindu philosophy-Vedanta, universal in relevance and guidance. These practitioners appreciate recognition for their vidwath but abhor the perception of novelty of non-Hindu embracing Hinduism.
Chief goal of Indian Classical Music is music beyond Religious, Vedantic - Naada Brahmatva, spriritual unity in universal sound, engulfed by metaphysical creative power.

munirao2001

[VK RAMAN]

In Kerala CM is secular, but in the rest of SI it is not!

The Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavors to promote fraternity among them; but every one follows with convenient memory.

[harimau]

While it is not quite common, Muslims have made a profession of Carnatic music in Tamil Nadu.

Nagaswaram vidwans Kasim and Babu and their grandfather Sheik Chinnamoulana Saheb come to mind as do Sheik Mahboob Subhani and his wife Khalisha-bi.

But in the first half of the last century, we had Uraiyur T M Khader Batcha who used to sing Carnatic music.

You can search under his name in YouTube and you will find a couple of recordings.

[venkatakailasam]

CML conveniently forgets that in addition to Yasmin begam, we had nadaswara vidwans mentioned in the earlier post

we have Geetha Bennett, Paul Poovathingal

[Sundara Rajan]

Geetha Bennet may not belong in this category. VeeNa Vidhushi Geetha Bennet is the daughter of my old friend Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr.S. Ramanathan, married to Dr. Frank Bennet. By birth she is a Tamil Brahmin, now settled in California. She is also popular Tamil story writer.

[rajeshnat]

While it is not quite common, Muslims have made a profession of Carnatic music in Tamil Nadu.

Nagaswaram vidwans Kasim and Babu and their grandfather Sheik Chinnamoulana Saheb come to mind as do Sheik Mahboob Subhani and his wife Khalisha-bi.

But in the first half of the last century, we had Uraiyur T M Khader Batcha who used to sing Carnatic music.

You can search under his name in YouTube and you will find a couple of recordings.

I see few christians playing violin in kerala , there are lot of muslims from the belt of Mayavaram-Nagaipattinam who have the legacy and pedigree like a typical saiva pillai family and hence they take up. THis Yasmin Begum and particularly her late father is just awesome .Singing CM is more difficult than playing musical instruments and when they belong to different religion it is to be appreciated. Mayavaram is my native and 15 years back I have seen few muslim vocal teachers also (I dont know recollect their names).

After harimau put the khadar batcha I just checked youtube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... der+Batcha

If you hear khader Batcha , he appears to sing like a MKT , SG kitappa . These musicians do knew CM but they went to films and accompaniment of harmonium and unfortunately I am sure millions like me aurally feel CM Is CM only when they have Violin - mrudangam - ghatam/kanjira/morsing as an accompaniment set . There are greats like manakkal rangarajan who have sung with harmonium(subbbuddu accompanying), but that is just one exception to their usual choice of concerts . IF CM has to be CM violin continuity is the basic necessity and tabla/harmonium should be dropped - that is an inviolable rule it instantly brings lightness.

Sheikh chinna moulana benchmarked against Karaikkuchi , their sons are benchmarking with vyasarpadi kothandaraman.IT would be wonderful if violin accompanist ranging from M Chandrasekaran to A kanyakumari junior most disciple start assisting Yasmin Begum so that yasmin begum benchmarks her concert from golden girl ponnnammal to Aishwaryas of today. That would ensure Yasmin Begum will be accepted as more mainstream . Otherwise these articles just appear like a minority appeasement - I thought we got over that since last two weeks .

It is wonderful to hear Yasmin Begum, her appa and also TM Khader Batcha. Full Credits- I hope if coolkarni starts another series we should invite Yasmin Begum for a concert in chennai(I dont think she has sung in chennai)

[varsha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx3KCZw2VoA

Though not a poem directed at religious dispensations , I have always used the first half ( street meeting street - until the subject of child labour appears on scene ) for reorienting myself on issues relating to my beliefs about the ultimate truth that is always just beyond my grasp.

I wish to live upto an age when I see Ashok Chakradhar ibeing awarded the highest honour of our land .

The poet . The ultimate evangelist . The ultimate intepreter . All the rest of us can only be spectators .

I am in search of an outstanding episode of his on Doordarshan of the 80s vintage . A man is lying dead on a street due to an accident and folks around are trying to determine his religion . Asok Chakradhar enacts a performance , reciting a poem of his , on the subject trying to fix the religion of the deceased based on the color of the blood .
I hope readers will cast their nets wider to locate this clip for me .
Art , like morality , is about drawing the line somewhere ..as someone famously said . The original posters post should be understood in its full enormity to move ourselves to a newer way of understanding the world.It is futile to enumerate names of non hindu performers .
My world would not change if some one studying any of the Trinity's genes traces the lineage to a Muslim or Christian a couple of generations before .
What lies in front of me is the magnificent world that is privy to the Artist and the fact that we as listeners can only catch a glimpse of it . Through the smallest of windows .

[VK RAMAN]

well said varsha.

[munirao2001]

Varsha

You stated "What lies in front of me is the magnificent world that is privy to the Artist and the fact that we as listeners can only catch a glimpse of it . Through the smallest of windows". Rare and Excellent, now door itself is open!

munirao2001