Clones in Carnatic Music

[ratanabhinav]

https://youtu.be/QxJhv7PVhs8
Look at his mannerisms. He's a 100% clone of TMK with respect to mannerisms . How does this happen ?

[sureshvv]

1. I agree that many things about him remind one of TMK. Saying that in itself is high praise for the artiste.

2. He may have learned under TMK. There is definitely an attitude that he brings to the concert stage much like TMK.

3. Referring to him as a "clone" is needlessly pejorative.

4. As things stand today, I expect him to contribute more to CM than TMK probably will.

[Nick H]

How does this happen ?

Have you never ben to a music class? Consciously or unconsciously, there is tendency for students to pick up mannerisms from the teacher. I guess it applies to other important persons in life too, maybe starting with parents.

[SrinathK]

He's still very young in years. Mannerisms are often imbibed unconsciously. It takes time to find a way of expressing that is tailor made to oneself.

However comparisons to TMK aren't new. They've happened before too. viewtopic.php?t=29944

[shankarank]

There are TVS clones ( his son now) , TNS clones ( not that much his son, but I count two others Kalayapuram Aravind and one more who is not singing now-a-days), and for MVS - his sons exhibit all his mannerisms especially the thumbs up.

When I heard Surya Prakash once in Bramha gAna sabhA @ sivagAmi PeTacci Auditorium early 2000s, he wore metal frame glasses very much looking like MMI's .

[SrinathK]

And then there's TVR.

[ganesh_mourthy]

It is not just the mannerisms , it is even the tonal quality and style of singing that will often make one remind their gurus.

In light music , you will hear the sibblings and the next generation trying to sing as closely as possible to get some attention. This is what jesudass and spb sons did , though it did not help them greatly . But , sometimes it is quite inevitable I suppose.
It may not be something that one willfully develops, but it so happens .

There used to be some carnatic competition years ago where bharath sundar was the winner. I remember that a girl sang like nithyashree and she turned out to be nithyashree student, another of jayashree and she was jayashree student. For a second , you might think that it is so much like another popular artiste by their tone and indeed they would be so . YOu can name many

Even sandeep does a lot sanjay ... the way he leans forward resting the right arm on his thigh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8o4qj3EO8s

it is easy to say who is his guru ....

[RSR]

I submit that all music sharing through youtube should avoid visulas. In that case, all the above 'cloning' problems will be irrelevant. As youtube insists on some image , a static picture of the concert participants will do.
Vocalists CM /HM trying to bring out their best are not a pretty sight.
Why do we need that?
Perhaps , we can extract the audio only and then share

[ram1999]

Quite interesting and fascinating how the students imbibe the mannerisms of the master.
The padam is rendered beautifully.

[SrinathK]

What about the Yesudas clones? Of which there must be an akshauni worth of them? There was a time where I believed no one from Kerala knew how to sing in any other way!!

[ganesh_mourthy]

I believe that it has to do with fandom and acceptance. Most of the singers from Kerala sing in more heavy base voice and that is considered majestic ( and indeed it is ) and hence more and more people practice such tones .