Tuesday, 1st May 2012
Sruti
Dr. Ashok Ranade (AR)
We begin this academic session by discussing a very important aspect of modern music making in India, and that pertains to use of the voice, and regard for the voice and vocal music in India in the light of our growing contact with other musics. The panelists, well brought up in the Indian tradition, have also been in close touch with what is happening elsewhere. We’ll try to get a close view of opinions from three different persons, practising different traditions and having different points of view perhaps.
First question
Do you think primacy of vocal music is a major feature of Indian music? If so, in what way has this influenced the content of Indian music?
Aruna Sairam (AS)
Vocal music is a major feature of Indian music and in fact, in Carnatic music we do say that every instrument, be it the violin, veena, nagaswaram or any other instrument tries to emulate the voice, the gamaka-s, the microtones and the movements, and even the aesthetic ideals of the voice. So certainly it has primacy of position.
Sowmya Kumaran, Director of Chicago based Nrithya Sangeeth, decided to conduct the Bharatanatyam arangetram of her 13-year-old daughter/disciple Bhavya Kumaran in her hometown Chennai on July 9 to involve family, close friends and relatives in the arangetram and seek their blessings.
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