Sangita Kalanidhi to Mr TM Krishna

 

As I logged into my laptop early in the morning and began surfing the web, the first news that caught my attention was: that Mr TM Krishna (Thodur Madabusi Krishna), the well-known Carnatic classical vocalist, was awarded the Sangita Kalanidhi (Musical treasure trove) 2024 by the Madras Music Academy, Chennai. Its President, Mr N Murali said that the award was conferred on him in recognition of “his powerful voice”, “adherence to tradition when it comes to the art”, “focussing on its exploratory as opposed to tightly defined structures”, and for using music as “a tool for social reform”.

Mr Krishna, the grandnephew of former Indian Finance Minister, TT Krishnamachari, one of the founders of the Madras Music Academy, is considered a musical prodigy. He, having begun his learning from Bhagavathula Seethrama Sharma, presented his debut concert at the academy at the age of 12. Later he learned the craft of ragam-tanam-pallavi from Carnatic vocalist Chingleput Ranganathan and Semmangudi Srinivas Iyer, the famed colossus of Carnatic music.  

Unsurprisingly, this award to the 48-year-old Mr Krishna threw open a huge controversy in the Carnatic music world. Many well-known Carnatic musicians voiced their resentment against the Academy’s decision to honor Mr Krishna with the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award. And, the reasons for such controversy are, of course, quite evident: He is an activist against caste discrimination. He distanced himself from Madras Music Academy’s music season citing caste favouritism in the Carnatic music system. In an attempt to “push out caste elitism from the existing Carnatic music system”, he launched his own Carnatic classical music festival in 2016 –the Uroor-Olcott Kuppam Marghazi Vizha –in a fishing village. He also advocates for environmental activism. Sitting amidst the devastated backdrop of the Ennore Creek, he sang ‘Chennai Poramboke paadal’ in raagamalika: “Poramboke ennaku illai, poramboke unnaku illai (Poramboke is not for me, it is not for you) Poramboke ooruike, Poramboke bhoomikku (Poramboke is for the city, it is for the Earth) …” with improvizations of his own to the accompaniment of violin, mridangam and kanjira – to draw the attention of the otherwise indifferent government and the public towards the ongoing unmindful exploitation of nature. This activism against caste discrimination and caste favoritism in the Carnatic music system, and his taking liberties with the established traditions such as his announcing to “release one Carnatic song every month on Jesus or Allah” annoyed mainstream Carnatic musicians.  

This 48-year-old vocalist, who received the Raman Magsaysay award for his contribution to music and for bringing about “social inclusiveness in culture”, is also a writer, besides being an activist in the social arena. In his book, Reshaping Art, Mr Krishna called for the disassociation of Carnatic music from the stranglehold of social structures and value systems. He also wrote that according to the prevailing system “…musicians have to create the impression of being moral, pious creatures even if they are not. … Even today, women musicians feel the need to de-sexualise themselves and radiate piousness. … All this is bulldozed upon them in the name of appropriateness”. He even considered “the scaffolding, paraphernalia, social constructions” built around the art “were barricades”.This challenging of age-old conventions perhaps, affronted the traditionalists/purists.

That aside, he is also accused of passing controversial remarks against Sadguru Tyagaraja, the exponent of salvation through devotional music, which did not go down well with other musicians and music lovers. In an interview, Mr Krishna said : “Tyagaraja is a ‘great genius’; an intellectual who made ‘complex compositions with 25 sangatis (embellishments)’… as a musical endeavor for people to experience the aesthetic beauty of a raga, but I also have problem with some of his kritis where we witness gender and caste discrimination”. In this context, he cited the kriti, “Dudukugala …”, in which Tyagaraja states, “teliyani natavita kshudrulu vanitalu / svavasamavuta kupadesinchi / santasilli svaralayambu lerungakanu / slatmulai shbhaktulaku samanamu …” (I have taught ignorant dancers, the lowest class of men and women to get control over them, delighted in it, and without any sign in them of real knowledge of notes and rhythm except an acquired brazen heart, I asserted them to be the equal of true devotees…).

He is also accused of passing derogatory remarks against the doyen of Carnatic music, MS Subbulakshmi. But a dispassionate reading of Mr Krishna’s essay –‘MS Understood’ – published in Caravan in 2015, wherein he states, “the free-spirited young woman was to become the embodiment of the ideal Brahmin housewife, seen among the elite as the epitome of purity and devotion”; “A false note from MS was unimaginable”; “Her concerts had to be as impeccable as her personality”; “the power of MS music is irreplaceable and incomparable”, reveals no evidence of derogatory intent.

It is against this backdrop that Ms Ranjani and Gayatri, the renowned Carnatic vocalist sisters announced their decision not to sing in the Music Academy this December season as they consider participation under Mr TM Krishna’s presidency, who has inflicted “immense damage” on the Carnatic music world, will constitute a “moral violation”. They also said, “He wilfully and happily stomped over the sentiments of this community and insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja, and MS Subbulakshmi. His actions have tried to spread a sense of shame in being a Carnatic musician and have been exhibited through his consistent denigration of spirituality in music. He has vilified the Carnatic music fraternity that has collectively contributed millions of hours of artistry, hard work, and literature. It is dangerous to overlook Mr TM Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR.”

A few other music lovers/performers like Trichur brothers, Chitravina Ravikiran, have expressed their discontent over the Academy’s decision to award Sangita Kalanidhi to Mr TM Krishna. Trichur brothers said that their participation in a conference presided over by Mr TM Krishna would "make us outright hypocrites in our own eyes”.

Sri Dushyanth Sridhar, Harikatha exponent said, “I have had a sea of ideological differences with … Mr TM Krishna … pained by many of his statements on dharma, Ayodhya, Sri Rama …I will prove very disrespectful to their values if I perform immediately after the Sadas (where he will be awarded)”. Similar feelings are expressed by Ms Visakha Hari, the Harikatha exponent, and a few other intellectuals/music lovers.

Interestingly, all this controversy appeared to have emanated out of personal differences at the ideological level. And, they are all entitled to have their own views and stand by them. In a similar vein, Mr Krishna too is entitled to have his views. Intriguingly, none of them appears to have anything adverse to say about Mr Krishna’s musical competency – his mastery over raagas, alaapanas, tanam, kalpanaswaras, neravals, and kritis that casts a spell on audience. This indeed gives hope for a probable dialogue among the musicians, scholars of the craft of music, and music lovers to find ways and means to shun such extremities and to arrive at a meeting point for the good of Carnatic music. Let us remember that music like any other art is not static but dynamic. So, as Kalidasa said, "every old poem is not good because it is old, nor is every new poem is bad because it is new ...", let us for the being stay focused on music leaving the judgment to the audience.  On this note, let me stop here with a huge congratulations to Mr TM Krishna.