Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
Fusing with tradition
|
Karaikudi Ramanatha Mani is the quintessential south Indian classical musician, but his association with western music makes him an artiste with universal appeal.
|
DRUMS OF DESTINY: Karaikudi Mani
A PREDOMINANTLY south-Indian (Tamilian to be precise) look and attire - rather short and dusky complexioned, black bearded, veebhuti and kumkum adorned forehead, veshti (dhoti) and a coarse half-shirt clad unobstrusive-looking man with strikingly sharp shining eyes, you cannot guess his age -- that is Karaikudi Ramanatha Mani for you.
Visualise this able mridangam player in a western backdrop of a percussion ensemble. What a paradoxical picture that would present! Well, such artistes are in truth the cultural ambassadors of India. This pioneer percussionist of Carnatic music arena is not as conservative and orthodox as his `appearance'. He is an innovative traditionalist. His fusion music is a mirror of the man and his music. He has taken the West by storm with his ensembles that leaves no room for reflection. His Shruthi-Laya Kendras institutions devoted to music are spread across the globe, not to talk of his homeland.
The Shruthi Laya Kendra Natarajalaaya here is a music and dance centre. His single-minded precision to rhythm marks him out as a perfectionist. Karaikudi Mani was recently in the city for a dance and music concert with his troupe. Excerpts from an interview with him:
From a Carnatic classicist you diversified into fusion music. What was your inspiration to do so?
Way back in 1966, an Australian orchestra led by Paul Grabowsky, (an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) artiste) on a visit to India approached me for a jazz within Indian music format. I then composed the Shruti Laya CD. The troupe found it fit to the letter T. Immediately I was asked to take part in their concert. We were four Indians with our instruments -- the mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and morsing -- to 21 of the Australian team. Since it was not a pre-planned performance, we four had just three days of practice. Earlier, I played western music on eastern instruments but this was my first exposure with a totally western troupe. This inspired me to try out my hand at fusion. Together with the Australian troupe we have released classic series under the ABC banner in the name of Into the Fire.
What exactly is fusion music?
Fusion music as I see it, is not just playing two or three different instruments at the same time to some sort of a loosely structured piece of music. The sound may merge to a certain extent but that in no way can be called fusion in the right sense of the term. The musicians should not merge but there should be an indivisible blend of music emanating from varied instruments to a planned tune and rhythm. Also, only certain type of western and Indian music is relevant for fusion, not anything and everything. It has become a vogue these days to bang six instruments at a time and name it fusion. A right admixture of a music composition set to a precision in rhythm, which is calculated to the core is called fusion. Colonial Cousins (I) is a good example of this. My fusion is devoid of gimmicks. It abides cent per cent to rules and regulations of classical music.
DIFFERENT NOTES: Karaikudi Mani with Finnish composer and pianist Eero Hameenniemi. - Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
This must have called for a lot of research and study on your part?
Yes and no. Till date I have not studied western music. But then music is divine -- eastern or western. If the musician is true to his art in every sense of the term, he will be receptive and creative to all genres within his orbit. I have never given reign to commercial considerations at the cost of my art. When we are into fusion music we have to imbibe a lot of contemporary western music, attend live concerts, link our thoughts, sieve them within our ambit, give a form that has the depths of a classical composition -- not an amorphous structure -- and then bring it out as public performance. It is indeed an experience. One has to wait for years to bring out a CD. Quick fix releases are disastrous and short-lived. That is not my purpose of music.
What is jazz? Have you tried out classical symphonies for fusion?
Jazz, as most tend to think is not just a cacophony. It is a discipline in itself. Classical jazz is a piece of thematic music played for three minutes or so at the start, then goes for an improvisation at the hands of a few solos on stage and once again returns to the theme. Contemporary jazz almost follows a similar pattern, only the approach is slightly different with a combination of instruments. My disc Ferryman is typical jazz. It is all about a traveller's experiences on a boat. The mridangam's music blended in base giving a sort of rocking movement resembling that of a rowing boat. I have not tried out with really big composers though to a certain extent in Finland, we played with 110 musicians in all among whom there were four Indian percussionists. This was a modern symphony by a composer called Eero.
It is not often that Carnatic musicians of your calibre get interested to try out western music. What made you look at western music in the first place?
From childhood I had this penchant for rhythm, which grew along as I was nurtured into a percussionist. The sound of western orchestration music attracted me a lot. I could gauge the depth in western music even then. The idea of wanting to try my hand at this music was always at the back of my mind even as I started developing into a Carnatic mridangist.
How far have Indian musicians made an impact on the West?
Barring a few exceptions, so far I have noticed that we Indian classical singers tend to attract more NRI audience abroad (say USA) than natives. I can say when my reach extends to a hall full of Americans or Britishers, then I can claim to have created an impact on the West. Though north Indian music has made inroads in foreign, Carnatic music is yet to do so abroad. A sprinkling of native audience among an auditorium full of Indians is not a mark of conquering the West with our music.
Do you have any centres abroad? When did the first Indian and foreign centres come into being?
I started in a small way in 1988 in a single room in Rangarajapuram in Kodambakkam at Chennai. My only pupil then was a Sri Lankan boy. This boy has now grown up to be the trustee of my London school. Most Sri Lankans are gifted mridangam players and I have a host of them with me manning my foreign outlets. The London institution was founded in 1991 (240 student strength) followed by the Australian centre in 1992 (70 students) and I established a centre in Germany in 1996 which has a pupil strength of 30.
You are often termed a recluse, you shun publicity and awards. What is the reason?
At the prime age of 32, I changed my pattern of thinking, thanks to my guru and mentor. Till then I opted for the life of a recluse despite my being by then adept at the mridangam. I came to see spirituality, -- which happens to be inborn into my nature - in music also. I firmly believe that music has two sides to it -- one is meant for entertainment and fun, the other bestows a soul-stirring peace. You can place me and my music into the latter category. I don't consider myself an innovator, only a discoverer. What is the message of your life and art?
Music is an elevating experience, so do not devalue it or dethrone it. Musicians need not stoop down taking the public as an excuse. Instead lift up those very people to a higher altitude since good music is divine, it stirs the depths of the soul. A musician is not to be judged by the number of concerts he churns out in a month. He should honestly ask himself that with every performance what is he giving the public. Anything new in meaning and experience? My gurus had taught me this -- there is a super shakti, a divine hand that guides us. I cannot conceive of a good musician without faith in this power, since all Indian music is essentially devotional. Carnatic music is all encompassing. An adept at this music can very easily switch over to any kind of music in any part of the globe. Such is its depth and range. For a percussion player or any instrumentalist for that matter, a knowledge of vocal music is necessary as well, especially when he is an accompanist. One can survive without learning vocal but then the approach of a vocalist-instrumentalist is definitely different. There is an understanding, which gets translated into the rendering and becomes more meaningful.
RANEE KUMAR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
