Ah..its in the air..
Its Margazhi, and music is in the air. Every year, the city of Chennai is witness to a unique confluence of the best in Carnatic music from all over the country, if not the world, during the months of December and January. There are dozens of Sabhas, as they are called, each hosting programmes through the day for almost a month. The day normally begins with lec-dems and tutorials starting around 10.00 AM. There are atleast two more small concerts, around 2.00PM and 4.00PM. Its an indication that you have "made it" in the closed world of Carnatic music, if you are considered worthy of the prime slot, generally around 6.30PM.
Despite extensive commercialization in recent times, the "December Season" as it is popularly known is still a memorable experience. I have had the good fortune to be part of this as a music lover or rasika and will try to describe a typical kutcheri. Most evening programs require tickets or passes while the morning concerts are largely "All are welcome". I am invariably among the youngest people in any auditorium (counting out, of course, the screaming babies), the average age of the crowd being well past 60. There are gray-haired (if not hairless altogether) heads nodding and going aaah...tchu-tchu-chu...balle....sabash sabash with hands moving like a conductor's baton, completely engrossed and enveloped by the music. These are accompanied by the inevitable eeeeeeeeeeeeeee of the sound system, the kut-kut-kut of the percussionist adjusting his pitch and waaahs from bored/hungry kids. The musicians enjoy themselves thoroughly too, each man on stage constantly appreciating and encouraging all the others. A typical concert starts with an invocation to Ganesha, followed by three to four short pieces, taking up the first hour and a half to two hours. This is followed by the main piece with a lengthy alapana, or elucidation of raaga, the tune, followed by the actual song, going on for almost an hour with veteran singers. Also, the percussionists are allowed a few minutes to showcase their talent, called the taniavartanam. The "connoisseurs" consider this the end of the concert and generally walk out, with no regard or respect for the person playing on stage (these people are NOT ill mannered GEN-X punks mind you, these are the 'respectable' old men!). This is followed by some short, fast tukadas and finally, the Mangalam, or conclusion.
If you are lucky, you will have an old mama talking at the end of the concert, reminiscing about old times, concerts he heard a century ago and invariably the singer's father/grandfather/ forefathers. Believe me, it is highly amusing! Another integral part of these events is the Sabha canteen, where you can have anything from Kapi(Sooda, sakkarai illamai !!) to a full length meal if you plan to spend the whole day at the venue. You are also likely to see old men with a cloth shoulder bag containing flasks of coffee, hot water and The Hindu. These people spend the entire day moving from one Sabha to another, making full use of the season. CD and cassette stalls too have started coming up, making the most of the season. A new addition this time is the Worldspace satellite radio counter.
All in all, I must say it is a singularly wonderful experience and I consider myself really lucky to be a part of this great tradition. I wonder though, why the tourism department is not promoting this as a global affair, when the craziest things, from frogs in Southern America to beer in Germany to tomatoes in Spain have their own "fests"!!
Despite extensive commercialization in recent times, the "December Season" as it is popularly known is still a memorable experience. I have had the good fortune to be part of this as a music lover or rasika and will try to describe a typical kutcheri. Most evening programs require tickets or passes while the morning concerts are largely "All are welcome". I am invariably among the youngest people in any auditorium (counting out, of course, the screaming babies), the average age of the crowd being well past 60. There are gray-haired (if not hairless altogether) heads nodding and going aaah...tchu-tchu-chu...balle....sabash sabash with hands moving like a conductor's baton, completely engrossed and enveloped by the music. These are accompanied by the inevitable eeeeeeeeeeeeeee of the sound system, the kut-kut-kut of the percussionist adjusting his pitch and waaahs from bored/hungry kids. The musicians enjoy themselves thoroughly too, each man on stage constantly appreciating and encouraging all the others. A typical concert starts with an invocation to Ganesha, followed by three to four short pieces, taking up the first hour and a half to two hours. This is followed by the main piece with a lengthy alapana, or elucidation of raaga, the tune, followed by the actual song, going on for almost an hour with veteran singers. Also, the percussionists are allowed a few minutes to showcase their talent, called the taniavartanam. The "connoisseurs" consider this the end of the concert and generally walk out, with no regard or respect for the person playing on stage (these people are NOT ill mannered GEN-X punks mind you, these are the 'respectable' old men!). This is followed by some short, fast tukadas and finally, the Mangalam, or conclusion.
If you are lucky, you will have an old mama talking at the end of the concert, reminiscing about old times, concerts he heard a century ago and invariably the singer's father/grandfather/ forefathers. Believe me, it is highly amusing! Another integral part of these events is the Sabha canteen, where you can have anything from Kapi(Sooda, sakkarai illamai !!) to a full length meal if you plan to spend the whole day at the venue. You are also likely to see old men with a cloth shoulder bag containing flasks of coffee, hot water and The Hindu. These people spend the entire day moving from one Sabha to another, making full use of the season. CD and cassette stalls too have started coming up, making the most of the season. A new addition this time is the Worldspace satellite radio counter.
All in all, I must say it is a singularly wonderful experience and I consider myself really lucky to be a part of this great tradition. I wonder though, why the tourism department is not promoting this as a global affair, when the craziest things, from frogs in Southern America to beer in Germany to tomatoes in Spain have their own "fests"!!
posted by Ani at 12:16 AM
What do you think?
