Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Rasikas - Chennai’s Classical Music Extravaganza


If the musicians keep the knowledge alive, it is the discerning audience – rasikas – who keep them on their toes as well as give them the informed feedback that is so necessary for any artist to thrive. I, unfortunately, make up the crowd for the musician but am no further help. I have the greatest regard for the cognoscenti and, if I am taking digs at them in this piece, rest assured that they are most respectful digs.
The Sabha audience comes in various types. I shall ignore the young couples walking in to the free concerts to do their dating in the A/c confines of the hall. They are more like people who have strayed in – though not by mistake – and, thus, do not deserve mention in a ‘serious’ dissertation such as this.
The one thing that you need to know is that each rendering of a piece is not to be listened to in rapt silence. There are various sections to each piece after which applause is mandatory even if muted. After four years, I am able to anticipate the end of the section and start applauding along with the cognoscenti instead of having to wait for the applause to start and joining in, in order to appear knowledgeable.
What I have not yet mastered – and never shall – is to utter those words ‘Balae’ and ‘Baesh’ every now and then when the musician has, apparently, touched some intricate part of the raga. To me it all sounds the same – melodious, yes, but nothing particular at that point in time compared to any other – and I am unable to understand why others felt impelled to vocalize their appreciation. It is not even like they all appreciate the same part. Different people seem to take to different portions making it all the more difficult to understand. Sometimes I have been tempted to add in a few ‘Balae’s and “Baesh”es of my own – the only thing stopping me is the possibility that I may do it when the musician is merely clearing his throat.
There are those rapt rasikas who can only vocalize “Tch!Tch!Tch” and move their fingers like palm fronds trembling gently in the breeze. There are those who can hardly refrain from addressing the perfect stranger sitting next to them and inviting him to join in their appreciation. There are those who fling their hands in gay abandon when the ecstasy hits them.
For me, the worst sort of rasikas to sit near is the quiz competition group. In Carnatic concerts, the raga of the composition is not necessarily disclosed at the beginning. So, when the alapana is going on, the quiz competition groups start guessing the raga. There is invariably a quiz master – who can be identified by the smug look on his face – and his judgment is resorted to by all the members. The buzz can become so loud that the musician is practically drowned out by them. I am awaiting the day that an app is devised to identify the raga from the beginning of the alapana putting paid to this nuisance. They would, probably legitimately, be angry that their pleasure has been robbed. After all, it is a point of view as to whether the concert is a soulful experience or a variant of the Brittania Quiz contest.
I forget the failed musicians – by whom I mean those who believe that their vocation is music and they had been lead astray into other areas of work. These are the chaps who maintain the beat with claps like pistol shots or sing along with the musician or hum along with the violinist. I thought I had met the worst of them till the day came when this guy drummed on both sides of his chair, sang, hummed and stamped his feet. Why, he was a one-man-orchestra and poor T.N.Seshagopalan could not compete with him that day.
The Sabha-hoppers are inevitable in the season. They sample a bit of this in one Sabha, rush away to sample a bit of that in the other and, probably, sing the mangalam at home. Since I am the sort who can’t even stand surfing channels on TV it is understandable that I am unable to fathom the pleasure that sabha-hopping gives them.
All in all, the Music Season gives you a grand exposure to a fascinating and vibrant sub-culture in our midst. To me, all the rasikas are worth their weight in gold since it is their interest that is still keeping these wonderful creative arts thriving.

18 comments:

  1. Brilliant piece Sir... I was laughing throughout :D

    My aunt and grandmother are enthusiastic sabha/kacheri attenders, and on the one occasion that I witnessed one, I could find almost all the types you've described with such hilarious but true-to-life detail.

    What a way to start a day :)

    Thank you for this big smile!

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    1. Thanks, Mixi! What a way to start my day too - with such a wonderful comment!

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  2. Rasikas - love them or hate them, they do provide entertainment :-D I can bear all of them except those who keep taalam with the percussion player or singer. Once this guy I was sitting to next got so involved in keeping taal with the pakhawaj player (it was a dhrupad performance) that he climbed on to the chair !

    Enjoying this series of yours, Suresh. Are there more coming up?

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    1. This is the last this time :) Btw, keeping the talam with the percussion players is actively encouraged here - only during the tani avartanam.

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  3. i was astonished with the humor you carried all the way through...yeah there may be genuine people who appreciate the extraordinary moments...but there are plenty of those appreciators...who are doing it just because they have to do it...and yes may be they are applauding a clearing of throat as well...good one again..!!!

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    1. Hey! I normally follow blogs through Indiblogger! Find it difficult managing my mail. So, just let me know if you are on there.

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  5. Bravo! Bravo! Enjoyed to no end this masterpiece. I simply know what you are talking about. I am one of those who 'think' they 'know' but what that's an inarguably daft thing to answer!!! As I read I could visualize the aunties loaded in gold and the uncles in their crisp "Tide-white" veshtis looking so 'knowledgeable' that you feel hesitant to ask them a few things about what's going on fearing that they may lift you out of the concert unceremoniously. And the ill-timed wahs wahs, the condescending arching of the brow, the head-nodding/swaying which goes in galore with Hindusthani Classical Music,oooh, I am regaled to no end to read this post. Sharing this with my kin. Regards

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  6. ha ha....Bale Baesh Suresh Balae Baesh!! :)

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  7. Where is my comment? :( Please check your spams.

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    1. Not in Spam either Saru! Must hv fallen in some Internet Black Hole :)

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  8. Hello Suresh, it's my first time here!

    This one made for an interesting read. Having done sabha-hopping as a rasika all through my growing-up years in Chennai, I can totally relate to this post. I can also think of a few other types of rasikas - 1) the ones who doze off throughout the performance, only to be jostled by the applause in the end! Then they too join in and clap, more to gather themselves to stay awake than to cheer the musician! 2) The ones who have a deep heart-felt(?!) hatred for Thanis. These rasikas stage a walk out in search of filter kaapi and sambar vadai, the moment the mridanga vidwan starts playing. 3) The third is the one whom I call the master of rasikas and the novice of vidwans. He/She is an aspiring professional - the moment the performer starts an alaap, the expert rasika in him/her immediately identifies the raaga and the novice vidwan in the same person starts his/her own alaapana, much to the agony of the people around. The same person can also be spotted furiously taking notes and scribbling away to glory!

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    1. I envy you your growing up years, Malini! I am only a recent entrant in the Classical music scene. No wonder you are able to identify a lot more classes of rasikas :)

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