|
|
|
|
|
Indian Classical Music and Dance in South Louisiana By Andrew McLean Introduction Cultivating Transcendental Music
While most Indians keep in touch with their country's sound culture through commercial recordings of popular music (such as popular Bollywood film songs commonly referred to as filmi), television, and more recently the internet, only a small portion of the community takes to classical music. As sarod player Priyodarshi Majumdar states, "This is not popular music; there are very few people who actually like this kind of music." It is not that the Indians do not value their classical music. Compared to the more popular forms of music, it just requires more from both the listener and performer. Local concert producer Subash Kulkarni compares the two forms saying that for filmi music, "If it sounds good and the [lyrics'] meaning is good, it becomes popular. There is a totally different discipline for classical music. In classical music there is the need for a commitment to the training and the teacher." Classical Indian dance instructor Padmini Chari, who has given over twenty years' service to teaching Indian dance in New Orleans and produced several accomplished local dancers, describes this very issue in terms that are equally applicable to music. "When you learn the classical dance you're locked up for five or six years. You don't get anywhere in one year! Whereas, with Bollywood and all that, you can just go and learn and perform. So if you have this fascination for the stage, ... it's Bollywood." The general perception is that classical music has a more serious mood than "light" classical and other forms of Indian music. Classical music requires more active listening to understand its sweet side, so most people who are looking for entertainment or simple distraction prefer the lighter "semi-classical" and film music. Many famous composers and singers of these lighter, more popular styles in fact had classical training and were associates of the classical musicians. Asha Bhosle for example, sometimes called the "Elvis of Indian music," even tied ganda with (became an official disciple of) Ali Akbar Khan who is called the "Bach of Indian music." Local vocal music instructor Sudipta Das elaborates.
The notes of ragas are commonly referred to as sargam. The word sargam) derives its name from the first few notes of the musical scale "Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa," and is roughly equivalent to the solfege of western music, "Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do." While she taught vocal students in Metairie, Sunita Pethe described her intentions: "First I want them to learn the Indian classical music. Like a base, if the base is ready, you can learn any kind of music. Now they can recognize the various ragas and apply it to any style of music, . . . even western music. As long as they learn the sur [pitch] and the tal [rhythm]." Pethe was the first trained Indian musician to offer vocal classes in south Louisiana, and some of her students have gone on to join bands and choirs of Western music. She continues, "I think they really enjoy it. They know what Indian classical music is, and they can use their music in different parts their activities, and they do. I'm very proud of them. They are using the basics I taught them. They learned and they listen all the time!" One of Pethe's students, Mithun Kamath confirms,
Learning to play classical Indian music requires more than listening and technical skills. Mithun's mother Mrs. Urmila Kamath says, "Classical music is not learned easily. We know what effort it takes sadhana / riaz [disciplined, consistent practice] without which the artist cannot shine. I think in India music is a spiritual experience. It's not just something you listen to." Mithun echoes that sentiment, "Music is really the one thing that I identify with the most as far as my identity as an Indian-American, … even more than language and food. It's what I would want to pass on if I could choose one thing. There's just so much involved." When asked what the most important thing for the public to understand about his music culture, he continues, "There's that transcendental nature that may not exist in other music. … It's just so tied up in the spiritual and meditative side of our culture. Something in it can transfix you." Honoring Sarasvati: The Goddess of Music
The evening portion brought the children into focus with the much-anticipated "Cultural Program." On this day, it was clearly more important to simply participate than to offer an excellent performance. The program featured mostly children in a light-hearted, but steady upward progression of proficiency, which culminated in the more mature music and dance items from those who had obviously been studying. Some sang their favorite pop song a capella or in karaoke style with a CD recording, while others recited new and traditional poetry. In one of the program's more mature items, Monika Roy, a long-time student of Padmini Chari, presented a condensed version of a two-hour Natyanjali dance recital she had prepared for six years. Prema Bhattachaya sang a few light classical songs accompanied by her teacher Sudipta Das on harmonium and Tushar Roy on tabla. Vocalist Sumaitha Chowdhury, a recent immigrant from Bangladesh, accompanied herself on harmonium with Tushar Roy's tabla. Arnab Ray gave an eloquent speech reminding the community that the swan image often depicted in paintings of Sarasvati represents the discernment that turns the knowledge into wisdom and judgment. One such musician who exemplifies such discernment in transmitting the classical music tradition is Priyodarshi Majumdar. "Priyo," as he is called, initiated his training as a classical sarode player in Calcutta as a young teenager. During an eleven-year apprenticeship to his guru Sri Robi Chakraborty, his lessons would last for several hours every Saturday at the guru's home where he was virtually adopted as a son. The lessons included learning to vocalize all aspects of the music while developing the techniques required to articulate the music on his instrument. Before relocating to New Orleans to pursue an engineering degree at Tulane in the early 1990s, Majumdar had won music competitions in the state of Bengal, and his proficiency instantly earned him a reputation as the most respected instrumentalist in Louisiana's Indian community. From his Metairie home, he has taught select students and performed at numerous Indian social gatherings as well as represented the Indian community locally in prestigious events such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Priyo Majumdar performs "Raga Kafi" on his sarode Meera Seth performs "Bhupali" on her sitar Priyo attends the LBCA's Sarasvati Puja to honor all the arts and forms of learning but hosts a private puja in his home specifically for his student recitals. He explains,
At the LBCA puja, Majumdar's son Prokkawn saved his sarod recital for the home puja and opted instead to present a few poems he had memorized for the community puja. Before Prokkawn's recital began, Ramabai Shenoy, a respected elder in the community, asked if she could sing an opening invocation to the goddess Saraswati to set the tone of the event. Click here to hear Saraswati song sung by Ramabai Shenoy. The lyrics and translation are below. Amba Devi Saraswati Amba, Devi, Saraswati Andrew McLean is an ethnomusicologist and professional musician who specializes in Indian Classical Music. He is based in New Orleans, Louisiana where he performs and teaches the guitar and Indian tabla (drums). |
|
|
