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Indian Classical Music and Dance in South Louisiana
By Andrew McLean
Introduction
History of Indian Classical Music
Arriving in Louisiana
Cultivating Transcendental Music
Honoring Sarasvati: The Goddess of Music
Priyo Majumdar performs "Raga Kafi" on his sarode
Saraswati Song Sung By Ramabai Shenoy
Meera Seth performs "Bhupali" on her sitar
Producing Concerts of Touring Indian Artists
Extending the Sense of Musical Community
Storytelling Through Dance
Conclusion
Producing Concerts of Touring Indian Artists
Concert organizer Subash Kulkarni arrived in Chicago from Mumbai/Bombay in 1968. By 1970 he was organizing concerts featuring mostly Indian film stars. Once he moved to New Orleans he recognized the effect that Indian classical music was having on Western audiences:
Can you imagine what they would do when they listen to the person live? And you don't need that experience on a daily basis. … It's the kind of experience that's etched in their heart and brain, and you can connect that every time you listen to that music. You have to describe the music as divine because you immerse yourself so much that you forget yourself. And you are in a state of rejoicing your whole life and you forget everything! (Kulkarni 2008)
In New Orleans Kulkarni found a few other Hindustani aficionados, including Dr. Sudhanva Wadgaonkar and Dr. Madhukar Prasad (who has since moved to Houston). Wadgoankar's enthusiasm is contagious: "Classical music is a big part of my life. It's very spiritual; it is very intense. You have to listen to it [classical music] live instead of just recorded music. Not having live [Indian] music [in New Orleans] we had to go to the recorded music, but if we can get this!" Along with a few independent promoters, these three connoisseurs became the principal sponsors of Indian concerts in the New Orleans area. An established producer in Pennsylvania had a seasonal list of touring Indian artists that often included the artists of the highest caliber from India including the afore-mentioned bansuri maestro Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and santoor pioneer Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, both of whom had been in Pt. Ravi Shankar's touring ensembles in the 1970s. Up-and-coming standouts of the next generation have been brought to New Orleans as well. These include Pt. Anindo Chatterjee and Vishva Mohan Bhatt, who was awarded a Grammy for A Meeting by the River (Cooder and Bhatt 1993) with blues guitarist Ry Cooder.
It was important to these organizers to offer the highest possible representatives of their music culture to the Louisiana public in addition to being able to enjoy the music themselves. Wadgaonkar expounded,
Like Western music, only 10% of the people are interested in the pure classical music. The bigger part, which I think is important, is that it is a very big part of Indian culture, and the local American community has to be presented with this culture. It is a very rich heritage, which is important. Culture ambassadors have to come from India and present it to the American community. It is something to be proud of which is rich in India. And there are a lot of similarities with the jazz music. (Wadgaonkar 2008)
With the momentum established by these organizers, a bigger production team was formed called the Indian Arts Circle of New Orleans (IACNO). Priyodarshi Majumdar joined the group with similar intentions.
I started out with selfish reasons. … That's what I did back home and I miss it. We don't get as many concerts as we used to get back home. Back in India during the wintertime, there was like a concert everyday. And there were some music conferences where they would go for like five all-nighters. It was a beautiful overload of music! So when I come here, I'm starved. Arranging concerts is special because live music is something that we've grown up with. Something else comes out of live music, which is not there in recorded music -- … that live interaction. It's a great experience … to have close contact with the musicians, to make my family a part of it, to show my son how these concerts go so they can … learn how to appreciate. And when our organizing committee gets together, … it forms a close bond. (Majumdar 2008)
This expanded committee (IACNO) is now directed by Majumdar and Urmila Kamath and also includes Jayashree Rao, Suki Pramar, Vijaya Devarajan, Sunita Pethe, and Andrew McLean. The IACNO's concerts have been held at various local university auditoriums and typically attract 200-500 listeners both of Indian and non-Indian descent. The non-Indians are a combination of students from the host universities as well as patrons from the local community who routinely support live, New Orleans-based music. The Indian attendees are mostly Hindus of the higher castes (Brahmins) from northern Indian states.
Extending the Sense of Musical Community
Both Majumdar and Wadgaonkar have come to see the importance of their music culture in relation to the local music of New Orleans. They consider it a special privilege and opportunity. Recognizing a certain kinship, they regularly include local New Orleans musicians in their private music gatherings at home. Wadgaonkar elaborates,
Indian classical music has the same soul as the jazz music. They perform with a particular melody in a different way every time and create the mood for the audience. The jazz musicians can appreciate that. That's why it's so important for New Orleans to have Indian classical music. I think if it is presented and marketed properly I think it will succeed and the musicians here will adopt it.
Majumdar, through the inspiration of New Orleans native and classically trained Indian percussionist Andrew McLean, has become the featured centerpiece of Jugalbandi Jazz, a series of concerts presenting musical dialogues between Indian and New Orleans musicians. Beginning in 1999, their concerts have been held at many venues including the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, the Hookah Cafe, Zeitgeist Multi-disciplinary Art Center, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Majumdar has now performed with several of the most noted New Orleans musicians, including Henry Butler, Tim Green, James Singleton, and Jason Marsalis. He talks proudly of what they have achieved together.
It was never a concrete thought in my mind that I want to play concerts with local musicians. Indian classical music concerts are so unlike Western classical music concerts in that audience members you will see all the time that they are saying something or the other. … They hear a certain phrase and they just say something out loud like 'Wow that's great!' We really like that as a musician, and we long for that. But there's not a huge clientele for Indian classical music concerts here. Then Andrew came along. … The very first concert we did with three non-Indian musicians for a convention downtown was a huge success. So, that was a great experience! Just because the first one went so well, I started to look forward to them. Every single one of them becomes an eye-opener/ear-opener for me. I'm learning all the time. It's amazing how the local musicians can pick up our music. It's really uplifting to hear all these accomplished musicians wanting to play with me. I've made good friends and we've made good music. (Majumdar 2008)
Local community collaboration goes beyond the actual musicians to the other institutions that support New Orleans music including Loyola University. Loyola's Montage Music series was looking to feature some international music and found a perfect fit in the IACNO. A mutually beneficial relationship has developed in the years since the collaboration began. Majumdar continues,
In terms of the community cohesion, our collaboration with Loyola, which started a few years ago, has grown to include more non-Indians. We see a lot of Americans coming, and it fills my heart. I do have big plans, but this music and this town have given me so much. I feel exhausted and invigorated at the same time, and I want to do it again. I hope that this music thing that we're doing in the long term, it'll help to bring a lot of new people together and keep them together. (Majumdar 2008)
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).
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