 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feature: Asia |
|
The Shrinking 'World' of Music in India
by Shefali Bhushan
'We're looking for Indian instrumental music as background for a documentary, can you suggest something?' someone asked me at a "world music" fair. 'Sure', I said, 'how about this lovely sound of the algoza, a double flute'.... 'No, actually we must have what people immediately recognize as 'Indian'... Sitar perhaps... like Ravi Shankar'?
That sums it up really, Indian music for the world rarely goes beyond Pt. Ravi Shankar or a few other big names and one can be a great admirer of his fine music or bold experiments and still feel a gnawing sense of inadequacy.
Music in India is as vast, varied and vibrant as the land itself, but only an infinitesimally small part is known or heard outside or even in the country nowadays.
Apart from classical artists, the best known music is film music, which usually accompanies elaborate dance sequences. Alka Yagnik, one of the nominees for the Radio 3 Awards, is definitely one of its most popular artists. Film music is the bread and butter of most Indian music companies and if at all they deal with another genre, it's on a steep downward curve. It is a shame that instead of growing, the diversity of Indian music is actually shrinking day by day.
It is in this climate that we started the project and took on the monumental and uphill task of reviving interest in the traditional music of the people, the music closest to the soul of the country, thereby helping it stay alive. The initiative is twofold: a label making it available in stores across the globe and a website, creating a unique music and information resource.
The most difficult part of this work is finding the best musicians and the only option is to travel deep into villages seeking artistes, often armed with just two names... the singer's and the village's. That is what we have been doing for the last couple of years and have succeeded in finding some fantastic musicians.
One such artiste is the 86-year-old (Listen), from the farthest reaches of the Himalayas in Uttaranchal, who dances, plays the hudka (drum) and sings tales of the region's warriors with astonishing energy. Another is the washer-man (Listen) of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, who doesn't hesitate a moment in tucking his shirt in to demonstrate how the washer-people sing while working and get their natural rhythm from the cloth hitting the stone.
Then there's the man we followed in the middle of the night to a function in a tiny village close to Allahabad, (Listen). He knows he has immense talent but can't exploit it beyond enthralling villagers at local weddings, many of who now prefer to play film music instead. He said to me wistfully... 'Sister, I am willing to do anything for it... I only want a mention of my name in the "world of voices"..'
Music pumps the blood of these men and women and allows them to live, so they can't but carry on despite severe adversity, but most of them are old and do not even have students carrying on their art. That amplifies the need for more initiatives to revive this music and hopefully in the not too distant future many grassroots artistes will contend for "world music" awards such as these.
Shefali Bhushan is the founder of Beat of India, an initiative to revive the folk music of India. She has been travelling to remote parts of India meeting and recording with some of the best surviving folk musicians. Coming from a background of documentary film-making, Shefali has also studied Indian classical music for many years.
More Indian music on Radio 3:
Try our online dhol drum workshop
Best of Bollywood from the Edinburgh Mela
Hindu Festival in East London
Navratri Hindu Festival in Leicester
Tooting Chariot Festival
Indian dhol drum player in London
Indian classcal music in Kilmarnock
Why awards? read on
|
|
|
|
AWARDS HOMEPAGE
FEATURES
AUDIENCE AWARD
SCREENSAVER
AWARDS PHOTOS
NOMINEES:
Alka Yagnik
Bembeya Jazz
DuOuD
Eliza Carthy
Ellika and Solo
Gotan Project
Kasse Mady Diabat茅
Kayhan Kalhor
Kimmo Pohjonen
Lila Downs
Los de Abajo
Mahwash and Ensemble Kaboul
Mariza
Oi Va Voi
Ojos de Brujo
Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Orchestra Baobab
Papa Noel and Papi Oviedo
Salif Keita
Samira Said
Sergey Starostin
Susana Baca
Te Vaka
Tony Allen
Trilok Gurtu
Yair Dalal
Youssou N'Dour
Yusa
OUR PARTNERS:
OTHER LINKS:
|
|
|
|
