An artiste creates and modifies his or her style for several reasons: “Let’s Talk Carnatic” by Mopachennai.org

Is tradition set in stone? Is not change even within a musician’s lifetime in the natural order of things? Does custom or convention in musical practice have to be held sacrosanct at the cost of organic modification or adaptation?An artiste creates and modifies, subtly or otherwise, his or her style for several reasons – physical, …

Vidyaamagna: webinar & online lessons

WEBINAR – THE AESTHETICS OF VARNAM IN KARNATIC MUSIC Sat, 30 July | 2 pm – 3.30 pm (BST) / 6.30pm (IST)  | £10 STELLA SUBBIAH (Artist Development Lead, Bhavan London) In conversation with LUDWIG PESCH (Author of The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music) VIGNESH ISHWAR (Musician) Today, as in the remote …

A lesson (thought experiment) inspired by Gandhi’s understanding of music

Mahatma Gandhi stamp set | Mahatma Gandhi and music >> The challenge of going beyond a “narrow understanding of classical” music has long been debated among performers and musicologists; whether for the sake of creativity and self-expression or ideals like “serving society through music”, even harnessing the healing power of music where most needed. So what about …

Oral transmission vs. notation in Carnatic music: Pondering the “original pathantaram-s of kriti-s” 

One of the debated topics in Carnatic music is the deviation by musicians from the so-called ‘original’ pathantaram of kriti-s. This article is not an attempt to provide a conclusive answer to end the debate but a constructive provocation and an invitation for opening up the topic for a wider debate. […] While in matters …