Carnatic music is not something that many young people
relate to these days. Indeed, gone are the days, when harmoniums and sitars
were the 'it' things to learn and mothers fought with their counterparts and
vied for the best Carnatic teachers for their children to learn from. Just like
Sanskrit is slowly disappearing and getting lost in the myriad of new and hip
languages, Carnatic music which owes the inspiration of its innumerable songs
to the language, is slowly fading. Yes, ask a teenager on the street whether he
or she has ever come across the words sruti, swara, and raga, and the tala
system. Probably learnt them in history class? Do they listen to it? ‘No way'
would be the typical reaction. Ask the same about the latest Metallica song? ‘Oh
yeah!’ would be the reply. I'm not saying Carnatic music is gone forever. Go
into the streets of say, Chennai and every other house would be buzzing with
the sounds of a sruti box and a hoard of children singing along with thalam.
You won’t find elder people listening to hard rock. No, it would be classical.
It could and would be Carnatic music. So all is not lost yet! Carnatic music is
a form of the Hindu legacy. A world without a legacy is like an ocean without a
ship.
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