‘Music is a good unifying and connecting issue even right this moment’ 

How did Karnataka come to have a wealthy legacy that mixes Carnatic and Hindustani traditions? What are the historic causes for it? 

The kings of Mysuru have been accountable for the wealthy Hindustani and Carnatic traditions we have now right this moment. They’d invite artistes from cities like Baroda to their courts, which might contain at the least 4 days of journey. After Mysuru, they’d finally carry out at cities like Belgavi, Dharwad, Hubbali and different locations. That’s how, slowly, the seeds of Hindustani music have been sown in North Karnataka. The affect of Bombay Natya Sangeeth on North Karnataka was additionally very robust in these days, which too contributed to the Hindustani traditions in Karnataka.  

Did these two traditions stay aloof or did they intermingle in artistic methods? Are you able to give examples of it in the event that they did interreact creatively? 

Earlier than the thirteenth century, we had just one type of classical custom. By and enormous the content material of Indian classical music was non secular and spiritual… Hindustani music’s Raag Bhairav is Mayamalavagowla Raga in Carnatic music, Raag Malkauns is Hindola Raga, Raag Shudh Sarang is Mohanakalyani Raga and so forth. Each traditions have at all times had corresponding Ragas, as they arrive from the identical supply.    

Although a lot is claimed about North-South divide in Karnataka, even after years of unification, do you assume it has led to cultural enrichment regardless of politically troublesome points? 

Ustad Dagar calls me throughout each pageant to greet me, and vice versa. Bheemsen Joshi’s guru was Sawai Gandharva, and his guru was Ustad Abdul Kareem Khan. When Abdul Kareem Khan began his music faculty in 1900s, he would take a written bond and dedication from his college students saying that he/she would examine for at least seven years. As a result of he valued his artwork a lot. Abdul Kareem Khan taught Sawai Gandharva, who in flip taught a Parsi, a Madhwa, a Vokkaliga, and nothing got here in between. Music is a good unifying and connecting issue even right this moment.  

Dharwad was historically centre of Hindustani and Mysuru Carnatic music. Have these two cities modified of their musical panorama?  

Not a lot change has been seen within the musical panorama. Dharwad continues to be the centre for Hindustani and Mysuru for Carnatic. Nevertheless, what has modified is that the variety of performers have elevated, because of the synthetic surge within the alternatives created. Earlier it was solely the Dasara celebrations or Hampi Utsava, however these days each district has a Utsava or a pageant. Who selects the artists for these festivals? The native MLA… What’s his/her experience in deciding on who’s going to carry out? That has to go.  

Would you say Bengaluru’s musical scene is vibrant or has commerce as properly logistical points like site visitors and absence of venues marred it? 

Regardless of having transport conveniences just like the metro, there are nonetheless many islands fashioned within the metropolis. For instance, Malleswaram is an island for music lovers, however in case you do a programme in Basavanagudi, the viewers from Malleswaram will assume twice on coming. Additionally, the technology which by and enormous listens to conventional music is above the age of sixty. With such audiences, they’ve very protecting youngsters who don’t need to ship them, or the aged should not unbiased sufficient to go on their very own. With COVID-19, a brand new menace was launched that’s the facility of getting issues on-line. Now, at any time when there’s a live performance by me, individuals ask whether it is out there on-line. These are the brand new challenges for musicians.

You might be well-known in your rendering of each Dasa and Vachana literature. How have these two nice literary traditions influenced our music? 

These two literary traditions have influenced our music immensely. My parama guru, Bheemsen Joshi, had began a singular programme known as Dasavani, the place he would sing Dasa Padas for 4 hours properly withing the classical music traditions. There was no bargaining when it comes to classical rendering. He set a development, and this impressed many others to start out live shows and ideas like Sharanavani, a programme on Vachanas. Dasara Padas have been sung within the Mysuru court docket, and extra such programmes have been created. 

You haven’t simply been a performer however have skilled a number of younger gifted singers and musicians, together with your personal youngsters. Because the years go by, do you assume youngsters or music lovers of this age have the identical urge to study music your technology had a few years in the past? 

There’s an unhealthy hurry about being a performer for lots of the younger lately. For instance, 20 years in the past, a pair got here to me with their teenage baby and mentioned that their son had been certified for the semi-finals of a actuality present and he needed to sing Nambide Ninna Naada Devatheye, which was sung by Bheemsen Joshi within the movie Sandhya Raaga.

They mentioned I might be paid an enormous quantity, my instructing classes could be telecast and that I might get a variety of publicity. It’s not a straightforward tune to sing. When Bheemsen Joshi sang this tune, he was in his early 40s and had already put in 30 years of observe in music. However these mother and father wished me to show this tune to a 14-year-old, who had by no means even held a tanpura in his hand, inside a weeks’ time. I informed them if Yuvaraj Singh can educate me how you can hit six sixes in per week, then I’ll educate their son how you can sing the tune. They by no means got here again to me. It’s essential to study to have persistence, if you wish to study music.