Why carnatic music needs a T-20 to survive

Vishnudev Nambudri, @Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, sang a fantastic twin-raga pallavi--Kamalamanohari and Devamanohari

While the quality of carnatic music--in terms of sheer talent of the artistes and their presentation, has improved substantially over the past few decades, the 'carnatic system' itself suffers from dwindling patronage, oversupply and the regrettable, continued reluctance of rasikas to pay.

On the other hand, newer versions of the music are always evolving--first came Harikatha, then Namasankirthanam and now, thanks to the efforts of people like Harish Sivaramakrishnan (who runs a carnatic rock band called 'Agam'). And newer channels of delivery are coming up too--YouTube, Zoom, etc.

Shashank and Ronu Mazumdar enthralled the audience with a delectable Charukesi

An emerging view among the connoisseurs, cognoscenti and the carnatic-leaning intelligentsia is that such newer versions and newer delivery channels are essential for the very survival of carnatic music and therefore needs to be encouraged--no matter what the orthodox might feel about this 'dilution' of 'purity' of carnatic music.

I published an article in my newspaper, Business Line about this. Please Read More....