When Carnatic music vocalist Thodur Madabusi Krishna declared that he would not sing in ticketed events at a famous, annual music festival in Chennai to protest lack of inclusiveness, he raised quite a few eyebrows. So this year, when he became the recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, it came as a validation of his efforts to bring parity in the highly caste-dominated art form.
Born into a privileged Brahmin family in Chennai, Krishna was exposed to South Indian classical music from a young age. But he soon realised that Carnatic music excluded dalits (lower caste people) in sharing this vital part of India’s cultural legacy. Questioning the politics of art, he widened his knowledge about the arts of the dalits and non-Brahmin communities and devoted himself to democratising his field as an independent artist, writer, speaker and activist.
Krishna, who holds a degree in economics, has wowed Carnatic music connoisseurs and critics alike with his subtle and innovative interpretation of the art. He has travelled extensively throughout the world and won numerous awards and titles.
The Magsaysay award citation says, “An ancient vocal and instrumental musical system, Carnatic music started centuries ago in temples and courts but was subsequently ‘classicised’ to become the almost exclusive cultural preserve of the Brahmin caste — performed, organised and enjoyed by the elite who have access to it ... In electing Krishna to receive the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Award for emergent leadership, the board of trustees recognises his forceful commitment as artist and advocate to art’s power to heal India’s deep social divisions, breaking barriers of caste and class to unleash what music has to offer not just for some but for all.”
Krishna has no qualms being called a rebel. “I do not regard Carnatic music to be some kind of a temple into which dalits and other marginalised people have to be given entry ... I hold it to be a house of grace, of majesty, with many rooms in it that have remained meaninglessly locked up and are becoming musty. They need to be opened up to people who have the interest and the right to use them and who, I believe, also have a contribution to make to their greatness,” he said in an interview earlier.
Krishna spoke to Weekend Review about his endeavour to bring about socio-cultural changes in India’s arts scene. Excerpts:
Were there more bouquets or brickbats after the announcement of the Magsaysay award?
I have received both in equal measure. But that is not surprising since the issues that I am addressing are complex and require serious introspection.
You received the award with Bezwada Wilson, a dalit who is also working for the rights of the lower caste.
Wilson is an icon who has been working in his field for more than three decades. I am just finding ways to address the issues of caste and patriarchy. By choosing both of us from the opposite ends of the caste spectrum, with thoughts and modes that are completely different, yet grappling with similar issues, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation has turned the mirror on India. We have to think and act with depth in understanding and I do hope these awards encourage us to do that.
The award has been given to you in the category of Emergent Leadership, and previous recipients include Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjeev Chaturvedi. How do you view their struggles in their respective fields?
I am disappointed with Kejriwal. He made every Indian dream of a truly democratic parliament and legislative assembly, but today he is a pale shadow of his old self. Chaturvedi is a symbol of what we all should be as people and we need many more of his ilk. I wish India learnt to celebrate such people as national icons. We want society to change, but how will that happen when we, the mainstream, live in a superficial, make-believe land?
Do you view the award as vindication for what you stand for? What message does it convey to people from the upper caste community?
The award recognises that art and artists cannot live in a bubble of isolation. It makes a bold statement that art is manipulated by conscious and unconscious socio-cultural and political Machiavellianism. The seamlessness between art and life is established, meaning that all those in the art world need to be open, self-critical and welcoming. This award is a call for humanism through art and culture. Its message is for all, not just one segment of the society.
When did you begin your fight to bring musicians from lower castes into the mainstream? Was there any particular incident that changed the course of your life?
For long, I did not even realise that these differentiations existed. In fact, I believed in many of the things I question today. It was the Carnatic experience that allowed me to experience an uninhibited openness and that vulnerability made me question who I was as a person and the art I practised. I was further challenged when I allowed myself to inhabit other art forms and drench myself in their splendour. I learnt that art and people are inseparable and that the way we practise and share art says a lot about ourselves. So, in questioning art, I was questioning myself.
What kind of support did you get from your parents?
My parents and my school, Krishnamurti Foundation India, always made me observe, inquire and question. Were it not for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
How many lives have you been able to change?
Putting a number on such things reduces our work to targets. I am not running a corporate house capturing market share. There have been many young people who have been supported by our trusts, exposed to many art forms through our initiatives and this is an ongoing process. We have supported students of arts from both marginalised castes and those who are economically handicapped. We are not interested in large models. We work with small groups of people and will continue in that mode. If other people find our work exciting, I urge them to get involved. I will be happy to help in whatever way I can.
Do you have dalit students learning Carnatic music?
Personally, no. But through a couple of projects in schools and a proposed mentorship programme, I hope we can bring in people from dalit and other communities. All of this takes time, patience and effort.
Where have you found the most supportive audience to your cause?
I have found that the younger generation within the Carnatic music community by and large understands and supports the spirit of my discourse. I have received immense support from philosophers, historians, anthropologists, artists, social activists and from within the political class. I think it is only the conservative, Brahminical groups that are disturbed by my thoughts and actions, and I understand why. Therefore, I do not take any of the barbs thrown at me personally.
Do you plan to open a school or academy for dalit students?
There are so many possibilities and ideas. I need to work with purpose and a larger vision.
Nilima Pathak is a journalist based in New Delhi.
