Is it possible to appreciate an artist’s talent beyond their politics? Members of Carnatic music are striking a harsh, negative note by resisting the Madras Music Academy’s decision to confer the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi title on TM Krishna.
The controversy has classic elements of a modern day dilemma—how do we separate art from the artist, craft from the character; how do we valorise the vile? Crucially, should we even do that? This dilemma surfaces when a celebrated artist, regardless of the field, faces accusations—or is found guilty—of a horrific crime.
In Krishna’s case, a section of the Carnatic music industry is seeking to boycott the proverbial black sheep from their herd. Krishna, a recipient of the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay award for social inclusion in culture, is a Brahmin but has never shied away from criticising his community and fraternity.
Sister-duo Ranjani-Gayatri, Trichur Brothers Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, and vocalist Vishakha Hari have pulled out of the Music Academy’s annual conference—which will be presided over by Krishna—while Chitravina N Ravikiran has decided to return the Sangita Kalanidhi title conferred on him in 2017. Ravikiran was accused of sexual harassment by two students in 2018, though he denies the allegations.
The meltdown of these singers has no greater cause except the ‘cause’ of ‘Brahminism’. In an interview to a news channel, the sister-duo said Brahmins are a soft target, describing the community as “least casteist”. Hari said her “core values” are threatened by the academy’s action of awarding Krishna, who has “engaged in a lot of slandering…hurting the sentiments of many”.
The victim card that Brahmins are playing by boycotting the conference simply because the academy recognised Krishna’s contributions to the classical music industry reeks of casteist privilege. It’s not the sign of a “least casteist community”. The elite artists can’t stand someone questioning the power structure in the industry they operate in.
Also read: TM Krishna’s book celebrating Dalit Christian mrdangam makers triggers row in Tamil Nadu
Why Krishna bothers them
In his letter to the Music Academy, Ravikiran accused TM Krishna of displaying “no foresight to the economic and collateral damage his actions could cause to the classical industry”. Krishna took Carnatic music to the slums and brought people into the industry who otherwise never would. He sings about Allah in Carnatic style and has made the music truly public, bringing it out of its ivory tower monopoly.
“He has vilified the Carnatic music fraternity that has collectively contributed millions of hours of artistry, hard work and literature,” Rajani and Gayatri wrote.
Highlighting the flaws of one’s own fraternity, which are shaped by years of oppressive caste’s dominance in the field of art, is not villainisation; it is navel gazing. And people like Krishna do it at a huge cost—they’re the ones who end up being targeted by their community and run the risk of coming across as ‘saviours’ for the oppressed while belonging to the oppressor class.
Not only does questioning one’s own fraternity require a great deal of courage, but it also shows integrity. TM Krishna’s articulate critique and a fearless approach of raising issues while enduring backlash over the years is admirable.
In their reply to the sisters, the Madras Music Academy clarified that Krishna was being honoured for his contribution to music over his long career, “with no extraneous factors influencing our choice”. The academy putting its foot down is a healthy sign for its future.
‘Award wapsi’, otherwise demonised by proponents of the Hindu Right, is a form of protest to question unbridled power. But here, they are questioning the achievements of someone who has consistently questioned power structures. Some of them admitted that Krishna’s talent is unparalleled, but it’s his politics that makes him “unworthy” of the award.
It’s time Brahmins, fed by centuries of privilege, learn that the cushion of power they have enjoyed—and continue to enjoy—in the art world and other areas won’t carry on for eternity. All forms of power structure come down. This one would as well. Dancers like Nrithya Pillai are here to tip the scales to balance, as are artists KJ Yesudas, P Unnikrishnan, Brinda Manickavasagam, and Neyyattinkara Vasudevan. Pillai is demanding answers for appropriation and Brahminisation of Dalit art and culture.
As such, the protest against Krishna shows how uncomfortable Brahmins become when a critical lens is turned on them. Industry’s validation of Krishna suggests to them that the ground beneath their feet is shaking. For good reason.
Also read: Is cancelling TM Krishna’s music concert right of organisers or sign of Hindu intolerance?
An industry controlled by Brahmins
Like many classical art forms, the Carnatic music industry is also full of Brahmins who act as the gatekeepers. It is a demanding art form, where even the most talented and experienced singers require daily practice, a sharp memory, years of training under exceptional teachers, and of course a natural ear for music. The success rate and the potential to earn good money is limited, a gamble people from unprivileged backgrounds are seldom able to play.
This is where figures like TM Krishna play a crucial role. Being a Brahmin and fighting against his own does not make Krishna a hero. One could argue writer G Pramod Kumar is fair in criticising Krishna for only stating the problems and never offering any solutions, noting how few Dalits have been able to thrive in the endogamous circles of Carnatic music.
What makes Krishna stand out are his contributions towards social reform within the industry, even if he is only saying something no one else would. But he is doing much more. He is democratising music, singing songs in praise of non-Hindu deities, breaking the norm, and challenging the authority.
Krishna has ruffled a lot of feathers in the past. In 2017, he noted how MS Subbulakshmi had left her devadasi roots behind to become an ideal Brahmin woman. This invited widespread criticism from Carnatic musicians. But Krishna has stayed true to his ideals without caring about his celebrity status or influence, even as his concerts got cancelled, not just in India but abroad as well.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
Hi – article by Shubhangi Misra is one of the crappiest and half baked article I have read in a while. The author is very prejudiced and the article is very one sided.
I am very surprised that Print allowed such articles to be published without clear understanding of the issue and making me wonder if I should continue supporting Print or not !
Harish
Sent from my iPhone
Meltdown is from the authors of this article. Listen to the artists who are boycotting, with an open mind. Stop this -ve campaign against brahmins, it has become fashion to criticize one’s cultural roots to portray self as modern and progressive. Our strength is our culture. Carnatic music is a divine form of expression, of our love towards God.
Everything evil is in brahmins only. TM Krishba is a hero for openly criticising his own
Islam and Dalits are are 100% pure. There is nothing evil in them. So, no need for one of them to criticise their own.
First off..The author of this article seems to be from Norther India who has seen oppressions by Brahmins which maybe of a different category altogether!
Bringing the same experience and applying it to the Southern Classical Music scene is a biased and myopic view!
Classic case of spitting venom against a disadvantaged race of people.Let The Print and other newspapers adopt and nurture carnatic music if they’re so concerned or else it’s nothing but utter bs woke propaganda being smeared upon the people.Somebody please file an injunction in court or atleast sue this E-Paper.
Yours smacks of a bigoted racist diatribe against a minority community. It shows terrible ignorance of the facts. Please do your homework before writing a column. I thought ThePrint was a respectable and responsible magazine and even subscribed. You make me regret that decision.
What’s kind of idiotic post is this. This opinionated girl should be shamed of herself. Please highlight it as an opinion not facts or news, as it is showing in my news feed.
This article is utter bullshit. How many downtrodden people from slum has krisna adopted and brought them up in carnatic field? As the article itself mentions, it’s a very tough field requiring high amount of natural ear for music with rigorous practice but much lesser monetary prospects vis a vis light music. It’s taught and learnt with lots of reverence to the composers, the god praised in the music and also the Guru. Anyone willing to do this irrespective of caste can learn it. It requires the rigour that a science student puts in for a medical or IIT entrance. But Krishna is trying to dilute/ drub it in the name of caste etc.
He is a characterless egoistic guy looking for limelight through dubious means.
Classic woke crowd and leftist propaganda without an aorta of understanding of the main issues why many artistes are showing dissent. It is these sort of articles that propagate divisiveness. Shubhangi-ji, pray you spend some time to understand both perspectives.
So will you ever call something like a scheduled caste scheduled tribe meltdown.,…..just asking
The author is steeped in ignorance about Carnatic music ,it’s fraternity and the nature of the controversy. TMK is a loud mouthed narrative spinner. All his articles and utterances are packed with half truths and lies ,only at hurting the sentiments of Brahmins. He has absolutely no claim to scholarship in areas that he meanders. He may be talented in Carnatic music but one cannot build on it by destroying the very values that it embodies. He does exactly that. All talk of democratising Carnatic music , blah , blah are just nonsense. Carnatic music is democratised enough and does not need upstarts like TMK . The outrage is not because of his social or political beliefs but his scant regard and abuse of the values that the art represents. To a common man he comes out as a pervert and nothing more. Heartfelt condolences to the values that the Music Academy cherished and promoted all these years.
Very one sided argument. Just like TMK you are also thinking of claiming the high ground and an elitist position through this article. Even in the article on Narayan Murthy’s 70 hr work week TMK uses this “middle class Brahmin mindset” argument which is totally out of line. NRN is known for fair and ethicsl practices and is an iconic figure. Ranjani and Gayathri have set their artistic bar very high and I don’t think they are dependent on their Brahmin upbringing. You are using a line that just suits your argument.
This must be the anti Brahmin meltdown article then. LMAO.
This article is so far away from reality and just politically motivated. One cant achieve inclusivity by villainizing a particular community. There are so many decent ways by which inclusivity could be achieved. TM Krisha is just a shame.
Shubhangi Misra has no depth of understanding of what carnatic music is and its roots. Please dont write such substandard articles just because you have to show some work!
Horribly casteist article.. someone from law background please sue this author.. I swear to block all articles from print. Such pure shit. I was least bothered about the controversy. Just tells the mindset of the writer and the editor who approved this. This is democracy where freedom of speech is differentially applied.. let the author show some nerve and write about other communities. U should be thankful to Brahmins that they are tolerant towards ur article. Karma will bite u one day
The crappiest article which blames the victims and glorifies the accused. When did krishna took Carnatic music to the slums and how does singing allah in Carnatic makes music as Public? This article is penned by someone who has absolutely no idea about Carnatic music and musicians. the best part is that at end it says views are personal. Pathetic shit at its best
Vehemently condemn this utter casteist headline. No law in this land permits anyone to hurl abuse towards any caste – brahmin or non-brahmin. Real or perceived injustice from a group cannot be an excuse to vilify the group as a whole. Just like terrorist acts by some people cannot be justification to paint a whole community as terrorist
This article is so biased and tried to paint as a Brahmin vs non-brahmin issue.. TM Krishna, whilst being an accomplished singer has used this platform to make political statements, tried to divide the Carnatic fraternity by casting aspersions on the yesteryear artists as being non inclusive.
There have always been singers and other artists outside of the Brahmin community, Dance especially were not taken up by the Brahmin community until in the last 5 decades or so, famous dance teachers used to be from Pillai community, so were many mridangam artists.
In the 1930’s thru 60s it was about the inclusion of Tamil songs in the performance and now it has been main stream.
Posturing by a clueless virtue signalling north-Indian Brahmin who has no knowledge of Carnatic classical music. Just throwing a few names here and there.
Almost a century ago, T. Chowdaiah, ace, violinist, a non-Brahmin OBC was the star of Carnatic Music along with GNB, a Brahmin. Misraji, has probably never heard of these two. Whenever, GNB was asked for a concert, he would tell the organizers to find out when T. Chowdaiah was free and agree to whatever the date Chowdaiah gave. That was the respect GNB, a Brahmin, had for Chowdaiah. The point is that even a century ago, it was merit and talent in music that mattered to music lovers.
I bet Misraji doesn’t even know that the premier concert hall in Bengaluru is named after Chowdaiah.
T M Krishna is a rabble-rouser and just wants publicity without actually contributing anything meaningful to bring up talented musicians from the OBC and Dalit communities. Change is the only constant. But what TM Krishna is doing looks more like an attempt to destroy the music establishment rather than bring up talented musicians. It reeks of a power-play than any heartfelt desire to help out groups.
I recommend that the clueless Misraji should watch the iconic movie ‘Sankarabharanam’ which is all about Carnatic music and caste. She has probably never heard of this masterpiece.
For a moment if we keep aside the brahmanical fact on both sides , time and again we are advised from childhood that our profession must come with highest character ,
Sheelam Param Bhushanam” is a Sanskrit phrase that translates to “Character is the Highest Virtue” in English. This phrase emphasizes the importance of moral integrity and ethical conduct as the most valuable quality or ornament one can possess and not excellence unfortunately says dumb as Google too and its our basics of upbringing by parents in civilized society as ours and so is honesty the best policy.
Music Academy is just one private sabha that is oscillating between left/right/center political agendas whatsoever which is their sustenance ,an institution that stood for premier stalwarts of music and dance fraternity of yesteryears who earned fame through the works of trinities and eternal composers and enhanced the reputation of the institution is declining with lack of right judgment and ethos, that is all and this will never affect the growing population of musicians,rasikas . Art is bigger than any individual or institution and that is why Music of Thyagayya was submitted to the feet of his lord without claiming any ownership ,do we have saints amongst us if so TMK would not have accepted an award towards “service” of working for the betterment of the society.
Initially MA iterated on TMK social reforms now contradicts as only music excellence . The very institution whom he boycotted and now being awarded its total confusion for layman.
Mr. TM Mohammed is not anti brahmin alone, hes anti Santana Dharma and anti India. He is a disgrace to society and to India. Know what you are writing, dont try to use every opportunity to bash a community. The writer seems absolutely ignorant and arrogant
Yet another Brahmin basher! Taking a handful of Brahmins as example of a community’s behavior. If TM Krishna’s politics or irrelevant to you, why is the accusation against Ravikiran relevant. I have seen enough Brahmin bashers and I couldn’t care less. If the accusation that Brahmins were divisive, what about folks like you who are out to get the Brahmin. Your actions have now made Brahmins unite and polarized the community. But then, I guess nowadays anyone with a pen and paper can write whatever they want making the paper more useful for other purposes than propagating good information