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Shades of Grey
We need to go beyond stark dichotomies when discussing any art form, including Carnatic music.
T M Krishna responds to my piece as a serious practitioner whose musical socialisation was steeped in the Carnatic concert system, which he has subsequently critiqued. I share his concerns. But Carnatic concert music is one among a plethora of rich art forms in this country. Moreover, the current explosion of performing arts in popular culture has influenced audience tastes and shifted power dynamics between genres; for instance, it is no longer infra dig among the intellectual elite to enjoy film songs. Therefore, unlike Krishna, I must begin with the caveat that I do not see the Carnatic concert world as especially powerful and influential, except in its own eyes.
Complicating the Classical
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