Export of Carnatic Music: Positive Outcomes and Areas of Concern

Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana has become an important platform to showcase Carnatic music abroad. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Over the past three decades, Carnatic music has been exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, West Asia, the Far East and Australia in many forms, concerts being the main one. Now there are festivals in some parts of the world that last for several days, with senior and junior artists from India invited. How has this circuit evolved? What are the positive results and areas of concern?

No one will complain about the fact that the audience in these countries can hear the best artists live and maybe even learn a little during the concert days. A large number of accompanists have traveled with the main artists and bolstered their otherwise meager incomes back home. Many musicians have expanded and even customized their repertoire to suit the specific needs of audiences. Hence, consumer insights have entered the Carnatic music scene as a conscious discipline. Many concerts have sparked post-concert dialogue, criticism and curiosity, as digi-desis devoured the aesthetic and technical aspects of music, through familiar social media channels. The abundance of exchanges has also educated a large number of less informed fans. Arohanam and avarohanam of each raga, comparisons and contrasts, are now available on the internet.

There is another side to this extraordinary story. The NRI concert circuit is a huge financial market, if only for a few.

Vidwans, many past their prime, can still get top slots and top dollars, while many talented young artistes can get opportunities but less pay. Tickets can range from US$50 to US$100 for a concert by a non-mainstream senior, while a younger musician whose majestic Kamboji is a better party would have to settle for US$25 US dollars or even 10.

The Darbar Festival is one of the most popular Indian classical music festivals in London. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Darbar Festival

The question of fairness arises. It is not known whether this is the work of the sponsors and organizers, and whether it reflects the public’s willingness to pay, or both. Social media savvy artists dive right into that mix. Some overseas marquee festivals feature a variety of talent, with the biggest checks sitting in the laps of the biggest names, regardless of current performance.

These anomalies also exist in the concert world of Western music, but not as evident as in Carnatic music. Is this what you aspire to? Then the playbook is written: invest in a good social media team and make sure you have an ecosystem with the largest reach among fans, superfans and organizers abroad. Build a personal identity that transcends and outlasts your music. Be a smooth bilingual communicator as well. This heady mix can ensure you have a perennial pot of gold in your hands, even past your prime.