VERY MUCH AT HOME
Chennai’s music lovers
are increasingly hosting and attending katcheris at home
It’s a
parlour in a spaciously appointed Chennai home but the conventional sofas and
chairs have given way to gaddas, bolsters and moodas for those unable to lower
themselves onto the white-sheeted mattresses. The sea-facing windows are open
and the air is full of tangy breeze. There are perhaps 20 persons present, some
seated, some chatting at the back of the room. It is a smattering of faces
known in the art and corporate world, but nary a P3P.
The moment
the performer appears, everyone quiets and seats themselves. There is nothing
formal about the atmosphere; the performer, a young Hindustani singer, chats
desultorily with those seated nearest him, as he makes himself
comfortable.
Shall I
start, he asks, smiling and there is a murmur of assent. The next hour is
filled with melodious song, the voice rising and falling, clear, mesmeric. The
ambience is electric, everyone seems held in thrall. Here and there, people
keep taal, someone sways to the
music, someone else moves his head rhythmically. The applause isn’t too loud
but the performer seems pleased and smiles his ‘thank you,’ catching the eye of
several in the audience.
At the end
of two- and -a -half hours, the performance is over and people move to a table
where refreshments are placed. The singer holds court with a brace of admirers;
the others discuss the performance in hushed happy tones. The baithak, it seems, has been a rousing
success.
As trends
go, baithaks have to be Chennai’s
best kept secret. For some time now, music lovers have discovered that hosting
and attending home concerts deliver unmatched pleasure. The intimate setting,
eye contact with the performer, the chance to later hold a conversation with
the artiste and be part of an enthralled magic circle, all of it just cant be
compared, say insiders, with impersonal concerts in a large hall.
Which is why
a growing list of instrumentalists and singers- Hindustani as well as Carnatic-
are being invited into the elegantly appointed
homes of Chennaiites for private soirees. Mumbai’s music lovers have
long held baithaks, as have Delhi’s
old corporate families and Kolkata’s bhadralok. Now it’s Chennai’s turn. As of
now, the concerts aren’t too many- only under ten a year- but they’re growing.
Listen to
Prakash Dharmarajan, president of O&M Chennai, on the subject. “Private
concerts are highly interactive; the artist is almost in conversation with the
audience. You feel the energy much better, neither the musician nor the
audience is restricted by time limits and the mood defines everything. Also,
there is a high in listening along with people you know well.”
Dharmarajan
says for the artiste, too, the experience is different and a lot less
commercial. Music and dance enthusiast, Uma Ganesan of the Cleveland Cultural
Association, who has hosted quite a few concerts at home, says, “Sometimes, the
artiste picks you. The calm and quiet in the home appeals to them, and their
music takes on a serene quality.”
Ashok Gupta,
entrepreneur and known patron of the arts, has hosted several such soirees. He
says it’s nothing new for him since he was inculcated into this world from his
Kolkata days. The tradition goes back to the days when private concerts were
held by royalty and aristos; home concerts redux, as it were, he says. Gupta
has had the Gundecha brothers, Kumar Gandharva’s wife Vasundara Komkali and
daughter Kalabini, along with others, performing at his home. He recounts an
occasion when the Gundecha brothers were playing and dancer Nirmala Seshadri
got up and started dancing, much to the delight of the late dancer
Chandralekha, who was also present there.
Other hosts
reminisce about impromptu concerts that went on for four hours. Singer Pushpa
Lakshman, who has attended a fair number of such shows says, “Gowri Ramnarayan
does not sing in public now that her mentor M.S. Subbalakshmi is no more. But
she is a dear friend and on occasion, has sung for me and my friends. It was an
uplifting experience and one that I am deeply thankful to have witnessed.”
Arundhati
Menon, the name behind the Shilpi stores, hosted a soiree for the Gundecha
brothers at Chandralekha’s home at Besant Nagar recently. Menon hosts several
such dos on a personal level, as well as co-organiser of Raaga, which promotes
Hindustani music in Chennai. Coming from a family of musicians, Menon has grown
up with music and now hosts concerts in memory of her late father. “My
gatherings are small and exclusive and composed of like-minded music lovers as it
is vital for the mood to be just right. The performer responds better then. The
musicians are a varied lot, some very famous, some unknown but brilliant. The
great thing is, you get to share great music and chat with musicians after the
performance. That’s a high you float on for days.”
Menon
debunks the theory that there’s a dearth of Hindustani music fans in the city.
“There’s a dearth of concerts, not music lovers. We have as many as 250 people
at times, many of them listening to Hindustani music for the first time but
they end up captivated and wanting more.” Lakshman, too, revels in the
experience of home concerts. “It is not that I would denigrate a performance in
an auditorium. It’s like a private lunch or dinner. We get what we want to eat,
but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a buffet once in a while! Singers have a
direct rapport with the audience in smaller soirees and nothing can match that
face-to-face experience,” she says.
Entrepreneur
Sudhir Rao and wife Sadhana, who have had several musicians (both Hindustani
and Carnatic) as well as teachers performing in their home, agree with
Lakshman. “While a baithak may lack
the aura and magic of the big stage, it has the endearing and intimate
atmosphere of a small group. In the home concerts that we have held over the
last seven years, we’ve been trying to re-create the concept of the chamber
music that we enjoy so much in Europe. No amplifications, no microphones, only
sounds and voices in original form, `` says Sadhana.
Ganesan and
her husband host only two concerts or so a year, perhaps three. “We like to
keep the evening and choice of artists spontaneous,” she says, “Both artiste
and audience are there for one purpose and one purpose only. The former makes
sublime music, the latter listens with rapt attention, nothing intrudes, not
even applause. The audience is extremely sensitive and connected to the artist,
and indeed, after a most haunting piece comes to an end, the silence speaks
volumes.”
A month ago,
the Hayagriva Study Circle concluded a workshop on Bhakti and Sufi poetry and
philosophy titled ‘Thirsty Fish’ with an evening of soulful singing under the
Banyan tree at Kalakshetra. The place came alive with soulful renditions of the
songs of Andal, Jayadeva, Kabir and Meera by Dr. SAK Durga, S. Hema, and Bonnie
Chakraborty.
Vocalist
Shantanu Bhattacharya, who recently performed at a concert organised by Dharmarajan,
says he finds much joy in performing at home concerts. “In private gatherings,
the atmosphere is more concentrated, focused and therefore easier and more
enjoyable to perform in,” he says. Theatre artist Karthik Srinivasan, brother
of Western classical pianist Anil Srinivasan, disagrees. Having attended quite
a few home concerts, some at his own home, Karthik says, “There is no comparison.
It is far more satisfying to perform before a large crowd; plus the acoustics
are far superior in larger halls. Home concerts are like having Tendulkar play
in your backyard… too much accessibility, you know? I feel such soirees
denigrate both the performer and performance.”
While hosts
and performers alike demur when it comes to disclosing the cost of such
soirees, Bhattacharya says he charges more for auditorium shows than private
ones because the first are usually sponsored and ticketed, and more professional
accompanists and instruments are required.
So is there
a disadvantage in performing at a private soiree? “House concerts cannot be as
publicized as auditorium shows; therefore, although a great effort goes into
the performance, it is not rewarded with media coverage or huge attendance of
music lovers,” says Bhattacharya. Ganesan says concerts at auditoriums are okay
but rues undisciplined audience members
who talk loudly to each other and on mobiles during the performance, and move
in and out of the hall at will.
Which is why
baithak organisers take pains to
ensure that only genuine music lovers attend their sessions, so as to eliminate
the shuffles and chatter that plague larger gatherings. Another factor common
to all home concerts is that the performer is usually known to the host, or
recommended by people whose word they trust. Increasingly, in a very healthy
trend, lesser known musicians are invited, so as to provide a platform for
them. Menon has the last word. She says, “All music is elevating, electrifying.
But in an intimate gathering, it is simply wonderful.”