TM Krishna
Noted singer and writer
TM Krishna is known to have ruffled many feathers with his new age views. In his new book, Reshaping Art, he talks of how we can harness the power of art to benefit society as a whole. He tells Medha Dutta how Carnatic music is patriarchal in nature and needs to fly in abandon. An excerpt from the interview:
How did this book come about?
This book is a result of my journey in and with art, exploring my limitations, allowing myself to enter other aesthetic and social habitats and learning from artistes and non-artistes from across the social spectrum.
The words ‘contrarian’ and ‘maverick’ are used all too often to describe you. And of late, the word ‘activist’ too.
These words are used to box and define someone so that we can mummify their identity as per our convictions. You should ask those who have bestowed on me these ‘titular’ functions what they mean by it.
You say that Carnatic music is the preserve of the upper castes.
This requires a long historical explanation. But there can be absolutely no doubt that Carnatic music is a fiefdom controlled and regulated by the Brahmin community.
You became the first Indian musician to get the Ramon Magsaysay Award for social inclusiveness in culture. Did you expect it?
Absolutely not. It came from nowhere. It is more important that the journey I have embarked on continue. And as I walk the path I am making many friends who are enriching my understanding of life.
Tell us about your annual multidisciplinary festival, the Urur-Olcott Kuppam Vizha?
I am one of the volunteers in the movement. The festival is a joint effort of the people of Urur, Olcott Kuppam, Thiruvalluvar Nagar and the larger Chennai community, not to forget all the supporters from across India and the globe. Over the past four years the festival has tried to level the ground on which the arts are shared and the way people from different social groups interact with one another. The festival has allowed art to become the entry point for conversations on equality, governance, civic rights and environmental justice. It is a metaphor for art’s role in society.
You have been instrumental in democratising the way art is performed and received in Tamil Nadu. How difficult was it?
We are still trying. We have initiated many programmes. This weekend we are starting a Kalai Koodam at Thiruvalluvar Nagar where music, Parai Attam and Bharatanatyam will be taught to people from different sections of society. We have kept the fee
at the minimum—`100 per month per art form. It is a long journey. We cannot expect magic in a few years.
You dare to ask difficult questions about elitism and exclusivity of Carnatic music.
My questions emerge from my firm belief that Carnatic music is precious but trapped in an ugly social order. It needs to fly in abandon. It is about everybody having the right to interact with Carnatic music closely, fearlessly, and then accepting or rejecting its aesthetics.
Two musicians in a house—what are dinner table conversations like?
A lot of music, philosophy, society, and politics.
About the Book
In Reshaping Art, TM Krishna examines what art is and how we can harness its power to make ourselves and our communities open and sensitive. Well-known for his attempts to break Carnatic music out of its high-caste confines, the author takes us through a journey of understanding what art means to different groups of people and the ways in which we all create and enjoy it. He asks important questions about how art is made, performed and disseminated, and addresses crucial issues of caste, class and gender within society.
QUICK TAKES
Are you a bathroom singer?
Not really.
Music to you is.
My centering
Secret fantasy.
My words create enough controversies. I do not wish to add another to the list.