Its characteristic oscillations called gamakas must have left the Carnatic music to grow in an island of complacent isolation in the Deccan, but that has never been the case. In fact, several instruments that have no roots in the peninsula have become part of the south Indian classical music over the years. They have not only embellished the idiom, but lent it a distinct flair.
First among the non-Indian instrument to enter the Carnatic music scene was the violin — over two centuries ago. That was when Baluswami Dikshitar (1786-1859), nephew of composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar, introduced the string instrument from Europe. The violin subsequently went through several rounds of improvisations in the Carnatic circuit, so much so that it is hard to imagine a vocal concert today sans the instrument as the prime accompaniment.
Clarinet was another instrument appeared on the scene around the same time as the violin. It was brought to India during the reign of King Sarabhoji II of Tanjavur. Research suggests Vidwan Mahadeva Nattuvanar first introduced the clarinet in chinna melam (dance band). The clarinet was initially considered to fare poorly in comparison to the similar-sounding ethnic pipe, nagaswaram, because its Western roots checked its capacity to sound the long-sweeping curves. But, much like the violin, the clarinet too had its share of reinventions so as to tune in with the microtone-heavy voice culture of Carnatic music.
After the entry of the violin and the clarinet, there was a long lull. Of over 150 years. But since the 1950s, there has been a flurry of ‘alien’ instruments making smart strides into Carnatic music — and all of them noticeably and emphatically.
The guitar was introduced into Carnatic music — by Sukumar Prasad in the ’70s. Prasad adopted the standard electric guitar for Carnatic music unlike Hindustani musicians, who have always used a modified guitar. However, of late, artistes like R Prasanna have managed to sound guitar concerts Carnatic enough.
By end-1970s, Kadri Gopalnath introduced Carnatic music-lovers to the saxophone. Under the guidance of his multi-faceted guru T V Gopalakrishnan, Kadri mastered the instrument. His first saxophone concert in 1977 had maestro M Balamuralikrishna among the audience. This instrument too has been subjected to modifications.
In the early 1980s came the mandolin, all credit to a bubbly teenager called U Srinivas. He made structural modifications and introduced ingenious playing techniques to take it to its present enviable position in music.
Carnatic music had by then seen the entry of instruments like the jalatarangam, the tinkles of which trace back to its roots in East Asian countries like Indonesia and Myanmar. The instrument survives even today, courtesy masters like Anayampatti Ganesan. Renowned vocalist Madurai T N Seshagopalan performs occasionally on the keyboard on Carnatic music stages. The late R Visweswaran went upcountry to learn the santoor under Shiv Kumar Sharma and lent the Carnatic music afficionados a taste of the Kashmiri instrument. These days, we even see the piano finding slot at Carnatic concerts, thanks to the young Anil Srinivasan. It is another matter that the legendary M S Subbulakshmi had long ago sung with a piano that used to be kept at her Kalki Gardens residence in Chennai.
— TNSE team
grow in an island of complacent isolation in the Deccan, but that has never been the case. In fact, several instruments that have no roots in the peninsula have become part of the south Indian classical music over the years. They have not only embellished the idiom, but lent it a distinct flair.
First among the non-Indian instrument to enter the Carnatic music scene was the violin — over two centuries ago. That was when Baluswami Dikshitar (1786-1859), nephew of composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar, introduced the string instrument from Europe. The violin subsequently went through several rounds of improvisations in the Carnatic circuit, so much so that it is hard to imagine a vocal concert today sans the instrument as the prime accompaniment.
Clarinet was another instrument appeared on the scene around the same time as the violin. It was brought to India during the reign of King Sarabhoji II of Tanjavur. Research suggests Vidwan Mahadeva Nattuvanar first introduced the clarinet in chinna melam (dance band). The clarinet was initially considered to fare poorly in comparison to the similar-sounding ethnic pipe, nagaswaram, because its Western roots checked its capacity to sound the long-sweeping curves. But, much like the violin, the clarinet too had its share of reinventions so as to tune in with the microtone-heavy voice culture of Carnatic music.
After the entry of the violin and the clarinet, there was a long lull. Of over 150 years. But since the 1950s, there has been a flurry of ‘alien’ instruments making smart strides into Carnatic music — and all of them noticeably and emphatically.
The guitar was introduced into Carnatic music — by Sukumar Prasad in the ’70s. Prasad adopted the standard electric guitar for Carnatic music unlike Hindustani musicians, who have always used a modified guitar. However, of late, artistes like R Prasanna have managed to sound guitar concerts Carnatic enough.
By end-1970s, Kadri Gopalnath introduced Carnatic music-lovers to the saxophone. Under the guidance of his multi-faceted guru T V Gopalakrishnan, Kadri mastered the instrument. His first saxophone concert in 1977 had maestro M Balamuralikrishna among the audience. This instrument too has been subjected to modifications.
In the early 1980s came the mandolin, all credit to a bubbly teenager called U Srinivas. He made structural modifications and introduced ingenious playing techniques to take it to its present enviable position in music.
Carnatic music had by then seen the entry of instruments like the jalatarangam, the tinkles of which trace back to its roots in East Asian countries like Indonesia and Myanmar. The instrument survives even today, courtesy masters like Anayampatti Ganesan. Renowned vocalist Madurai T N Seshagopalan performs occasionally on the keyboard on Carnatic music stages. The late R Visweswaran went upcountry to learn the santoor under Shiv Kumar Sharma and lent the Carnatic music afficionados a taste of the Kashmiri instrument. These days, we even see the piano finding slot at Carnatic concerts, thanks to the young Anil Srinivasan. It is another matter that the legendary M S Subbulakshmi had long ago sung with a piano that used to be kept at her Kalki Gardens residence in Chennai.
— TNSE team