In the digital age, a newly released song goes viral and is forgotten as quickly. But there are a few songs that truly stand the test of time. G Ravikiran, musician and founder of Guruguhaamrta, says, “If I sing Vathapi Ganapathim Bhajeham, we connect with it even today. If a composition is viral after 200 years of it being composed, then it is a testament to its nature.”
Giving a chance to Chennai’s rasikas to enjoy 200-year-old compositions, Guruguhaamrta, a movement started in 2009 to celebrate Muthuswami Dikshitar, presents Dikshitar 250 celebrations. “The ragas sung by him are so unique. His approach is distinctive, giving a new dimension even to the ragas you thought you knew,” he shares.
Dikshitar’s music, he adds, has a unique soundscape. He says, “There is no better word than this to describe his work because when you listen to the classical composition, the sounds are different. Academically speaking, his soundscape comes from a certain tradition of music that is unique compared to the rest of the compositions,” he observes.
Adding about Dikshitar’s musical approach, Jayanti Kumaresh, a veena artiste, shares, “His themes were not subjective in the sense it was not time-bound. He chose to compose about cosmic things like Chandra, Mars, Sun, and more; these are timeless subjects. His attempts have withstood the test of time. As a composer, he did not follow the beat and path. He had his own nomenclature for ragas. He would give a certain twist to them and give them names.”
Ravikiran believes that if musicians could incorporate even a small fraction of how Dikshithar approached music, we could appreciate that, then it would make us better artistes. He calls Dikshitar a fearless and adventurous composer as he covered spirituality, architecture, and temples. “He had a female student and also taught music to people from all communities which was not very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries,” he notes.
Through this celebration, the audience will get an insight into the 229 known compositions by Dikshithar. “The event will also record the amount of respect we have for music and singing that was created 150 years ago,” notes N Vijay Siva, a Carnatic musician. On Saturday, Vijay will perform some authentic Dikshitar krithis, songs listed in the Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarsini, a book on South Indian musicology. The performance included songs taught to Subbarama Dikshitar, a music composer, and Vijay’s guru. “The songs give a view into the beauty and nuances of Dikshitar’s kritis. It may not be the exact production of what was composed 50 years ago. But at least you get a closer view of the composition,” explains Vijay.
Similar to this, more songs by Dikshitar are open to reimagining and interpreting.
‘Dikshitar 250’ will be held at Raga Sudha Hall, Mylapore, 5.30 pm till March 29.