Friends- I want to summarize my thoughts upon watching this video. For those who are familiar with him, TM Krishna gained notoriety with his self-professed theories on equality in music amongst various controversies.
I want to address his takes on music by way of two aspects:
1. Religion
First of all, in my opinion, any music created in the name of God is sacrosanct and must be preserved in its original form. There have been musical prodigies in both the East and the West, who have made this world a better place by enriching our lives with their amazing creations. Let me put it this way. I would definitely want the ancient Gregorian chants, the Mass and Requiems to be referencing only Jesus and not Muruga or Hanuman. As much as I want the ancient Tyagaraja compositions to retain only Rama and Annamacharya kirtans, Krishna. This has nothing to do with equality of religions. Rather it is about preserving the sanctity of every religion and giving everyone of them the due respect.
2. Genre
It doesn’t require a genius to figure out that all kind of music are man made creations using his/her own expressive abilities during the observation of any act or form - be it nature, deity, or anything that appeals to our senses.
In that respect, there are so many genre - Classical, Jazz, New Age, Hiphop, R&B, Soul Music, Rock, POP, Rap, Gana, the list goes on. I agree that one should not be considered superior to another. People are drawn to one or more kinds depending upon their own preferences. However, certain cherished traditions are better off, being adhered to. While it is a noble thought to have Carnatic music reach the slums, and I welcome that, not every kind of music fits all kinds of ambience. For instance, a song laced with profanity has no place in a temple or church. I would be inclined to listen to Carnatic/Classical/Jazz music when I go to Music Academy in Mylapore, or Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center in New York. I would prefer a less formal atmosphere to listen to other kinds of music. This doesn’t mean that I consider one better than the other. Atmosphere, my friend!
When one person deliberately tries to mix up genre and deities to make it as a homologous melting pot, it is wise to examine his intent - whether it is towards genuinely contributing to progress or fomenting trouble just to gain publicity.
When I think of TM Krishna, I could immediately think only of Ravana in a mild form - more so, as he brought out his birth background. The latter, born a Brahmin, learnt all scriptures, performed intense penance and even got boon from Shiva, but lost everything due to his pride, arrogance and Adharmic actions. I leave it for you to come to your own conclusions.
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