Is Indian Classical Music Fading Away?

After the monsoon magic ends in the country a variety of music festivals spell their magic on the music lovers. Pune can be called the hub of such fests. The response to such festivals is pretty impressive; but the veterans of the Indian Classical Music are concerned about the degrading quality of the tradition.

Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande, renowned figure in the field of Indian classical music and disciple of the legendary Pt Kumar Gandharva, expresses his deep concern about the present condition of Hindustani music and tells what could be done by the future generations to keep the tradition alive.

Pdt. Deshpande thinks that inspite of increasing number of music festivals, there seems to be a lack of originality in such fests. Hindusthani music doesn't have any fixed patterns to follow. A performer has a scope for his own creativity in the space between the mukhada’ (the opening) and sum’ (the base note). However, today artists don't want to tread the untrodden paths. Pdt. Bhimsen Joshi and Pdt. Kumar Gandharv paved their own way and created their cult. Artists today don't want to take risks and this stagnates their creativity.

Deshpande doesn't think audiences are maturing either. On the contrary their expectations have got diluted. We are surprised to get a farmaish (demand) for a light song or a bhajan in a classical music concert. This happens because attending such concerts has just become a prestige issue in the social gatherings and artists too respond to such illogical demands of the audiences.

For instance, jhalaa is supposed to be performed on sitar but in reality is [...]