Coronavirus blues: Musicians to go online

Despite the prospect of no immediate let-up in the nationwide home confinement, most musicians and their audiences are strangely at peace. The cancellation of international tours and music concerts has brought an unexpected solitude for musicians and they have united spontaneously to keep their link with their audiences alive.

Pune based Sangeet Natak Akademi Yuva awardee Manjusha Patil says, "The time I now have allows me to explore Ragas like Paraj, which I have learned but never performed as I have not explored them fully." Others like Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh, an exponent of Saraswati Veena, shared that the physical logistics of the lockdown has changed her usual routine. She spends her extra time in teaching and finding solace through music. Jayanthi says, "A student of mine in Milan, Italy is surrounded by evidence of the disease and sees coffins daily being taken away; she has been housebound since the end of January. Whenever she can take time out, she contacts me and I teach her online. I can't give injections to people but in this way, through music, can soothe and heal." Jayanthi has also started a weekly broadcast on social media, called 'Cup of Carnatic- Fun Times', where the focus is on enjoyment rather than instruction.

Pandit Tejendra Mazumdar, popular Sarodist of the Maihar Senia tradition has started his weekly teaching series for students at three stages - beginner, intermediate and senior. By using technology to connect students all over the world; he is doing his bit in this time of the pandemic.

For Purbayan Chatterji, Mumbai based Sitarist these days of isolation are used to connect the music industry. He has started an online chat series called 'Brave New World' basing it on the inspiration he received from the Aldous Huxley book of the same name. His first guest was 'Nightingale of the South' Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri, an Indian ambassador of Earth day Network. Jayashri in her own inimitable restrained understated style pointed out and said, "We should all be prayerful as we have pushed Mother Nature too far."

Taking the concept of chatting with musicians further, Kolkata based Sarodist Indrayudh Mazumder is dedicating his talk series to Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose centenary year is 2020. The first talk was by percussion Guru Bickram Ghosh. Bickram has started his online percussion show 'Out of the Box' in which he has interwoven tabla with a theme.

Several musicians including Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia are going live on their social media handles. The creative impulse is brimming over; folk and thumri queen Malini Awasthi composed a poignant song 'Pardesi Bhaiya', moved by the plight of migrants. Mridangam expert Anantha Krishnan has been combining thought-provoking visuals with his mridangam solo pieces. Sufi King Han Raj Hans has composed a heart- wrenching lament that he posted, singing on the terrace of his house.

Initiatives are also being taken by organisations like Artists Live, Artists United, The Baithak Experience and HCL Concerts to name just a few.

For the first time in its 96 years of history, the 97th Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh Festival in Banaras has decided to go digital. Artists from all over the world will be sending their musical offerings through social media channels and would broadcast in the empty temple complex. Artists, as usual, include the crème de la crème of musicians. For the first time, artists like Hans Raj Hans, Patri Sathish Kumar, Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh and sitarist Shakir Khan, among others will present their haazri.

Another unique collaboration is slated to release on April 22 (Earth Day). Artists, who have come together digitally, will sing 'Dharti Ma' - a tribute to Mother Earth. After the original song composed and sung by Bombay Jayashri, lyrics by Chetna Shrikant, this version is sung in eight languages by popular classical, playback and Sufi singers including Hans Raj Hans, Shankar Mahadevan, Bombay Jayashri, Kaushiki Chakravorty, Shweta Mohan and Mahesh Kale. The music has been composed, mixed and arranged by 21-year-old Chennai based Amrit Ramnath.

Summing up the prevalent mood, Ustad Shujaat Khan, eminent sitarist sapiently commented, "What will a musician sitting at home do except turn to music and musical thoughts?"

(Author of this article writes on music, musicians and matters of music)