Indian classical songs and music seem to live in its own bubble. Whenever I try to visualize them, I can only see people clad in traditional attire, very seriously singing something in the accompaniment of a tanpura. In most cases, the songs are totally devoid of words, they are just some notes. There is an aura of seriousness always hanging about the musicians. Everyone talks about how hard they have to practice and how much dedication they have. Even though I like classical music now, I really don't understand how and why people so ardently admire the songs. I feel utterly bored listening to them and to be very honest they don't sound very nice to me either. I also don't understand why the whole ambiance has to be so boring.
Then I listened to Coke Studio. They looked like the typical MTV teenagers at first, until this girl started signing Miyan ka Malhar. It was so unexpected! The first pre-req of listening to fusion music is to have an open mind. Especially in Coke Studio they fused ancient classical songs and very common folk songs from all over India into something very creative. Rock music like guitars and drums don't really match with our idea of tradition but my point is, why not try something different if it sounds good. The main goal of songs is to sound nice, isn't it?
A girl clad in a short dress with motorbike gloves don't look incongruent next to a girl in saree in this Coke Studio set-up. Nor does a Buddhist monk and an Arabian Nights style girl sound crazy in a duet. I very much like traditional values, but I love it more when traditional things go through a test of time, change forms but still keep on charming us. When A.R. Rahman sings a rabindrasangeet in Bengali and when an African musician accompanies a Pakistani singer singing a song almost five centuries old I really feel that music definitely is beyond any sort of barriers.
Then I listened to Coke Studio. They looked like the typical MTV teenagers at first, until this girl started signing Miyan ka Malhar. It was so unexpected! The first pre-req of listening to fusion music is to have an open mind. Especially in Coke Studio they fused ancient classical songs and very common folk songs from all over India into something very creative. Rock music like guitars and drums don't really match with our idea of tradition but my point is, why not try something different if it sounds good. The main goal of songs is to sound nice, isn't it?
Miyan ka Malhar
A girl clad in a short dress with motorbike gloves don't look incongruent next to a girl in saree in this Coke Studio set-up. Nor does a Buddhist monk and an Arabian Nights style girl sound crazy in a duet. I very much like traditional values, but I love it more when traditional things go through a test of time, change forms but still keep on charming us. When A.R. Rahman sings a rabindrasangeet in Bengali and when an African musician accompanies a Pakistani singer singing a song almost five centuries old I really feel that music definitely is beyond any sort of barriers.
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