Author: Shyamanuja Das-
Some time back, I met Narayan Prasad Singh, arguably the most
popular Odia lyricist of the 1960s and 70s—the man behind songs such as Jibana Jamunare, Jochhana
Luchana, Udi Udi Udi, Kainchi Kakudi Nalita Pita, Sapana Bilasi
and many more to his credit, and
popularly known as Rasaraj to Odia music lovers.
Odissi Music accompaniments during an Odissi dance performance. (Photo: Dr Madhumita Parida/FB Page) |
During the conversation, he made a comment. “Today, many
performers are adding unnecessary alaaps
in Odissi compositions,” he said adding that this trend, apparently aimed at trying
to project Odissi as a classical music “is killing its sweetness.” Shri
Singh is not a musician and he was not concerned about anything such as “dilution”
of the form, as he clarified. As a lyricist, he was just worried about the
“sweetness” getting lost.
Unwittingly, Shri Singh was making a very significant point
about the treatment of lyrics in music in Odissi vis-à-vis other streams such
as Hindustani. It is important to note here that we were not discussing Odissi
music, its status as classical music or anything remotely related to that. We
were discussing Odia modern music—and its evolution in the 1950s to 80s. So, the
comment came as an illustration during the discussion.
My friends outside Odisha (mostly in Delhi, where I live)
who are involved with Indian classical music in some way or other have very
little knowledge about Odissi music and its claim for being recognized as a
classical music. That itself is not surprising. Good thing is they are quite open
to know more.
And with whatever little knowledge I have, I try to satisfy
their queries, pointing often to better sources online. But as the discussion
progresses, their interest invariably takes a dip, when I tell them that the
songs are usually identified with the lyrics; and those are some of the
greatest poetry of Odia literature. That is something that many are unable to
digest. While some become openly
skeptical, some start comparing Odissi with thumri and dadra, giving it tags
like light classical, semi classical etc.
Somehow, there’s an inherent assumption that if it is
serious (read classical) music, the lyrics must play second fiddle to the
music.
Many do not say it as crudely as I put it but try to argue
the same in different words. “The musicians do not have the free hand to
compose and show the true characteristics of a raga, if they have to compose to
the songs of great poets.” That many of those poets were musicians themselves
and had specifically mentioned the raga
(and often tala) on which a
particular song has to be sung is not enough to convince them.
“When words take
over, like it or not, music loses its prominence”.
“True music should not be confined to a language; when
lyrics get this much prominence that is not possible.”
(Photo:Orissadiary) |
Consider this, most early popular Hindi film composers like
Naushad, Anil Biswas, O P Nayyar and SD Burman—created tunes first for
lyricists to write on. Even someone of
the stature of Shakeel Badayuni, whose songs almost made Begum Akhtar, had to
conform to this arrangement. In contrast, the founding fathers of popular Odia
film music—who also set the tone for Odia modern music as a whole—followed the
Odissi tradition of composing the poems. Pandit Balakrushna Dash and Pandit
Bhubaneswar Mishra, two stalwarts of Odissi music, who ruled Odia film music in
the 1950s and 60s almost always allowed the lyricists to write first. It is
only later day composers like Basudev Rath who started the practice of asking
lyricists to write to the tune. This is something Rasaraj unequivocally
confirmed too.
[The Writer is a Delhi based senior journalist and a classical music enthusiast. This is first part of a two part series on Classical status to Odissi music.]
2 comments
Click here for commentsEnlightening and intellectually stimulating article.
ReplyThanks for a very interesting blog. What else may I get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I am simply now operating on, and I have been at the look out for such info. piano benefits
ReplyConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon