MUMBAI: Indian Classical music has faced challenges posed by different genres of music and has always come through. It can also ride out the challenges brought about by globalization of music industry and transformation of tastes, tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh said.
“The reason for why classical music will survive trends and styles is because it is the very0 structure that other genres of music is based on. If it goes away, there won’t be anything left,” he told Radioandmusic.com.
As case in point, Indian classical music was ‘threatened’ by the Ghazal wave in the 80’s with many naysayers predicting the terminal demise of the former. Now it’s the popularity of Ghazals which has waned though it still has many fans.
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“With changing times, classical music and musicians also adapt without compromising on integrity of the music. In this day and age, Indian classical music’s popularity has waned a little among Gen Y, because there are so many genres they can choose from. But we can see that fusion music is gaining in popularity and in India fusion music comprises of 90 per cent of Indian classical music,’ he pointed out.
Classical musicians are good at adapting to changing times without compromising on the ethics of their art.
“When I play fusion music, I incorporate different styles and experiment, but in my classical shows, I am still a purist. The bottom line is, you cannot be a good fusion musician if your grounding in classical music is not strong.’
Common perceptions of classical musicians not making enough money are also off the mark especially in the 21st century. While some music schools and institutions may have pulled down their shutters, Indian classical music is finding converts in the West.
“ Musicians are doing well enough and like every genre it goes through its ups and downs, and the West has really woken up to it,” he said.
An artist in the Indian classical music tour circuit can earn anywhere from $ 500 to thousands depend on the offer he gets.
“ It’s difficult to bracket an artist on which pay scale he belongs to, but an ‘A’ lister can earn anywhere from $ 40-45,000 for a show in the West. At the low-end one may also be earning $ 1,000 only for a show.”
Indian classical music has stood the test of time and will not be threatened by passing changes in tastes because of its strong foundations. Moreover it has the ability to reinvent itself without changing its identity and find window to express when a door closes.
