On languages and Carnatic Music...
Pramila Srinivasan
Music is a language in itself, and I personally dont think that its a good
idea to point our fingers at an artist's casual mispronounciation of words.
Carnatic music has been learnt and listened to by people who speak various
languages and for a long time has been passed down by word of mouth. Its
only recently that there are so many good translations and authentic sources..
I would think that an artist (or learner)should, in his/her own interest,
verify the correctness of the Sahitya or consult a native speaker to correct
mispronounciations. But if one is a good musician I think it is a pardonable
mistake. So what if an artist is a tamilian, wanting to sing a telugu
composition, or vice versa? We cant expect every learner of music to learn
multiple languages...I understand that the lyrics are very profound, so the
musician should try to enjoy the full beauty of the composition by reading a
good translation... After all Sri Thyagaraja's compositions live for their
musical value... and I enjoy Nagumomu on violin better than vocal...
And its not even a good idea to say that typically "non-meastros" dont take
care of sahityas and so on...For one meastro who shines there are a thousand
"non meastros" who struggle to make a living and keep music alive. Everyone
makes mistakes and no one pronounces all languages correctly, so this aspect of
music I think, doesnt deserve as much attention as the technicalities of music
itself...
:-)
Pramila Srinivasan
din...@charlie.usd.edu
>
>Music is a language in itself, and I personally dont think that its a good
>idea to point our fingers at an artist's casual mispronounciation of words.
>Carnatic music has been learnt and listened to by people who speak various
>languages and for a long time has been passed down by word of mouth. Its
>only recently that there are so many good translations and authentic sources..
>
>I would think that an artist (or learner)should, in his/her own interest,
>verify the correctness of the Sahitya or consult a native speaker to correct
>mispronounciations. But if one is a good musician I think it is a pardonable
>mistake. So what if an artist is a tamilian, wanting to sing a telugu
>composition, or vice versa? We cant expect every learner of music to learn
>multiple languages...I understand that the lyrics are very profound, so the
>musician should try to enjoy the full beauty of the composition by reading a
>good translation... After all Sri Thyagaraja's compositions live for their
>musical value... and I enjoy Nagumomu on violin better than vocal...
I do not see any logic/reason/justification as to why good musician should
be pardoned for mispronunciation. Earlier on this issue I had mentioned
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar's horrible mispronunciation of CHINTE in a
Purandara Dasa's Kriti as SINDHEY which was fondly metamorphised by is
beloved followers to SENDHI (local arrack). Earlier a tamil gentleman
had posted lyrics for Bhagyada Lakshmi Baaramma. Follwing this a Kannada
gentleman posted the correct version with right pronunciation, emphasis
on syllables etc. The mutilation of this simple yet wonderful krithi was
very apparent in the tamilian version.
Look at the opera singers. An opera singer undergoes formal training in
all the nuances of language in which he/she sings. There are several
illustruous examples of this. However I would like to quote two examples
(who are my favourite) - Dame Kiri-te-Kanawa and Jesse Norman.
A few months ago Ms. Norman gave a special concert in Chicago where she
sang a few Hungarian songs.(It was broadcast live on National Public Radio).
In the interview which followed, she mentioned that she had to undergo two
weeks training in Appreciation of Hungarian. Jesse Norman is THE accomplished
soparano. She has honorary degrees from Harvard, Columbia, Indiana - just
to mention a few. She was honored with Frech Leigon. She underwent rigrous
training in various conventories. Why then did she undergo two week
exclusive "exposure" to Hungarian ?
In Karnatak Music with honorable exception of M.S.Subbulakshmi and
M.L.Vasanthakumari rest of the musicians are at best mediocre and worst
just horrible when it comes to Sahitya Shuddhi. Here is an example,
Listen to M.S.S's rendering of Palintsu Kamakshi
Rest of the singers:"PaalinCHU KAAMATCHI...."
M.S.: "PaalinTSU KAAMAKSHI..."
(Capitals to point out the mispronunciation)
I could give a whole list of such glaring massacre of Krithis.
>And its not even a good idea to say that typically "non-meastros" dont take
>care of sahityas and so on...For one meastro who shines there are a thousand
>"non meastros" who struggle to make a living and keep music alive. Everyone
>makes mistakes and no one pronounces all languages correctly, so this aspect of
>music I think, doesnt deserve as much attention as the technicalities of music
>itself...
>
>:-)
>Pramila Srinivasan
A similar "controversy" is in Bharatanatyam. Should a dancer undergo training
in Nattuvangam ? Great dancers under went rigrous training in Nritta,Nritya,
Nattuvanga and Naada. I do not know if this all round training is still
imparted in present day teaching.
- Dinesh Krishnajois
Vidhyanath Rao
>A few months ago Ms. Norman gave a special concert in Chicago where she
>sang a few Hungarian songs.(It was broadcast live on National Public Radio).
>In the interview which followed, she mentioned that she had to undergo two
>weeks training in Appreciation of Hungarian.
I am curious. Did Ms.~Norman pronounce Hungarian ``without an accent''?
In other words, was the pronounciation identical to that of a native
speaker?
My question is, how much of this mispronounciation is due interference
from Tamil phonology and how much is due to carelessness? I suspect
that people from TamilNadu who have less trouble with other Indian
languages had been exposed to Sanskrit early in their life. Those who
knew only Tamil should not faulted for their accent.
Given the way I speak English, I would not cast stones at anyone who
mispronounces Sanskrit (a significant percentage of North Indians :-) or
Tamil. Yet I have been reading this thread and its complaints about
mispronounciation. I wonder.
--
Vidhyanath Rao It is the man, not the method, that solves
nath...@osu.edu the problem. - Henri Poincare
(614)-366-9341 [as paraphrased by E. T. Bell]
Shiva Shivakumar
>In article <CIBD3...@sunfish.usd.edu>, <din...@charlie.usd.edu> wrote:
>>A few months ago Ms. Norman gave a special concert in Chicago where she
>>sang a few Hungarian songs.(It was broadcast live on National Public Radio).
>>In the interview which followed, she mentioned that she had to undergo two
>>weeks training in Appreciation of Hungarian.
>
>I am curious. Did Ms.~Norman pronounce Hungarian ``without an accent''?
>In other words, was the pronounciation identical to that of a native
>speaker?
>
>My question is, how much of this mispronounciation is due interference
>from Tamil phonology and how much is due to carelessness? I suspect
>that people from TamilNadu who have less trouble with other Indian
>languages had been exposed to Sanskrit early in their life. Those who
>knew only Tamil should not faulted for their accent.
>
>Given the way I speak English, I would not cast stones at anyone who
>mispronounces Sanskrit (a significant percentage of North Indians :-) or
>Tamil. Yet I have been reading this thread and its complaints about
>mispronounciation. I wonder.
>
You have touched upon another important point - difference between accent
and pronounciation. Expecting correct pronounciation is reasonable but
demanding authentic accent is not - IMHO.
About Tamils exposed to Sanskrit, there is one problem I have experienced.
The Tamil pronounciation of some words common to Tamil and Sanskrit are
different from the Sanskrit/Telugu/Kannada versions. For example, paridhaabam,
mandabam, kudumbam etc. I have a hard time remembering to say it right when
I sing a Sa./Te/Ka song. Hindi songs pose less of a problem because the words
are quite different.
I have seen carelessness among even good musicians w.r.t. sahityam, but I
have also absolute lack of tolerance among some 'music lovers' w.r.t.
pronounciation.
regards,
Jagadisan Shivakumar
PS : It takes about 15 minutes to learn the lyrics of a typical kriti. But
the music ?????
PPS (IMNSHO): There is one side effect due to all this fuss about 'mispronounciation' -
Tamil kritis are becoming increasingly popular in TN (like, it is ok to sing
a Tamil song in the first 3/4 of the concert !!!!)