Introducing lay listeners to Classical Music appreciation is quite challenging. The eternally beautiful ragas are capable to captivate a music-loving mind depending upon the artistes’ own familiarity with the raga of his choice and of course his style of portrayal of the same.
Then, lots of listeners are not able to follow the rich lyrics of genres like dhrupad, khayal; leave alone predominantly literature-based idiom like thumri along with kajri, chaiti etc. Thanks to the modern education system, Hindi-speaking belt is as ignorant of the spirituality governed culture along with the cycle of six seasons of the land with festivals, their rituals, relationships (with or without social or familial sanctions) and the beautiful dialects of the Ganga-Jamuna region – the birthplace and playground of Indian classical music.
From A Vocalists’ Angle
As a vocalist-musicologist it was too much to accept this depressing reality, that too in this era when highly educated youngsters are coming forward to accept music as their profession. This gave birth to the idea of starting a class for young vocalists only to analyze the lyrics of dhrupad, khayal and thumri compositions for better understanding of their proper enunciation during the raga elaboration with due respect towards their intrinsic philosophy. The discussions would often change the total perspective of a raga rendition!
Listeners
But what is the fun if listeners remain ignorant of the beauty of the lyrics which actually define the image around which the melodic structure is built?
The Concept
To address this, the concept of ‘Raga-Rasa-Sahitya’ raised its little head in 2011.The idea gelled with the BharatiyaBhashaParishad’s objectives of popularizing regional languages replete with their colorful culture. A series of events, aimed at reviving interest of music-lovers in Bhojpuri and Brijbhsha dialects (the love-laden language of grandmothers and also of Hindustani classical music compositions) resulted since; and still continues to enthrall and educate listeners from all walks of life – most of whom have drifted away from the Mother-Nature dependent and, therefore, scientific and logic-based culture of the land.
Actually, if raga is Naada-Brhama ,Sahiyta is Shabda-Brahma. Together they can create several universes of Rasas, only if the ragas and lyrics are understood in their right perspective by the musicians and their listeners.