The Carnatic world is dominated by vocalists. How can instrumentalists find larger audiences?
In the absence of song lyrics that play a crucial role in making the songs relatable, how can instrumentalists hold their own?
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In Carnatic music, concerts with instrumentalist headliners such as the veena, flute or violin are a small fraction of performances at most music festivals, including the biggest one of them all the Chennai December season. Most concerts are centred around the vocalist.
One reason why instrumentalists struggle to find audiences for their concerts is the importance of song lyrics in Carnatic music. In Indian classical music, whether it’s Carnatic or Hindustani, the essence lies in three elements: melody (raga), rhythm (tala) and lyrics (sahitya). While melody and rhythm may require some listening experience to appreciate fully, the lyrics play a crucial role in making the songs relatable and even able to evoke a transcendental experience for the listeners.
This is especially true for Carnatic concerts with their vast collection of devotional songs in various South Indian languages.
“Instrumental concerts need a bit more elevated understanding of the music [by the audience], which is why it remains a niche field,” said Shashank Subramanyam, a self-taught flute maestro from Chennai who gave his first public concert when he was six.
Audiences “are able to relate...
