Across cultures through fusion music

Yet without adulterating original form:

According to him, Fusion music is world music as each and every musician is experimenting with other forms of music without adulterating a particular tradition. An important characteristic of fusion music is the preservation of the original form of music without being spoilt.

It is not the just mixing up of diverse traditions. If a fusion is not done in such a way, it will eventually end up in utter confusion. Nesan Thiagarajan rejected the notion of one being stuck to a form of music which he believes would not contribute to the development of music.

If a musician is stuck to the old form of music whether it is classical or karnatic, new creations will not come into the body of music.

As a chef invents new recipes with different compositions of food and beverages without being stuck to the age-old menu, if it is palatable then it becomes a new dish. Some self-proclaimed Pundits advocate the idea that diverse tradition can not be harmonised in a composition as they only know their part of music.

On stage, all drummers of different forms can come together to provide a wonderful percussion, rhythm and a composition for an audience to appreciate. Fusion music can be appreciated even by Pundits as long as musicians play correct Tala, Tempo and the music.

Thiagarajan is of the view that in fusion music, a healthy dialogue between diverse traditions can be carried on. For instance, in Ravibandu's ensemble, Thiagarajan plays pure Karnatic music and the performance will appeal to the audience. It is the beauty of it. Fusion of diverse tradition will make a novel creation with mixed characteristics of diverse traditions.

Because of this fact, fusion music is highly appreciated by an international audience. Sri Lankan musicians are also able to perform international venues owing to these mixed characteristics of fusion music.

As the basic of each tradition is preserved, in Fusion Music originality is protected. For instance different talas (12 beat, 9 beats) are being played in a fusion concert. What a player does in fusion music is to add colour to a larger picture of performance.

Speaking on the state of original music in Sri Lanka, Thiagarajan stated that there is no platform for a genuine artist to perform in Sri Lanka. In fact, though Kalabushana Nesan Thiagarajan has been in the field for forty years, he could not afford to produce a single album owing to economic difficulties.

Ninety percent of programmes on electronic media are dedicated to featuring commercialised music, leaving very little room for classical music. He is of the opinion that private media has a big role to play in propagating classical music. Youth might get attracted to classical music if it is brought to limelight. Media can make an artist overnight and in fact, they are doing it.

However, the situation is different in India. There is an audience to appreciate classical music as well as commercialized music. Referring to the percussion concert held at the Deputy Ambassador's resident, though the Sri Lankans attended the concert and appreciated the music, they questioned as to where they could see such a performance.

The Local's understanding of drumming is more or less confined to drum-recitals on occasions of function openings and Weddings.

Another area that can help propagate classical music is school and university curricula where classical music can be adapted as a subject. He is total against the decision to remove practical session from the school syllabi on performing arts.

As per nature of Performing Arts, practicals is an integral part of it. Scrapping off of practical session amounts to the killing of the very spirit and letter of the subject. This kid of syllabi will not produce future musicians.

If this scenario does not change, there will be a big full stop to music. It is the responsibility of the head of Department of music to make aware the authorities of the value of practical sessions in Performing Arts.

He is of the opinion that a Research Institute for diverse forms of music should be established in order to foster different forms of art. Like in India, the academics have been conducting researches into diverse forms of music, sometime endemic to different provinces. However, Sri Lankan still has no such facility to study and research into this vital area.

Of copying alien tunes, Nesan Thiagarajan stated that it shows sheer bankruptcy on the part of the artist who borrowed foreign music scores for their creations. This is similar to bankrupt person borrowing money.

Nesan Thiagarajan envisions that the future of music lies in Fusion Music or what he called 'World Music'. For instance, a Sitar can be played along side with John Lennon's Guitar. When Ravi Shankar played Sitar with John Lennon, he was so impressed that subsequently he visited India and learnt Sitar under Ravi Shankar.

So the Fusion Music gives tastes of diverse traditions of music to a cosmopolitan audience. Once tasted the Western audience will listen to classical music.

In fact, Thiagarajan played Karnatic music at Jazz Yaatra held in Mumbai. The audience highly appreciated the Colombo Jazz ensemble with oriental Sri Lankan instruments (Tammatama, Gaanjira). In a pure Jazz concert, it was a unique feature.

Like India, an artists due place has not been granted in Sri Lankan society. Unfortunately the value of artist is not understood in Sri Lanka. In India, Artists are well-off but it is not so in Sri Lanka. Nesan Thiagarajan was awarded Kalabushana for his contribution to music this year.

Speaking on fusion music, Thiagarajan states that a musician should posses a comprehensive understanding of diverse traditions of music other than the tradition mastered by the musician. Music is a universal language.

More than singing which has a language barrier, percussion or beat is universal and capable of communicating across cultural, racial and ethnic barriers. A percussionist should posses a proper knowledge of percussion aspect of the tradition the percussionist mastered.

If one could master the language of percussion instruments, that musician is up to a certain standard. Though Thiagarajan is from the Karnatic tradition, he has been experimenting, fusing his music with diverse traditions. Intricate features such as Tala, counts and different beats, helped him to get into the other rhythm schemes.

At the tender age of seven , Thiagarajan mastered the way in which the Mirudangam is played as an accompanying instrument to the Bharata Natyam. Special knowledge of playing for Bharata Natyam includes mastering of certain techniques. For instance, Mirudangam - is played with fingers, Jathi and Tala (beat) in a Bharata Natyam recital, the dancer on stage answers them in terms of movements.

Though Mirudangam can be as an accompanying instrument for even a vocal, it is the main instrument for Bharata Natyam. Bharata Natyam is made up of a lot of Talam, Jathis and different talams.

Mirudangam player has to by-heart those Jathis. So if the player does not play the particular Jathi the dancer performing on the stage, will loose the steps. This is the difficult aspect of Mirudangam playing for Bharata Natyam.

In a Bharata Natyam composition like in a Raga, basic notation will not differ. However, each dancer composes music for Bharata Natyam and the Mirudangam player has to play that composition. Within the basic formats of Bharata Natyam which may be Allarippu, Jathiswaram or a Thillana, the dancer can work on her imagination.

According to the dance form and dancer's talents, Jathi combination will differ. In Pradeep Ratnayake's Pradeepanjalee concert, Thiagarajan played Karnatic music. Within a specific time limit, Karnatic colour is mixed with the master fusion. On his sole, Thiagarajan was given a free form of expression.

As early as seven years, Nesan Thiagarajan put his hands on the Karnatic percussion instrument Mirudangam at his home under the tutelage of Guru Atchuthan Murugan, a renowned musician from India.

At the age of nine, Thiagarajan performed his Arangetram, debut performance where the novice performs before experts. Since then, his life has been dominated by music.

Completion of schooling at St.Thomas College Mount Lavinia, Nesan Thiagarajan flew to Adayar in Chennai where the youngster studied under K.Lakshmanan in a prestigious Institute of Music. Here in this Institute, Thiagarajan completed a one year course and earned the Diploma Bharata Choodamani. He mastered the Karnatic Mirudangam.

Bharata Choodamani is a famous place for learning Bharata Natyam. Among other things, he learnt to play Mirudangam as an accompanying instrument to the Bharata Natyam.

During this period, Thiagarajan encountered many musicians. Among them cine-musician M.S. Vishvanadan was an important figure with whom Nesan played scores of music for Indian films. Following his studies, Nesan came back to Sri Lanka to commence his path breaking career in music.

As he was by them an accomplished percussionist in the Karnataka tradition, Nesan laid his hands on percussion instruments particularly on Western drum. For a short stint, he played with Thunder Spark, a band in Wattala. This was a chance encounter as Nesan's friend requested him to play drums for the band.

Subsequently Nesan seriously tied up with pop-group Superstars. Among the popular bands he played with, were Mignonne and the Jetliners and Gypsies, Fortune, Knight Riders. It was also during this period that Nesan made music for a lot of films.

He played drums for films under diverse directors including R.Muttuswamy, M.K.Rockswamy, Premasiri Khemadasa, Sarath Dassanayake, Shelton Premarathne and M.A. Lathif. Nesan played almost all the percussion instruments.

* On invitations extended by Sri Lankan expatriate community, Nesan played percussion instruments at concerts held in UK, Canada, Germany, France, United Arab Emirates and in India. In addition, Nesan Thiagarajan represented Sri Lanka at international folk music festivals including Forde Folk Music Festival in Norway.

He also attended the WOMAD (World of Music and Dance), world drum festival held in Singapore, Australia and Sri Lanka.

One of the memorable moments of the WOMAD was when Billy Cobham, legendary American drummer invited Nesan and Ravibandu Vidyapathy to play with him on stage impromptu.

Billy Cobham had seen the performance of Ravibandu's ensemble which represented Sri Lanka at the festival. Billy Cobham is considered as one of the greatest contemporary drummers.

Though Billy had been to diverse parts of the globe and witnessed many percussion concerts, he highly appreciated the presentation made by Nesan and Ravibandu.

Subsequently Billy had a workshop in Colombo and invited the duo to make an impromptu presentation of a percussion item at the workshop. The dialogue between the diverse traditions was great.

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On banning of a work of art

He is of the view that banning of a work of art will, automatically, appreciate the value of it and in present day context any form of banning is meaningless.

Restricting artist imagination will eventually kill the art. Setting boundaries for art will lead to self-censorship and killing of creativity.