The NRI Groove: A Vibrant Music Scene By R.M.VIJAYAKAR indiawest.com July 30, 2009 06:23:00 PM
MUMBAI — Tastes in Indian music seem to vary significantly among Indians based at home and those who live on, or are brought up on, foreign shores. As Hindi film music crosses the pan-Asian barrier foreigners of all hues also get hooked to our classical and folk — and artists such as Kailash Kher, who is now touring the U.S. and releasing a new album on an American label. And since mainstream Hindi artists like Sonu Niigaam, Sunidhi Chauhan and Hard Kaur (due to perform in Los Angeles Aug. 2 and Oakland, Calif., Aug. 8) are drawing crowds, we tend to assume that Indian music lovers around the world are in complete musical sync with Indians in India. But this is emphatically not the case — despite many areas of congruence. Tastes and preferences dictate trends and they in turn are determined by the socio-cultural and economic environment, the local music in the countries that NRIs make their homes, on how much rooted Indian families remain and thus what values are inculcated by them in their children, especially those born or even reared abroad. We also cannot forget that music is just one aspect of our culture, along with dance, films, theatre, arts and literature, and that influences are interrelated despite their independence. So because Indian music is an overflowing ocean of genres and styles, let us look at the similarities and divergences in each. Film Music The overwhelming majority of Indian youngsters — especially the ones who are ‘Net and techno-savvy and belong to an affluent or affording class — consider A.R. Rahman as their new monarch and messiah. The hot genres are club, techno and the latest Western styles like hip-hop and blues, all blended with desi influences like Punjabi pop, a smattering of Rajasthani folk and a dollop of Sufi. Remixes remain top favorites on dance floors, and as we move deeper into Indian small towns, Himesh Reshammiya’s demand (certainly not low in pubs and the digital arena) also escalates. In old film music, the top favorite remains R.D. Burman — though mostly for his fast numbers and especially in remixes. There is overemphasis on sound, and lyrics are appreciated more for catchphrases and superficial meanings rather than freshness and depth of thought. But NRIs, generally, have a welcome and surprisingly less disconnect with more substantial music, even if they sometimes also pander to some of the worst of new music that is summarily rejected by Indians. Generations X and Y overseas exhibit a sharp dichotomy between those who have no love lost for old film songs (as in more than from early ‘90s down to the ‘50s or beyond) and those who show a knowledge (delightfully vast, varied and deep) and taste for the best of old music in original (read unremixed) form. This is all the more commendable considering the fact that sound-wise, they have access to and familiarity with much more advanced music systems and electronic and digital devices. And so we have NRIs running very impressive music download and informative sites as compared to their Indian counterparts. Hungry for information both on legends and lesser names, young India-West readers have written for feedback in with requests for articles on legends like Shailendra and Sahir. Most youngsters in India do not know beyond Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Sameer and Prasoon Joshi! One NRI from UK pointed out detailed omissions (due to space constraints from my side — but that did not stop him!) from a Shankar-Jaikishan piece this writer has done online, while another possessed rare Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Mohammed Rafi recordings that very few Indians have and the original music labels have lost for good! Such NRIs are among the biggest physical and digital consumers of film music from the ‘40s to the ‘90s and social networking sites and blogs are full of their comments. In an extreme case, even foreigners are amazingly literate. An Israeli in his early thirties staying in Israel — on Facebook — rattles off songs and their meanings in perfect Roman (““Solah baras ki bali umar” is one of Bakshi-saab’s best lyrics,” he once wrote). What’s more, his knowledge of the work of an individual lyricist, composer and singer extends to films, songs, their meanings and the years of release! Obviously he goes after content rather than the packaging/sound priority of even resident urban Indian youth. The NRIs and small-town Indians thus share a common quality — they analyze, assess, research and think for themselves and are not slaves at all to conventional thoughts and media- and lobby-driven hypes that R.D. Burman and A.R. Rahman have no equals or superiors and that facts are completely diverse from pre-conceived notions and the pre-programmed thinking of the herd mentality. The regional film music scenario also seems to runs on roughly parallel levels. Light Music, Ghazals & Bhajans It is well known that most top-flight as well as upwardly mobile musicians across different genres — ranging from veterans like Jagjit Singh and Bhupendra to names like Pankaj Udhas and Anup Jalota down to the newest talents — perform to packed houses not just in the so-called NRI-heavy zones of U.K., U.S.A., Canada, the Gulf, the Far East and Australia and New Zealand but also in rarer locations like Mexico, Germany, Spain and several African and European countries. And despite performing very frequently in such locales, the arenas and auditoriums are always packed to capacity, and significantly even if not exclusively with Indians and Pakistanis. In India, most concerts by these luminaries are restricted to small “by invitation” private or corporate gatherings, or get a decent audience only in selected culturally aware towns, provided the shows are staged at long intervals! Classical – Hindustani & Carnatic The status of classical music is no different, but the disparity is much more pronounced. Most classical musicians of caliber, whether from the Hindustani or Carnatic disciplines as also vocal or instrumental, not only get appreciation and money but also astonishingly much more respect and artistic satisfaction overseas. So whether it is Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, Grammy winner Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt or an Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, a Pandit Jasraj or a Dr. L. Subramaniam down to the newest names — they seem to flower creatively under the affection and constant indulgence of our compatriots abroad. And as one classical musician puts it, “It’s very simple. In India, people tend to attend classical concerts just because they have somehow got a couple of free passes or for being seen in the right places! But overseas, where you have to pay a good sum not just for the tickets but also for parking cars and hanging up your overcoats, only the genuine music lover throngs the halls, whether NRI or foreigner.” Folk, Pop and Other Genres There is much more meeting of minds in the field of pop and folk, especially trendy pop-folk. Fusion is yet another area where thoughts converge in most cases, but the explanation for that is obvious: when you have to move the sole instead of the soul, all that is needed is a groove and a beat. The ubiquitous bhangra-pop of course holds sway everywhere, and is the quintessential fodder for pubs with Indian clientele globally. After all, the U.K. and U.S.A. in particular are rich with pop groups as well as individuals who largely perform there, but keep coming and trying their luck in India. But perhaps this is the only area where our Indian youth seem to score in having a higher taste. http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1362&sid=5 -- regards, Vithur
