The transformation of Live Secular Music Performance (Ganamellas) in Kerala
The live and the mediatized are not polar opposites anymore. When it comes to actual consumption, mediatized events have an edge over live ones. As the society is becoming more and more mediatized, the strategy is to model live events on mediatized ones. The approximation of liveness by the mediatized has led to serious compromise in quality. In a recent interview to Manorama News, KJ Jesudas, the uncontested voice in the Malayalam Film Music Industry for the last fifty years or so took a dig at the over dependence on technology which he felt has adversely affected the quality of songs that we have in Malayalam. That often music is made to embellish an elaborate dancing extravaganza in some of the most beautiful locations of the world, he observed. Therefore songs have shed their pretensions of originality in composition and are contend to be in the background paving the way for some exciting acrobatics.
We might take a look at how this has influenced the tradition of live performance of film music that we have in the state popularly known as ‘Ganamela’ (music show). A Ganamela is a music performance with a vocalist and an elaborate music accompaniment. Usually secular music is played but not necessarily. Ganamela is almost a compulsory aspect of temple festivals, celebrations of some sections of the Christian churches etc. The success of a College Union is sometimes determined by the quality of the orchestra they get for the Arts Day and College day in Kerala. The orchestra in the traditional sense, a famous male and female vocalist duo leading the group of instrumentalists have given way to just one vocalist in most cases now. The electronic key board that can reproduce all the instruments has effectively replaced the accompanists. Even if there are some instrumentalists present, one can never be sure if the music is played by them or the Yamaha 2000. The organizers love this for it is pleasantly “cost effective”.
This has seriously affected the lives of many instrumentalists making a living out of live performances and for many of them their only source of income is teaching music in schools and home tuitions. When Amrita TV came up with the concept of a Music Reality Show in the form of Amrita Superstar, they had only one instrumentalist, a damn good key board player equally good with technology. But Asianet Idea Star Singer followed suit but with a Live orchestra. Despite all the hullabaloo of a reality show, this seemingly live aspect of the show won them more audience, from especially the carnatic music fan base.
Another interesting feature of today’s live performances is the vocalist who knows how to move his/her body to the progression of the song enticing audience to dance. Rimy Tomy who is the quintessential Malayalam artist in this regard is known for her ability to drive the audience crazy with her energetic moves and vocals, has invited lot of appreciation from among the youngsters and scathing criticism from the purists. This kind of performance goes down particularly well with those who take to drinking among the audience waiting for an opportunity to go wild (In Kerala lot of drinking takes place around Ganamelas).
Satchin:
ReplyDelete1. Interesting post outlining the idea of Ganamelas that I was not familiar with. I'm somewhat confused by these two sentences:
"We might take a look at how this has influenced the tradition of live performances that we have in the state popularly known as Ganamelas (music fest). Festivals in the temples and in certain sections of the Christian churches, it was mandatory to have an elaborate performance by a quality orchestra with a sound accompaniment."
Do you mean to sat that Ganamelas are organized as part of temple and church festivals? If so, that is not clear as there is no transition between the two sentences.
2. Your ideas both prove and disprove Auslander's assertion that non-live performances seek to replace live performances. In some cases this is achieved where audiences prefer media coverage of liveness but in other cases liveness is still preferred as in the Asianet Idea Star Singer contest.
3. I have mixed opinions about the mixing of singing with dancing as a preferred form of liveness. I think it compromises both singing and dancing so that neither is of top notch quality.
thank you Kanika. I've edited with your suggestions in mind. the writing was not clear,needed more explanation.
ReplyDeleteClearly, in films like _The Laramie Project_, the live and the mediatized are coming together. The virtual and the real create a hyperreal, a real that is more real, in some way. It's an edited reality, the perfect impromptu.
ReplyDeleteStudying this by way of Bollywood style is very interesting. The seemingly random highly choreographed dance scenes, for instance, presented to the audience, to a culture that has started using the effect in college programs, in weddings, in other social functions. The dress, the food; all of these things become characteristics of what you're talking about. The import of non-live on live. Good thinking, too, about vocalists and immediate synthesizing.