When invited to write an OpEd on the ongoing debate I gave it the title The Christian in Carnatic Music. I however think whoever it was who came with the title that was used, really hit the nail on the head. Anyway, since the article appeared, I have been flooded with twitter replies, fb responses, emails and phone calls. The general trend has been one of acceptance, which makes me happy. There are a few brickbats but that was only to be expected.
Here is the article in full, as it appeared in The Hindu in this link:
The emergence of a raging controversy around a Carnatic singer who recently announced a concert dedicated to Christian songs is an issue to ponder over. He was hounded — subjected to abuse on the phone and on social media — till he cancelled the programme. Another group of eminent artistes was accused of helping proselytisers in their task when they sang Christian songs set to Carnatic tunes.
Falsehood and abuse
It soon gave rise to fake news. It was said that the songs of poet and composer Tyagaraja had been plagiarised, with the word ‘Rama’ changed to ‘Jesus’. Nothing could be more false than this. The similarity of lyrics in just one song does not make for concrete proof; all the artistes accused of this falsehood have denied such a charge. The propagators of the false claim have not been able to back their allegations with any evidence either.
There was more to come. Old photographs that showed a prominent Carnatic artiste in the company of a well-known Christian priest made an appearance which fuelled demands that the performer ought to be stripped of all awards and titles for having committed such a heinous offence. The artistes concerned were subject to vile abuse. Some Sabhas upped the ante — based on hearsay — by deciding to boycott these ‘tainted’ musicians. What they chose to conveniently ignore was that these performances had been recorded five years ago and were all along on YouTube. Nobody cared to take note of this.
A rich association
What is the threat they have posed to Hinduism? How can this music, which is predominantly Hindu, be used this way is a prominent question in many minds. Forgotten in the midst of all this is the fact that there has been a long-standing Carnatic tradition in the church and which goes back to the time of Tyagaraja himself. The composer’s contemporary, Vedanayagam Sastriar, created songs and operas in the Carnatic style. Some of the tunes are very closely modelled on Tyagaraja’s songs. ‘Sujana Jivana’ (Khamas) has a parallel in ‘Parama Pavana’. At this point in time it is impossible to state who borrowed whose tune and made it his own.
The works of Sastriar, such as the ‘Bethlehem Kuravanji’, continue to be performed by his descendants as ‘Kathakalakshepams’ in various churches. Since the time of Sastriar, there have been several Carnatic music exponents in the Christian community, and who propagate the art in the church.
The interest of Christians in the art form was encouraged and nurtured by many traditional artistes. The 19th century composer, Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai, had all his songs vetted by Gopalakrishna Bharati, the author of ‘Nandan Charittiram’.
Tamil scholar Meenakshisundaram Pillai and the pontiff of the Thiruvavaduturai Mutt, Melagaram Subramania Desikar, were Pillai’s close friends.
In the late 19th century, the lineages of Tyagaraja and Dikshitar saw merit in A.M. Chinaswami Mudaliar, a Roman Catholic, and taught him what they knew. When Rao Saheb Abraham Pandithar convened the first ever Carnatic Music conference, in Thanjavur in 1912, helping him was Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar.
In the 1930s, Pandithar’s son, A.J. Pandian, set about composing Christmas carols in Carnatic style. Muthiah Bhagavatar, who would later compose many songs in praise of Devi and Shiva, helped in their tuning. The work was praised by Kalki Krishnamurthy, and Pandian was asked to present his music in the form of an orchestra at the Music Academy’s December festivals in Chennai, in 1935 and 1937.
In 1918, Rev. H.A. Popley began a Summer School of Music to teach Christian men and women; P. Sambamoorthy became a lecturer here, in 1924. A year later, he became its vice principal, eventually rising to become its principal. Nobody saw anything amiss in an orthodox panchakaccham-clad scholar teaching his art to Christians. D.K. Pattammal did not feel out of place in joining this school to further her knowledge of music. For that matter, the prima donna of our art, Veena Dhanammal, saw merit in Calcutta’s Gauhar Jan and Abdul Karim Khan and taught them some songs of Tyagaraja. These were even released as gramophone discs.
More examples
Not many know that the Tamil Isai Sangam began life in the parish hall of St. Mary’s Co-Cathedral in Chennai. In the 1950s, K. Narayanaswami Iyer, grandson of Patnam Subramanya Iyer, turned composer. His works, compiled as New World Songs, include pieces in praise of Christ.
In the world of films too, there were productions set to Christian themes. Papanasam Sivan composed the music for a song in Gnanasoundari (Citadel Pictures). P. Leela (to many, the voice of the Narayaneeyam), sang ‘Enai Aalum Mary Matha’ in Missiamma. M.L. Vasanthakumari sang a similar piece, in chaste Carnatic style, for the film, Punyavati. If anything, the impact of film songs would have been more widespread than any Carnatic concert featuring Christian songs. Ten years ago, Sister Margaret Bastin, a nun, made a fantastic presentation on the life of Karaikkal Ammaiyar at the Music Academy.
Times were different and nobody saw the need to raise a hue and cry, which is why the present outcry does not make sense. Started by fringe elements and milked for what it is worth by publicity hounds, the controversy now has only obscured the facts. It is high time that those who perceive threats to Hinduism from these songs pondered over the facts and initiated course correction. And if they thought that Carnatic music is the means by which other religions can attract people, they are grossly overestimating the reach of this niche art.
Please don’t call us fringe. I don’t understand the meaning. Those who object to what is acceptable to you are fringe? The issue is conversions that are happening rapidly. Our music is meant for bhakti and temples only. A true Hindu is always magnanimous enough to accept other religions and different forms of worship. That is why you are able to give so many examples. A cow is given horns
by Bhagavan to protect itself when attacked and not just for adorning with pattukunjalam. Should we also consider people who oppose our views to be the fringe?Let our singers
sing Dheekshithar and Thyagaraja krithis in all churches and Mosques with full devotion. Let vasudeva kudumbakam be practised by one and all.
Well put. Fact based argument. Busts all the fake arguments put forth by those who are creating the controversy
The Fringe is On Steroids these days…
Since my earlier comment was caught by the spam filter, presumably for linking to twitter/facebook, let me repeat, but without the links this time.
Is it true that this Vedanayagam refused repeated plaints of Sarabhoji to compose a kriti on a Hindu deity, even after Sarabhoji offered to compose in praise of Jesus, and that Sarabhoji continued to patronize him while his son Sivaji (whose way current protesters are following) had a different opinion and terminated his services?
Is it true Vedanayagam was a disciple and follower of Schwarz who wrote very derogatorily about Hindus and their idolatry, in particular saying when Hyder Ali attacked Tanjore: “Now the Lord God begins to visit them in a different manner. Their idols, on which they leaned, are taken away; their houses burnt, their
cattle driven away, and, what afflicts many thou sand parents unspeakably more, is, that Hyder sends their best children away.””
The Christians take all possible ways and methods to convert the majority ignorant Hindus.
The Christians take all possible ways and methods to convert the majority ignorant Hindus.
Valid points and good examples made by the Author on a sensitive topic which can easily generate controversy but could this be a little on the egalitarian side and idealist view point in the recent times ? It is not just the ‘fringe’ who are raising their voice – maybe, those who did raise voice, were at times crying wolf in response to a lamb in their midst but reasons for this response can be summarized below :
1) At the bat of the eyelid, population of a certain community seems to have shot up, particularly in southern states and the inference is that, the accretion did not land from the skies or spring from underground and it is at the cost of another, in a zero-sum game. This change is fueled by marketing strategies and tactics that will put a consumer products company to shame, including “copy+paste” and “find+replace” done bereft of any shame. The plans are often oiled by unlimited funds from abroad. This is also like the “4G mobile plan” with more benefits than competition, that includes all that the “earlier provider” offered and a bit more but in a different package !
2) With a lot more awareness now and a little bit more of urgency rather than the past attitude of rain on the buffalo’s back, there are attempts to protect one’s turf by the group that has been steadily losing out.
3) Noblesse oblige – Noble must oblige has been the dictum for long but there has also been the rising feeling that acts of nobility is just ‘one way traffic’ and rarely reciprocated. In these times, the response is that we are no longer fools and will therefore need to act or else, slowly over time, the treasures of a heritage will be found in a modified form in someone else’s cupboard and be claimed as their own. Akin to saying that the ‘thanga gooja or velli kudam” which has been family heirloom is now missing and someone else is claiming it to be as his !
Thus, there is bound to be tension and how much heat the friction generates remains to be seen, with the hope that sane elements on all sides will see merits in the other’s view point. God in Vaikuntam / Heaven may either have a laugh or be perplexed over why human in planet Earth are squabbling over him and his Avatars when he is quiet.
How are you called a historian in the first place? You are speculating that Thyagaraja might have copied from Vedhanayagam Sastriyar. When you write article as a historian, you need to provide some evidence. Basically you are a sold out convert, unfit to be holding any position in Music Academy as you are talking about a Trinity Composer with your own Guess and without any rigour.
What are your credentials as a historian? Just because you publish in the anti-Hindu, ‘The Hindu’? Any research articles you have published in peer reviewed publications?