All India Radio

Shobha Mudgal has written an interesting article in Mint: http://www.livemint.com/2010/04/30202227/Give-artistes-their-due.html… I have been one to defend All India Radio against almost universal criticism on anything to do with classical music even though I rarely listen to it! I used to enjoy “sangit sarita” on vividh bharati but these days it is on when I am walking the dogs. There have been some wonderful things on the newer format, not restricted to one raga a session, like Shubha Mudgal’s series on monsoon-related melodies, Baban rao Haldankar’s series on nat ragas and others. It shows some interest in programming. Interesting programs generate interest, right? Same with the newspapers. If the articles are interesting the rest follows. Reviews too do not have to be dull cliché-ridden summaries. I used to relish the reviews of Carnatic music in the Hindu newspaper when I visited Chennai. They were full of insight, well written and sparked my interest in this subject I knew nothing about.  “Sangit Sarita” can be hopeless too- some Dr. so and so, a big name in music maybe, giving some dull textbook-style lecture on such and such raga. Give me a break- this isn’t cramming for an exam!  It is a real turn-off.     Getting back to All India Radio- it seems incredible how quickly it has become irrelevant to classical musicians. Shubha mentions how important it used to be. How true, and I wonder if in the smaller cities it still might be. Being employed as “staff artist” certainly saved many sarengi players in many AIR stations from lives of penury, if not providing a stimulating artistic environment. From what I saw AIR was not a good advertisement for nationalised radio. I did provide that opportunity for a program though, the trip to the station, the professional atmosphere, and the broadcast to the general public. Is there anywhere else in the world that that sort of system, with its hundreds of graded artists was ever in place? (Actually, yes, Radio Pakistan!) What a vision! I believe it was B.V. Keskar the first information and broadcasting minister who started the system. AIR in its bureaucratic vision-less lethargy has not changed over the years and surprise surprise as with any government run operation- deterioration and corruption. A few years ago, finally F.M. radio was opened up in this country and all of a sudden there were about 10 stations in Mumbai. They were good too, and fun, even if 90-95% the same current hindi filmi hits. Nothing there for classical though. that is too bad, but who can be blamed except for the frightening example of AIR (a sure way to lose money). Worldspace cable radio had a hindustani station. I can’t remember the name but it was supposed to be very good. The whole company collapsed I believe. I think there are many things AIR should have done over the years. Around the world there are many examples of successful ideas used in radio that keep classical music vibrant and relevant (and not the dumbing-down option!). Radio Sangeet Sammelan was a great idea, but since that, anything new? I will never understand why concerts could not have been recorded regularly and broadcast on AIR. It would have been a wonderful atmosphere and attracted great interest. True, some of the national programs of music in recent years were recorded live. I attended one at Mumbai AIR some years ago of Liaqat Ali Khan (sarengi). Very nice auditorium, but we were sitting far from the artists, (I guess so no “daad” would blemish the recording). I will never forget the tension in the hall at the countdown to broadcast and was amazed that Liaqat bhai was able to begin with such a steady bow. These days, from what I hear, it is a rarity to get the opportunity to perform. The system seems in disarray and if an artist is called the atmosphere is inimical to music-making with absent accompanists, broken tambouras, and general indifference. Some broadcasts I have heard in recent years have horrified me from the engineering viewpoint. Is it so difficult to get the right balance between vocalist, harmonium,or sarengi and tabla? I am not so particular about this myself, as a listener, but they get it so wrong! Isn’t it amazing that they (AIR) still cannot get it together to publish who is going to be broadcasting on any day? That information is essential and should be in the daily newspaper and on the internet. That should have been done years ago, and it is probably too late to generate interest in classical music from AIR.