Carnatic musicians of Karnataka put forth their issues and concerns at a grievance meeting organised by the Karnataka Classical Music Confederation (KCMC) Trust here on Saturday.
Speaking at the meeting, popular Carnatic musician Nagamani Srinath emphasised on the importance of establishing a collective voice and fighting for better rights and recognition on a united front.
She was joined by renowned musicians and upcoming artistes in the Carnatic music community, all of whom expressed their woes about the lack of opportunities for Karnataka artistes in the state.
Some of their concerns revolved around counteracting nepotism and creating equal opportunities for everyone, revamping the selection process for awards to ensure that deserving artistes are selected and making the All India Radio music auditions transparent.
Dr Jyotsna Srikanth, joint secretary of KCMC, told DH, “We will submit a memorandum to the government to urge the organisations they fund in Karnataka to reserve 80% of their concerts for Karnataka artistes”.
Bhagyalakshmi M Krishna, a morsing artiste, noted that the problem was particularly the lack of opportunities for Carnatic musicians from Karnataka to perform in the state.
Speaking to DH, she said: “It pains me that I get more opportunities from other states than I do here. It’s almost like organisations here aren’t aware of the immense talent and potential the local artistes have”.
Dr Ranjani Vasuki, daughter of singer Dr Nagavalli Nagaraj and an acclaimed vocalist herself, noted that there was no point in whining about the issues that have long-persisted.
“We must become a union as we cannot take collective action otherwise. We are already losing an engaged audience, but we cannot let this rich culture die,” she said.
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