Book Reviews: Women’s role in Kudiyattam by L.S. Rajagopalan [and] Music in India: the classical traditions by Bonnie C. Wade

6 Pages·1998·1.7 MB·English

BOOKREVIEWS
roleofwomen inmanyof
Women's Role
the regional forms like
In Kudiyattam Yakshagana,Terukkurtu,'.
.,.,etc.(3).Thereisalsoa
L.S. Rajagopalan
reference'to Damodara
TheKuppuswami Sastri.
gupta's Kuttanimata
Research Institute which' mentions an aJl
Chennai, 1997 woman troupe in which"
'.224pages,Rs 250 the performers also took
therolesofmen.
.In.the recent 'past- there bas been while dealing with the hislory'of"(he
considerable interest in Kutiyattam. the Nangiars,thebookismorefocused.presenting
Sanskrit theatre-form of Kerala, with some useful information(to the layreader)on the
valuableresearch and the publication ofsome socialsituationofthe"Nangiarsin thecontext
informative books on" the subject. L.S. ofthematriarchalsystemofKerala.However.
~ajagopalan's booknarrowsdownthe inquiry even in this contextit needstobestatedthat
intothesubjectto'attemptanin-depthstudyof while matriarchy appears tooffer womenan
therelativelyunexplored area of the role of independentidentity_andspaceforexpression.
womeninKutiyattam. . inactualpractice,inKerala,itwasonlyacase'
ThewomenperformersinKutiyattamarethe oftraditionalhegemoniesassertingthemselves
Nangiars, and they belong 'tofheNambiar in" a different garb. Despite holding the
community.Whiletheyaresaidtohaveactively propertyrightswithinthefamily, thedomestic
participated in Kutiyattam in ancient Kerala normsforthe average'womanin Keralawere
takingfemalerolesagainst the maleactors,the nodifferentfromothersocieties.
O1akyars.todaytheyare onlythe singers,'wru; The highstatusoftheNangiarsinancient
aJ§O recite passages'from the texts and keep Keralaisascribed10thefactthattheyenjoyed
than
rhythmonthecymbals.Butapartfromthis,the more freedom in"society the"average
Nangiarbasthestageto'herseIfIDNangiarKuau, woman. They were esteemedin society for
asoloperformancewhichmayberegardedasa theirbeaut)',histrionictalent.and scholarship;
sequel to a Kutiyauam performance. Nangiar andwereevenacceptedbytherulersofKera'l0a
Kuttu is en.:elaborate" enactment of as spouses. They had sufficient influence
S~hiJh/lQ('harilam, episodes from the life of procureperfonnancerightsinspecifict~mple~
:shn~, "rendered in the f?nn"'·ofa long andwereentitledtospecialprivilegesIDtheir
gressionfromtheopeningsceneofthesecond capacityasartists.-Th~ bookdearly"n:enti~s
actof.Kulasekhara's Subhadradhananjayam. that the privileges enjoyed by the Nangrars
hiInItsopeningchapter, the'book attempts a were"indq,endentc:'ftheChakym"(7): .
Now. howdidthisfreedomandprivilege
storyofWOmenasperformersinancienttimes
butdoesnotpresent any evidence that"women' get reflected in their art? Did Nang~ Kurru
~Yperformed00the stagealongwithmen. havean existenceindependentof Kutiyattam.
aulhordoe, say,though.thatfrom existing orwasitonly3:ritualisticdanceconfinedtoa
few temples?One looks for answers to such
rteords: It apPeanthatinancientIndia.women
:,onnrn w,:" not looked npon withrespect. questions inthis book. but they are not dealt
withhere.Thestatusofthesetraditionalartists
b further, •••m the course oftimemany
has deterioral~ and we have a dwindling
range, tookplaceandwefind menlaking the
5ong",N6J4kNos. 127-128, 1998
76 SUDIIAGOPALAKRISIINAN
number of performers in the present century appears inthisbookfor thefirsttime.Therest
who h.1\'C'somehowmanagedtokeeptheirart of the book is devoted to a translationofSri·
alive in spite of financial and artistic krishnacharitam, which contains the entire
constraints. The reasons for this deterioration corpusofNangiarKuttu.
ofstatusinsocietyandinan andthe(putative) With its lucid translation and detailed
replacementoffemaleactorsbymalesinother treatmentofevenminordetailsoftheactionof
theatricalformslikeKrishnattamandKathakali Nangiar Kuttu, this book willbea helptothe
need (0 beinvestigated. non-MalayaIi theatregoer interested in
The book gives the details of the understanding the complicated grammar of
performanceofNangiarKuttu andotherplays Nangiar Kuttu and Kutiyattam. The glossary
inwhichtheNangiarplays3majorpart.There andbibliographyadd valuetothepublication.
is also mention ofsome performances which
are no longer presented, for example Chutala
SUD"AGOPALAKRlSH.~A.~
Kuuu. and some specific scenes like the
"floaringscene'inTapatiSamvarana.
The resuscitation of Nangiar Kuttu is aiso Music in India:
dealt with in some detail. While discussing
The
theeffortstore..'ivetheart.theauthormentions
the pioneering efforts made by Kerala Classical Traditions
Kalamandalam under Painkulam Rama Bonnie C.Wade
Chakyar. However, he has overlooked the
Manohar, Delhi, 1997 (reprint)
painstaking efforts made by Kochukuttan
Chakyar-both to train female artists and 252 pages, Rs 350
to enrich the repertoire of the Nangiar's art
in the Margi school for Kutiyauam in Bonnie C. "Vade's Music in India: 111/
Thiruvenanthapuram, Classical Traditions was first published in
The book takes up three plays 1979 in the Prentice-Hall History of Music
Surpanakbankam (me second act of series as an "introductory" text on thetVIO
Saktibhadra's Ashcharyachudamaniv. and the 'classical' musicaltraditionsofIndia.menod
firstandsecondactsofSubhadradhananjayom Indian (Hindustani) and the south Indian
(each act being a separate pJay in (Camarjc), for the "uninitiated Westernet
Kutiyattamj-c.amj gives us an elaborate who, according to the author, was "at the
description ofthe roleof theNangiarin these threshold of understanding non-western
plays.
musics". The book has nine chapters witha
In Surpanakhankam, the dual role of totaloftwenty-sixplatesandfourteenchartsas
Surpanakha as Lalita in disguise and as the wellasamapofIndia.TheAppendixrefersto
demonessisdiscussed indetail.Inthefirstact the source materials: Bibliography.
of Subhadrodhananjayom, the role of the
Discography and Filmography, The Glossary
Nangiaris subordinatetothehero's;however,
explains themeaningsofvariousmusicaltem:.s
accordingto~edescriptiongiveninthebook.
and concepts used in the above two mUSiC
she ha.s a major role to play in the fifth act.
systems,
There ISanelaboratedescriptionofIheroleof
ChapterOneconsistsofthree subsections
~ubhadrainthisact.wheresheholds the stage 'The Setting". '''The Relationship B~twec(l
smgle-handed for severaldays, employing the
Listener and Performer", and "Diversll)': A
deviceof nirvohana (flashback),Thisrolehas ~ll'St
Characteristic of Indian Cultures". Inthe
so far not been discussed even in the
subsection the author. after briefly mentiOnIng
Kutiyattam literature in MaJayalam, and
the geographical specificities ofIndia.givesa
BOOKREVIEWS 77
very simplistic overview of India'f. socio theirperformancesaniYorduringpractice.
politicalscenario.Her generalization aboutthe Thenotation systemsusedinthenorth/south
changed attitude of the West towards India Indian'classical'musichave beendealtwithin
which, she thinks, has become "more than a fairdetail. Inmecourse of herdiscussion. me
distant exotic land", as well as her remark author tries to explain why, compared to me
about the acceptance of Indian music in the south, thepractice of using notation either in
Westasanart-form which"mustbelistened to transmission orin performance hasnotgained
interms. ofitself-not as exotic. meandering popularityintherealmof'classical'mush::inthe
sound,butasexquisite,expressiveart" (8), go nonh. Thereasons forthisgivenby herareto
asfarasgeneralizations go.Heranalysisofthe someextenttrue.Butwhatisalsotrueisthefact
performer-listener relationship based on the thatthistradition,beingbasically anoral-aural
colourful storyof Kenaram, does not, as we one, needs development/retention of me
shallseelater,helphertargetgroupunderstand psychodynamics of orality. And onlythrough
this relationship as it exists today. The third thisitcanpreserveitsdistinctivetraits.This has
subsection. "Diversity: A Characteristic of beenrealizedbyour traditionalmusicians.That
Indian Cultures". has not done justice to its is why, in the northIndian 'classical' music,
caption.Her analysis of the place of music in using notations is not preferred by the
Indian life beginning with "Aryan India guruszustads either in the transmission of
(1500-500B.C.)"suffersfromlackofhistorical knowledgeorinperformance.
continuity and is based on disparate source ChapterThree, "Melody", concentrateson
materials.Her statement "the 'classical' is the the melodic concepts of the two 'classical'
'folk'andthe'folk' isthe 'classical' ". madein traditionsof India.The authordiscusses the
thecontextofher reference tothe closeness of concept of raga and the Western melodic
the"COUl1S, thecentres of education and the concept in acomparativeframework withthe
residencesof the pandits" to the "v-illages,the help of two songs-'Sajana Aye' in raga
cities, and the towns" (14) requires Malkaunsand'TilltheEndofTime',apopular
clarifications. songofthe194Os.Shenextdealswiththebasic
The second chapter intends, as the author elementsoftheragatheoriesofnorthandsouth
seys,tointroduce"thesharedtraditions"ofboth Indian 'classical' music systems. Her
thenonhandthesouthIndian 'classical' music, discussion continues witha briefnote onthe
suchasthe"ensemble". pitch. notation systems. originofragas.moodsrepresentedbydifferent
andmelodicdrone, to her readers.The chapter ragas. seasonal ragas. and Ihclime theory of
beginswithabriefdescriptionofthe"ensemble", ragas. While examining the method of raga
thatis,thesittingpositions/arrangements of the classification the author analyses the thol
musiciansin Indian 'classical' music concerts. systemofthenorthandtheme/asystemofthe
Di~ions continue with a brief mention of south. She also draws the auenuon of her
"impn)1{ization" in Indian 'classical' music. readerstotheg1O\\-inginsufficiencyoftheten
"Improvization"or"extemporization"(cf Nazir that system in bringing all the current ra~as
AliJairazbhoy.TheRagsofNorthIndianMusiC', within its fold. and refers to the alternative
~es.lyan University Press, 3J), which is a very system of 32 thats suggested by Nazir
slgruficantaspectofour'classical'music should Jairazbhoy (82). Her discussion of the mel~
have been deal 'lh ' . system as well as that of the katapoyadi
. t WI more elaborately With
parucularreference to its props and principles, formulaarequiteelaborate. . .
because "irnprovization" in our 'classical' Chapter Four deals with musical
m~si.cal traditions is done not randomly but instruments.Beginningwitha~hortnoteon.the
within the set boundariesof ragas was and ancient system of classification of musical
[)'POlogicaiforms chosen by the musicians in iosuumentsmentionedintheNatyasMstraand
78 JAYASR[ BAf\"ERJEE
Sangita Ramokara, the author discusses the performance genres of north Indian 'classical'
historyandstructuraldetailsofvariousmelodic music.Following the "Indian orderof priority
instruments of India with reference to the and also historical succession". she beginsher
leading instrumentalists. The Instruments discussion with the three vocal genres
discussed are the Vina. Sitar, Sarod. violin. Dhrupad.Khyal,andThumri.and explainsthe
Sarangi. flute. Nagasvaram and Shehnal. systemof"irnprovization".withinthesegenres.
Howe..'er, inordertohighlightthe'importance Inherdiscussiononthe "instrumentalgenres".
of vocal music in our 'classical' musical she begins with the sequence of instrumental
culture,sheconcludesthechapterbyrepeating perfonnance-"alap-jor.jhala-gat"-and then
the oft-told story of the kingwho. wanting to • analyses the two basic types of gats,
learn the art of image-making from a sage. Masitkhani and Razakhani.
ultimately endeduplearningvocal music. The following chapter deals with the
Chapter Five concentrates on "Meter" and performance genres of Camatic music. The
beginswiththe"HindustaniMetric Concepts". authorpoints.out that since"danceconcertsare
The authordiscusses the Western concepts of frequent in South Indian cultural life" and
metreand theconceptofmetreprevalentinthe several genres have developed "variant forms
domain of north Indian 'classical' music in a appropriate for a dance or a musical concert"
"parallelfashion"withthehelpoftwosongs (189), she deals with boththeconcertandthe
'Till the End of Time' for the former. and dance versions putting more emphasis onthe
'PayaliyaJhankar", aChhotaKhyalsetto raga former. With examples, she explains the
Puriya Dhanashri in Tintal, for the latter. She VamamandKriti in detail.Inthecontextofthe
also discusses, though briefly, other talas like latter,shebrieflydiscussesthecontributionsof
Rupak, Ektal and Dhamar, as well as the Tyagaraja, Syama Sastri, and Muttuswami
system of deciding the laya (speed) of a Dikshitar. She separately deals with Ragam
composition inperformance.Whilediscussing Tanam-Pallavi, "another major form"
the Carnanc metric concepts she analyses the cultivated by some performers. Under asmall
three subdivisions ofthe major Camatic talas section on the "light classical genres", me
and the systemof specifying their number of authorbrieflydiscussesthe Ti11anaandJavali.
counts. She also highlights the differences in The final chapter is on "Musicians and
this area between the two 'classical' musical Musicianship: the Performance and the
traditions of India. The chapter ends with a Audience Contexts", which beginsonceagain
discussion ofsomeCamatictalas. with a reference to the concert stage
The next chapter, on"Rhythm Instruments arrangement. With the help of a chart onthe
and Drumming". begins with abriefreference "PerformanceEnsembles"ofthe twotraditions
to the mythological origin of the Mridanga, ofour'classical' music,theauthorexplainsthe
followed by a description of the structural roles of the soloist and the accompanist (in
details of this instrument. Other instruments melodic instruments and in percussion) in
discussed in this chapter are the Pakhawaj. performances. In this context she once again
Kanjira, Ghatam.Talam(anideophone),TaviI. goes back to the perfonner.listener
Tabla.and Nagara.Referencesarealsomadeto relationship. .
many of our leading percussionists. The TheAppendix,whichgivesaglimpseofthe
systems of drumming followed in both our source materials on Indian culture in ,general
'classical' traditions are treated quite and Indian <classical' music in particular.
elaborately with the support of necessary wouldnodoubtbehelpfulfor her targe'group
examples.
ofreaders.
Chapter Seven is devoted to the This book would be able to prm'ide an
BOOKREVIEWS 79
overview of the two 'classical' musical systematically destroyed as music-making
traditionsofIndiatohertargetgroup.One has became synonymous with virtuosity, which
to admit that the author has done her job canonlybegapedat,nevershared,intowhich
efficientlyandsystematically. However,Ifeel nothingburtechnicalwizardrycanberead.In
that a few things should be mentioned here. OUf case. 'classical' musichasalsobeengoing
First, 1wish the author had gone beyond the through this historical process of being
"shimmering" Taj-in-moonlight, the exotic mystified and withdrawn from public
maharajas,andtherathersimplistichandlingof interpretationinadifferentway,ThoughWade
India'scomplexsocio-hlstoricalscenario. and mentionsthechangednatureoftheperformer
shownadeeperunderstandingofthe "setting" listener relationship in recent times (19), no
(ChapterOne) oftheIndian 'classical' musical attempt hasbeenmadeinthebooktoanalyse
traditions. thischangedrelationship.
Secondly,hertwoattempts(inChapterOne Thirdly,theroleandsignificanceofriyazin
and Nine) to analyse the performer-listener "improvizations"r extemporizations"inIndian
relationship.asIhavealreadymentioned,have 'classical' musicaltraditionsshouldalsohave
failedtoexplainthiscomplex issue inroday's been analysed to understand how far such
context InChapterOne thediscussion begins "improvizations" actually get pre-inscribed in
withthestory of one Kenaram, a dacoit who thememoryofthemusiciansthroughrigorous
becameagreatdevoteeofthegoddessManasa riyazfpractice. It is true that our 'classical'
afterlisteningtothedevotionalsongsofBanshi musicisnotcomposedinthewayWesternart
Das,apoetanda devoteeofManasa.After a music is. Yetthere isa veryintricate menial
brief mention of the rasa theory, the author pre-planningimpliedinitsperforrnance.Jndiaa
c:oncludes the subsection on"the performer 'classical' music's "improvizaticns" and
listenerrelationshipbyobserving: elaborations are largely pre-inscribed in the
memory and demand a very intricate mental
Thus, inthe ballad we have recounted, the pre-planning. Such pre-planning signifies a
makingofmusici~anactofdevotionandthe certain kind of distancing of the knowledge
path of s.elf-realization for the wandering from theself-a trait customarilybelievedto
asceticBangshi Das and his band. And for characterize knowledge within the textual
Kenaram, amurdererand a thief whoturns form Theinteractionbetweenthismentalpre
into a rasika, the expression of devonon pl~ing and its musical ex~cuti()n, Ih3'.is,
through song is so effective thai he too perfcrrnance ismediatedbyrigorouspracuce,
chooses that path to God: "He sang and
riyazinmusicalparlance,andlistening,inthis
danced,lostinreveries", [131
case,mainlytothemusicalperf0:manceofthe
guru'ustadeitherduringwlirnor111concerts.
Thestory,thoughcolourful,failstoanalyse
Finally, it seems two things of our
such 3 relationshipin the changed context of 'classical' musical traditions look rather
thepresenttimeswhenIndian'classical' music extraordinaryto the author:one,the c(\~stant
haslargely become an art of the virtuosos. A attempttorelatemodemtheoryandp~ctJceto
referencetotheobservationsofascholarfrom
..the hoary past", which "seems like o?ly
a di!ferent musical culture (Edward Said, "- and two "the love of naRlIng
MUSIcalElaborations) maybe ofsomehelpin yesterdaY" f
Undecsla di h - things which results in an abundance 0
. n mg t e changed present-day term-m'cIogy" (5)-54)_Allthis would no.t lo.ok
rdeilmateionnssiohnt"p I.nothfeCOtnhteextopfevrifrotrumoseitry-l.isItnentheer e-trxatdraitoiordniDw"-rhJvicihf wheasrembeeemnbearbeldethtoatrtehti~st"nIS aa
case of Western classical music. Said has
substantialresidueof its oralpastevenmthe
shown howthe lay involvementinmusic was
80 JAYASRI BANERJEE
high-technology ambience of present times. aretopeoplesofliteratecultures (ibid.32-33).
That retaining residual orality within a high Hence,whetheritisthepracticeof"recitingof
technology ambience is nOI impossible has names of the deities" or thai of "reciting of
been~hownbyrecentresearchesinthefieldof chainsofnamesofmany things",orthatofthe
orality/literacy. "Indian musicologist" who.inhisdiscussionof
InunderstandingtheIndianhabitofrefeming the degrees of speed in Camatic music,
to "the hoary past' as "yesterday", one has to "presents each term for such degrees inthree
remember that the concept of time in an oral forms"(34),allstandperfectlyintunewiththe
society is completely different from a literate distinctive traitsofaculturewhich still retains
one.Markthe followingobservationbyWallerJ. itsoralmind-set toaconsiderableextent,
Ong(Oralityandliterary:The Technologizing This book is indeed a commendableeffort
of the Word.Routledge. 1993): onthepartoftheauthor10maketheuninitiated
Westerners "literate" about the <dassico1J'
Inhightechnologyculturestoday,everyone musicalheritageofIndia, particularlyatatime
lives each day in a frame of abstract when, as Wade says, a section of Westerners
computed time enforced by millions of have started changing their view that "there
printedcalendars.clocks.andwatches. [is}bur one sophisticated system of musicin
Beforewritingwasdeeplyinteriorizedby the world. andthatit [is}theirs" (1),andother
print.peopledidnotfeelthemselvessituated
musical systems, including Indian 'classical'
every moment of their lives in abstract
music. are "exotic", But the way the bookhas
computedlimeofanysort...Personswhose
worldviewhasbeenformedbyhighliteracy been dedicated seems to dashwith theabove
need to remind themselves that in view.Jamrather confused,Imustconfess,by
functionallyoralculturesthepastisnotfeltas the term "Indian Music Wallahs", to whom
anifemized fcmin.peppered wilh vcrifiable BonnieC.Wadehasdedicated thisbook.wto
anddisputed'facts' orbitsofinformation. It are these people? Are they the "uninitiated
i, the domain of the ancestors. a resonant Westemer[s}" for whom, as she says in the
source of renewing awareness of present
Preface,thebookhas beenwritten'!Maybenot,
eXi\t~llCe. which itself is not an itemized
because 'walla' usually relates to occupation,
terraineither.Oralityknowsnolists.chartsor
e.g., 'taxiwalla",and Indianclassicalmusic,as
figures. 197'98)
common sense tells us, cannol be the
occupation ofthe "uninitiated Westerner",Are
Also,thepractice of naming things is very
theythen those distinguished Indian musicians
commoninoralcultures.since insuchcultures.
"partially" on whose behalf. Wade S3YS. she
wherewordsdo notexistinoutersurfacesand
has writtenthis book (211)1 Ido hopeshehas
"lslound cannot besounding without power",
people "commonly think of names . .. as not meant them.Are they then the westerners
who took up Indian classical music as their
conveying power over things", Such cultures
considerthat professionwhenthisbookwas"Tinen,thatis,
inthe 197051 Ifthese are thepeopletowhOIIl
this book has been dedicated, I must saythat
." namesdogivehumanbeingspowerOver
they deserve a more dignified nomenclature
whaltheyname:wuhoutlearningavaststore
of names. one is simply powerless to than this, since some of them were. and still
understand all [forms] of intellectual are, as seriously involved in the field astheir
knowledge. Indiancounterparts.
Moreover, in oral cultures names are not
considered as a tag/label of an object as they JAYASRI BAl'<RJEL