Carnatic musicians pull out of event over award to Krishna
New Delhi, March 21
Several renowned Indian classical musicians have pulled out of the Madras Music Academy’s Conference, 2024, after it honoured Carnatic singer TM Krishna with “Sangita Kalanidhi” title. He will also be presiding over the upcoming conference in December this year.
Anti-caste activist
- TM Krishna is a Carnatic music vocalist and an activist against caste discrimination
- He also advocates for environmental activism and LGBTQ+ rights
- In 2016, Krishna was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. He is a bitter critic of BJP and Sangh Parivar
- Krishna was born into a family of musicians and has been performing since the age of six
- He has trained under Vidvan Seetharama Sarma, Chingleput Ranganathan and Padma awardee Semmangudi Srinivasier
Protesting against the award, Carnatic vocalists Ranjani, Gayatri, Dushyanth Sridhar, Vishakha Hari and Triuchur Brothers have withdrawn from the Music Academy Conference. Posting on X, Ranjani and Gayatri said, “We have communicated our decision to withdraw from participating in the Music Academy’s conference 2024 and from presenting our concert on December 25. We made this decision as the conference would be presided over by TM Krishna. He has caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world, wilfully and happily stomped over the sentiments of this community, and insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi. His actions have tried to spread a sense of shame in being a Carnatic musician and has been exhibited through his consistent denigration of spirituality in music.” Ranjani and Gayatri said Krishna had vilified the Carnatic music fraternity. They said it was dangerous to overlook Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EV Ramasamy, “who openly proposed a genocide of Brahmins, repeatedly called/ abused every woman of this community with vile profanity, and relentlessly worked to normalise filthy language in social discourse”.
In response to the boycott, academy president N Murali said even if more musicians joined in, the institution would stand by its decision of awarding Krishna.
