CHENNAI, March 10: Carnatic musicians must guard against `kalappadam’ (adulteration) of commercialism in all its tawdriness in classical concerts.

Asserting that "it (commercialism) is what must be guarded against,’’ Gopalakrishna Gandhi, Governor of West Bengal, wondered how musicians could sing and play "Nidhi challa sukhama, Ramuni sannidhi sukhama…’’ even as their managers and promoters were expecting and receiving six-to-seven digit one-time charges.

Addressing a function got by Music Academy here on Sunday to confer a "Special Life Time Achievement Award" on violin maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Mr. Gandhi said, "what keeps the classicism of the music classical is not the prudery of self-esteem but a studied distancing of the art from its commoditification."

Great Carnatic musicians were known by their home towns, he said. Very modest places and villages, in fact, were made famous by the musicians that bore and bear those names, he added. "Even if Tanjore Balasarasvati and Madurai S. Subbulakshmi brought to mind well-endowed towns, we know that those great artistes grew up in the most modest circumstances,’’ Mr. Gandhi said.

None wished to see classical musicians live in anything but comfort, he said. "We know that many of them, particularly in the twilight of advancing years, face the most straitened circumstances,’’ he pointed out. Nonetheless, he wasn’t quite sure ``if anybody would want to see musicians being targeted, as they are, by `promoters’, even as heritage houses are targeted by developers.’’

In this context, he said musicians needed to be helped by the equivalent of heritage conservationists. Sabhas like Music Academy were heritage conservationists, he pointed out. "I appeal to younger artistes in the classical tradition to bear in mind the fact that they carry a heritage to be conserved rather than a skill to be turned into a commodity,’’ he said. The `greats’ of yesteryear were the reference points for their music. "Let the same greats and not the idols of commercial music be their reference points for professional success,’’ Mr. Gandhi said. The younger artistes in the classical tradition had a promise to keep and a reputation to lose, he pointed out.

"Classical music ought not to be the preserve of academies. Ought it to become so `productified’, so as to become a cash and carry affair?’’ he asked. "The potting of classical music would not have seemed so lamentable if the techno-commerce was benefiting the artistes as much as it is benefiting an industry which has more to do with profit than music,’’ he pointed out.

"Let us not confound classical music with crusty conservatism. Let us acknowledge that there is something called musical intelligence, musical intention and musical integrity which go to make classical music classical,’’ he said. "Senior classical artistes have made their contributions. Younger classical artistes must make theirs, not by some prudish touch-the-notes, but by an innately modest recognition of their trusteeship,’’ he pointed out. "To be authentic and real but not be puffed-up about it… I think for younger artistes to attempt that balance is not easy. But it is important,’’ he pointed out. He went on to add, ``it is only then that a classical musician can consume and enrich, continue and contribute, protect and renew.’’

Mr. Gandhi said those who valued classical music could not and should not deny the appeal or the value of non-classical or `light music’. There was a softer side to any musical sensibility that responded to the chiaroscuro of human emotions. "One’s musical mind cannot circumnavigate the melakarta ragams and their progeny for all time exclusively,’’ he pointed out. "After all, if Subbulakshmi’s `Sambho Mahadeva’ uplifts me, I must admit, her `Yaro, Ivar yaro’ enthralls me,’’ he said. He went on to ask "Is it is a lesser MS that sings `Chandrabimba mukha…’ than the MS that sings `Maithrim Bhajata…’? No, it is not a lesser MS, only a different MS. All of us have different rasikas in us.’’

Stating that `rasa’ was not and could not be monochromatic, Mr. Gandhi said, "in note, pitch, tone and timbre, one has to be fidel. In emotion, reach and impact, one can be feral.’’