Musicians Seek More Space For Art In Newspapers
CHENNAI, March 17: Why can’t newspapers bring news about
fine art and artistes up to front pages and move unpleasant
news items to inner pages?
Making a strong suggestion to this effect at a press conference here sometime ago, veteran Carnatic vocalist M. Balamurali Krishna regretted the importance accorded to Page-three items in newspapers.
Besides Balamurali Krishna, the press conference was addressed by the who's who of the Indian Carnatic music world.
"Bring the news of fine arts and artistes to the front page and take unpleasant things to the subsequent pages. We don't want to read unpleasant things in the morning," Balamurali Krishna said.
The musicians, representing both Hindustani and Carnatic music, have come together on a common platform under the aegis of the All-India Musicians Group (AIMG) to preserve art, and support the upcoming artistes and indigent musicians.
"I think the front page is reserved only for cricket," said renowned tabla player Zakir Hussain. Making a dig at the Page-three culture, he said, "now-a-days, people first look only at page three where they get to read about persons whom they don't know," he said. But those persons were in the news just because they went to a party, he pointed out.
Stressing the role of media in taking any art form to the masses, the musicians appealed to newspapers to give more space for arts.
The AIMG, formed a couple of years ago, held its third meeting here to "take stock of the current scenario in the music world and to identify issues which are prejudicial to its moving in the right direction." Eminent vocal artistes such as Ajoy Chakrabarty, Rajan Mishra and Sajan Mishra; santoor player Shivkumar Sharma; sitarist Arvind Parikh; carnatic singer Sudha Raghunathan; and Mandolin artiste U Shrinivas were among those present at the press conference.
Gobalisation had moved the Indian music to the masses, away from the patronage of the elite. Expressing concern over the meagre financial and related support extended by the Governments - both at the Central and state levels - to the cause of music, they said Prasar Bharathi had increased the allocation for culture from Rs.33 crore to Rs.49 crore, consequent to their meeting with officials concerned.
Asserting that there could be around 25,000 artistes, including those who were not graded, in the country, Parikh said slots had been obtained from All India Radio in cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata for up-and-coming artistes with the sponsorship of corporate houses. "Our most important agenda will be to collect money from corporate houses and promote young talents," he added.
He said the AIMG had also held talks with insurance companies such as Oriental and New India Insurance to evolve special policies for aged and indigent musicians at a subsidized premium. The musicians also stressed the need for music education in schools and colleges in order to create a next generation of musicians as well as audience.
Making a strong suggestion to this effect at a press conference here sometime ago, veteran Carnatic vocalist M. Balamurali Krishna regretted the importance accorded to Page-three items in newspapers.
Besides Balamurali Krishna, the press conference was addressed by the who's who of the Indian Carnatic music world.
"Bring the news of fine arts and artistes to the front page and take unpleasant things to the subsequent pages. We don't want to read unpleasant things in the morning," Balamurali Krishna said.
The musicians, representing both Hindustani and Carnatic music, have come together on a common platform under the aegis of the All-India Musicians Group (AIMG) to preserve art, and support the upcoming artistes and indigent musicians.
"I think the front page is reserved only for cricket," said renowned tabla player Zakir Hussain. Making a dig at the Page-three culture, he said, "now-a-days, people first look only at page three where they get to read about persons whom they don't know," he said. But those persons were in the news just because they went to a party, he pointed out.
Stressing the role of media in taking any art form to the masses, the musicians appealed to newspapers to give more space for arts.
The AIMG, formed a couple of years ago, held its third meeting here to "take stock of the current scenario in the music world and to identify issues which are prejudicial to its moving in the right direction." Eminent vocal artistes such as Ajoy Chakrabarty, Rajan Mishra and Sajan Mishra; santoor player Shivkumar Sharma; sitarist Arvind Parikh; carnatic singer Sudha Raghunathan; and Mandolin artiste U Shrinivas were among those present at the press conference.
Gobalisation had moved the Indian music to the masses, away from the patronage of the elite. Expressing concern over the meagre financial and related support extended by the Governments - both at the Central and state levels - to the cause of music, they said Prasar Bharathi had increased the allocation for culture from Rs.33 crore to Rs.49 crore, consequent to their meeting with officials concerned.
Asserting that there could be around 25,000 artistes, including those who were not graded, in the country, Parikh said slots had been obtained from All India Radio in cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata for up-and-coming artistes with the sponsorship of corporate houses. "Our most important agenda will be to collect money from corporate houses and promote young talents," he added.
He said the AIMG had also held talks with insurance companies such as Oriental and New India Insurance to evolve special policies for aged and indigent musicians at a subsidized premium. The musicians also stressed the need for music education in schools and colleges in order to create a next generation of musicians as well as audience.
