Last week, the Music Academy had announced that singer TM Krishna will be conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi, the most prestigious title for Carnatic musicians. However, some prominent musicians have now criticised this selection.
Some musicians protest!Some of the prominent names in the Carnatic music circuit, including vocalists Ranjani-Gayatri and the Trichur Brothers, religious discourse specialist Dushyanth Sridhar, Harikatha exponent Vishakha Hari have posted on social media that they cannot share the same stageas TM Krishna as their ideologies are opposite to his and alleged that his views have “caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world”. They have also announced that they are withdrawing from performing at the Music Academy during the upcoming Margazhi music festival. Chitravina player Ravikiran went one step further and added that he was returning his Sangita Kalanidhi “as principles much larger than all of us are at stake”.
MUSIC ACADEMY HITS OUT AT ARTISTESResponding to the letter that Ranjani-Gayatri had sent to the academy, its president N Murali wrote back that the choice of Sangita Kalanidhi is the "prerogative of The Music Academy" and that it was made after "careful deliberation", and that it was based on "musical excellence demonstrated over a significant and sustained career". He also stated that their decision to withdraw was "unbecoming of artistes and in poor taste". He also took exception to the fact that they had chosen to share their letter on social media before the Academy could respond to it, and questioned the intentions.