We are all modern Indians. Modernized
Indians. Modernizing Indians. Modernized up to that extent that we do not even
know what our culture is and what our traditions are. You ask a young urban
going on the road, “What is the next album of Shakira?”There will be an instant
reply. You ask another question, “Do you know who Tansen and Thyagaraja are?”The
upcoming citizen of India thinks and thinks, but I am sure he finally gives it
up. Such is the fate of Indian traditional music today, but ONLY IN INDIA.
There is an excellent patronage to this music in most other countries of the
globe. Cleveland Thyagaraja Aaraadhana is the best example to
this. The migration of the traditional Indian musicians to these far off places
suggests a considerable amount of lack of encouragement in the mother land
though some of them had gone there with the motive of spreading our culture. It
is fortunate that they are successful there.
However, did you know that there are
foreigners who are proficient in our music? I too did not till very recently.
The other day when I was casually turning some Wikipedian pages, I landed on
the “List of Carnatic Singers”. I found one ‘Patrick’ among the orthodox names
like Deekshithars, Murthys, Sastris, Nairs, etc. At first I checked my impulse
of considering him a foreigner thinking he may be one of those Keralite Christians
who gave a fair patronage to the traditional Carnatic music. But when I saw his
last name ‘Ngcobo’ a moment later, I was indeed surprised and thinking of a
possible African descent, I immediately clicked on the link attached to his
name.
I came to know that he is indeed an African
of Zulu lineage living in South Africa. I wondered how he came to be a seeker
of Indian music.
The increasing curiosity made me click on
the BBC news page link located at the bottom of the Wikipedia page.
 |
| Sri Patrick Ngcobo |
There it was written, the whole saga of
Sri Patrick Ngcobo and his Carnatic music. It was mentioned that Ngcobo was once
very much impressed by a song of Sri K.J.Jesudas and being himself inclined to
music, decided to pursue the style of music that was very pleasant to his ears.
He was fortunate to find Sri Jesudas who being a wonderful human being had instantly
agreed to teach him on the only condition of Patrick coming to Madras.
Then there is the mention of hundreds of
hurdles and adversities Patrick had faced, starting from the poverty that made
it difficult even to cross the boundary to the difficulties in practicing the
great intricacies of Carnatic music.
After his formal training with Sri Jesudas
he left India to his home place planning to make this as his profession. He believed
his thoughts are justified by the presence of a large Indian population in South
Africa. But much against to his idea, he did not receive that amount of
encouragement which he had expected though he has sung in many concerts in
Botswana. He says he want to sing in South Africa and it is remarkable that he
expresses a lot of hope in singing Carnatic songs throughout the world.
Now the story is over. What is its moral, then?
It is a lesson to all those youngsters, who
are running madly after the foreign customs and traditions, drastically endangering
the culture of homeland.
It is a point of proof of the virtues of
our traditional music when it had made a foreigner strive for it.
It makes us salute the individual who has
become a patron of such an alien music, fighting the countless adversities that
came his way. He could have been very peaceful without all these. But he did
not care for all these and was finally very successful in pursuing his goal. This
indeed showers us in a great inspiration.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
