We Won't Change Our Decision, Even If More Musicians Boycott Us : Madras Music Academy

Bengaluru: A storm is brewing in Carnatic music circle over Music Acemy Mras’s decision to give its prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award to Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna this year, which was announced on March 18. A handful of musicians have decided to boycott Acemy this year. But Acemy president N Murali told PTI that even if more musicians join in, y will stand by ir decision.

So far, six musicians – vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri, Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan (aka Trichur Brors), Harikatha exponents Dushyanth Sridhar and Vishakha Hari – have registered ir protest by refusing to be part of Acemy’s ‘Margazhi’ festival line-up.

Chitraveena exponent Ravikiran, who h received Sangita Kalanidhi Award in 2017, but who has not been performing at Acemy since 2018, has stated that he would be returning his award in protest.

“ Acemy has seen many such storms over years and has proven its resilience. Even if more musicians join in, we will stand firm in our decision. This year will be our 98th annual convocation and concerts. institution is bigger than individuals,” Murali told PTI over phone.

Murali said he h received letter by Ranjani and Gayatri yesterday and before he could send m a reply, y h put out content of letter in ir social media pages.

“y were not talking about music but or issues. Now, ors are jumping into it without any locus standi,” ded Murali.

When contacted, Ranjani told PTI that y have stated all that needed to be said about issue in ir letter, which is now in public domain.

post published on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday night, at around 7 pm, stated that sisters will not be singing on December 25, as scheduled by Music Acemy, because conference and concerts this year will be presided over by T M Krishna.

According to m, Krishna has caused immense damage to Carnatic music world.

y went on to state that y object to Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR (Periyar E V Ramasamy).

In his reply to sisters, Murali h said he was shocked by both vituperative content and vicious tone against a respected senior fellow musician. He also called out sisters for posting content of letter on social media without waiting for a response.

“According to me, y are disappointed that y have not been awarded. That is at root of all this,” said Murali to PTI.

On Wednesday night, Trichur Brors too h taken to X to convey – without going into many details – that y will be pulling out of annual conference and concerts of Acemy this year.

When contacted, Ramkumar Mohan reiterated his stand and said if y participate when Krishna is presiding over, y will be “outright hypocrites”.

Harikatha exponent Sridhar too confirmed to PTI that he will not be performing on January 1 as scheduled.

“Of 3,000-odd concerts that will happen in months of December and January, about 10 per cent will be musical discourses like Harikatha. Not only me, but also anor Harikatha performer, Vishaka Hari, has also decided to boycott Music Acemy this year,” said Sridhar.

Meanwhile, Murali said Krishna, even though unorthodox in his approach, is certainly one of foremost Carnatic musicians today and is a right candidate for Sangita Kalanidhi award.

“Our foremost criterion is ‘excellence in music over a sustained period’ and Krishna fulfils it, end of story,” ded Murali.

Despite various attempts, PTI could not reach Krishna for his reaction.