Padma Awards 2021

Miscellaneous topics on Carnatic music
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hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Padma Awards 2021

Post by hnbhagavan »

THe announcement of Padma Awards was a great disappointment for Carnatic Music fraternity. Only Bombay Jayasree has made it to the list. SPB getting Padma Vibhushan does not belong to CM category.
The number of Carnatic Musicians getting Padma Awards is on steady decline. Though a number of deserving musicians are in the circuit. Definitely Sanjay Subramanyam, Vijaya Siva ,Neyveli Santana Gopalan and even the great Madurai GS Mani deserve consideration and recommendation from respective Governments.Among Instrumentalists Lalgudi GJR Krishnan,Mysore Nagaraj definitely deserve Padmashree awards for their decades of service to CM.
The list is long and only Bombay Jayashree has made to the list. While the list announced is a long one, but very disappointing.
Annavarapu Ramaswamy and Sumati also are awrded Padmashri.

gajaa
Posts: 123
Joined: 30 Jan 2012, 13:07

Re: Padma Awards 2021

Post by gajaa »

What is more rewarding for Carnatic musicians really ? The SK or the Padma awards? What does the Carnatic music fraternity and audience value more? Clearly the SK.
Padma awards seem to be more of a wider recognition among the public which is surely desirable. However, Carnatic Music audience would surely value the SK higher IMHO.
BJ getting the SK anytime soon is highly doubtful (she didn’t even perform this season). SS, Sowmya and the others have probably achieved the most valued title as Carnatic Performers at a much younger age. Life is not always fair I guess. Just my take. I understand there is a lot of lobbying etc that can be at play.

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: Padma Awards 2021

Post by hnbhagavan »

Lalgudi Jayaraman,TN Krishnan,Semmangudi and of course MS were awarded by Govt of India. MDR was awarded Padmashri but MA ignored him for SK.The awards have different flavors and both are recognitions.TV Shankaranarayanan,TN Seshagopalan ,KVN also got Padma awards as well as SK.When recognition is given nationally,it assumes a great significance.RK Srikantan and the list goes on. But these days the National level awards have been on the decline for CM.
But some great Carnatic Musicians did not get recognised any where.The names that come to my mind are Flute Maestro K S Gopalakrishnan and Netiyankara Vasudevan.There may be more such cases.Flute Maestro Ramani was awarded both SK and Padmashri.I must add MSG to the above list who got recgnised in both National as well as MA.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Padma Awards 2021

Post by rajeshnat »

Congratulations to Bombay jayashri who got the padmashri award . She represents CM this year 2021

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Padma Awards 2021

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Congratulations to Bombay Jayashri!

Ananthakrishna
Posts: 130
Joined: 01 Nov 2019, 17:38

Re: Padma Awards 2021

Post by Ananthakrishna »

Considering that only two Padma Awards were given in 2020, that 3 musicians got the award this time around seems like a slight improvement! (When a duo get the award, it is actually counted as one)

On a more serious note. this is not a phenomenon limited to CM alone. Many such classical art forms have been long neglected. One reason might be that rasikas of such art forms do not actively participate towards nominating artistes of these art forms. Perhaps this forum can take a good step in this regard. Next time, let's coordinate and nominate a set of artistes and CM personalities? The no. of members of this forum are sizeable, and many nominations for the same set of CM personalities ought to work in their favour.

Another is that, art forms like CM are still not as far reaching as other forms may be. The members of the committee selecting the awardees may not be well aware enough of the art form. Meaning no disrespect to any artiste, Smt. Bombay Jayashree got this award not only for her substantial knowledge of CM, but also her CM outreach programmes, and she was a far more familiar name due to this and her film songs. When CM spreads beyond the sabhas and SPICMACAY, we can hope to see more recognition being given to it.

Finally, another reason might be that the Padma committee too panders to the wants of the majority. Undeserving candidates like Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar got awarded last time. The value of the Padma awards has depreciated manifold over time, and so... as long as artistes get the respect they are due, and CM prospers and spreads, I personally don't feel the Padma awards really matter.

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