Bansuri player, producor for Hindustani music, Asian music and Shomyo performance

The situation surrounding the traditional classical music of India continues to change due to the remarkable advances made in methods of information dissemination and communication, among these the rapid growth of the Internet. In this article, I have attempted to place the enormity of a CD catalog I received via the on-line services of an American record company called RAAG into some sort of context. From this analysis, as well as my experience as a performer of Indian music and direct observation of the Hindustani music scene in India, I have come to the following conclusions.

1. The production of Indian classical music records, or as the case may be CDs, continues to increase with each passing year. While in the past there were a limited number of records being produced, an accordingly limited number of listeners purchasing such records, and a limited supply of musicians in India, it seems that with more widespread record production the situation has changed considerably. The latest RAAG catalog, which lists 911 Hindustani music titles and 462 Karnataka music titles, makes this very clear.
2. Widespread record production has led to an increase in the number of musicians who participate in the recording process, either as the featured artist or as a backing musician. There are more than 450 musicians represented in the Hindustani music CDs listed in the RAAG catalog.
3. Serious practitioners and students of Indian music, in particular Hindustani music, have increased dramatically throughout the world. This is evident not only from the increasing number of Indian musicians traveling abroad to perform and record, but also from the focus of an international seminar entitled "Indian Music and the West" that was held in Bombay from November 29 to December 1, 1996. In some Western educational institutions, Hindustani music has already been established as a formal area of study,and research is being done to determine the most effective methods of education in this discipline. In light of this trend, the traditional master/pupil method, GSP (Guru-Shishya-Paranpara), has proved to be something of a controversial problem.
4. The commercialization of Indian music seems to have led to the monopolization of the market by a small numbers of "stars." Over the last ten years, it has in large part been the same small group of musicians who have been performing concerts in major cities. This monopolization of the field can also be seen by examining the RAAG catalog. Approximately 80 percent, or 724, of the 911 Hindustani music titles are by the top twenty "stars." This situation will make no doubt make it even more difficult for up-and-coming young musicians without some extraordinary talent or effort to establish themselves.
5. The popularization of Indian music has led too to changes in performance styles and audiences appreciation. This includes, for example, shortened performances, the traditional raga time concept meaningless, and an overemphasis on technique.
   Although these changes may be inevitable, the loss of spirituality, which has long been a given in Indian music, is a worrying trend.