Carnatic musicians Ranjani-Gayatri boycott conference after TM Krishna gets award | Trending

Renowned Indian classical musicians Ranjani and Gayatri have announced their decision to withdraw from the Music Academy’s Conference 2024, including their scheduled concert on December 25, as TM Krishna will preside it. They have cited their objection after the Music Academy honoured TM Krishna with the Sangita Kalanidhi award earlier this week. Carnatic musicians Ranjani-Gayatri decided to withdraw from the Music Academy’s Conference 2024. (X/@ranjanigayatri) Ranjani and Gayatri took to X to communicate their decision. The duo expressed their disappointment with Krishna’s leadership, accusing him of inflicting “immense damage” upon the Carnatic music world. “[He] happily stomped over the sentiments of this community and insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi,” reads the tweet. Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. They added that his actions have attempted to shame Carnatic musicians, which has been ‘exhibited through his consent denigration of spirituality in music’. They further write, “He has vilified the Carnatic music fraternity that has collectively contributed millions of hours of artry, hard work and literature.” Moreover, the musicians raised concerns about Krishna’s praise for figures like EVR, who they claim ‘proposed genocide of brahmins’, ‘called/abused every woman of this community with vile profanity’, and ‘worked to normalise filthy language in social discourse’. They continued, “We believe in a value system that respects art and arts, vaggeyakaras, rasikas, institutions, our roots and culture. We will be in moral violation if we were to bury these values and join this year’s conference.” N Murali, the President of the Music Academy, shared a response to the duo’s statement. He said that he was ‘shocked’ the letter he received and ‘its vicious tone against a respected senior fellow-musician’. He said that the award is presented every year after ‘careful deliberation, with the sole criterion being musical excellence demonstrated over a significant and sustained career’. Murali added that the letter is ‘discourteous’ and ‘raises doubts about the intentions behind it’. He also said that the award presented to TM Krishna is soleley based on his ‘excellence in music over a long career, with no extraneous factors influencing our choice’. Check out how people are reacting to this statement issued Ranjani-Gayatri:“Thank you both, for standing up for Dharma! Fan of not just your music, but both of your courage of conviction!” commented an individual. Another added, “Thanks a lot to both of you. Huge respect to stand for our Dharma.” “That is really brave of you to call such violent ones out,” shared a third.