Indian classical music is something that the Gen Z community is barely familiar with. Due to the popularity of Western music, such as rap, upbeat pop, hip-hop, and R&B, the celebration and practice of classical music, something that has flourished in this region for ages, are in decline. But what is it that caused this dramatic drop, especially among the youngsters?
The growing unpopularity of classical music, such as Rabindrasangeet, Thumris, Dhrupads, Khayals, Ghazals, etc, is the result of many factors that have not happened overnight, but through time.
Shifts in cultural preferences have to be a big-time role player in this dramatic decline. Today’s youths’ playlists are now dominated by Bollywood hits, Western pop, K-pop, etc, due to the high volume of advertisements circulated on the internet, as well as peer pressure. Where classical music is more slow-paced and requires great focus and attention, Western and other genres of music are rather faster-paced and highly accessible on the internet.
In addition, social media is another major contributor, where software applications such as TikTok and Instagram emphasize short/small-length music videos. This is usually done for faster capture of the user’s attention. Classical music is an exception in this, as it is more lengthy, which requires deep listening and full-time attention.
Classical music is also one of the few forms of art that runs through family legacies-passed down from one generation to another.
A very fine example could be Ustad Ali Baksh Jarnail Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, the founders of the great Kasur Patiala Gharana in Indian classical music, renowned for Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Ustad Fateh Ali Khan was a close relative to Ghulam Ali, and it is Fateh Ali who passed it down to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. This legacy even got forwarded to Ghulam Ali’s son Munawar Ali, and even his grandson: Raza Ali Khan. Nowadays, this culture of inheriting an art from one’s ancestors is not very prevalent, as people are gravitating towards a more tech-oriented and less art-influenced lifestyle. This lack of culture may be another significant contributor to the decline of classical music among the youth.
"Our generation is living in the golden era of technology and globalization. As a result, we have access to international content of all kinds, and cultural elements from around the world are gradually becoming rationalized. This is a major reason why this generation is leaning towards Western culture. However, nowadays, even Western music has incorporated some features of our classical music, which we know as 'fusion.'
"If we can give a child the right understanding of our culture and classical music from the family level, they will learn to distinguish between the two. Then, it will be their own personal choice as to what kind of music they wish to enjoy. Our responsibility is simply to introduce them through a healthy approach to the original (non-fusion) form," says Joyeth Kalyan Trivedi, an Indian classical vocalist and Nazrul-geeti student at Chhayanaut
Nowadays, media and entertainment are some of the powerful platforms distributing ideas and instilling messages. From commercial platforms to huge companies, everyone uses media and entertainment for promotions and advertisements . If classical music were publicised to the same degree as Indie music, or even rock, in these commercial platforms or even jingles, it could have received more attention from the youngsters, perhaps.
While Indian classical music is publicised in these days and age, they are rarely featured in Bangladeshi TV channels or shows, due to the dominance of easy-listening music. Bollywood and Lollywood are known to be the most prominent promoters of Hindustani/Carnatic classical music in the world. However, that doesn't help to foster interest among the Bangladeshis, as the contents are in Hindi/Urdu/Sanskrit, etc.
Classical music is also labelled as ‘old-fashioned’ by many, which is simply a misconception developed by families. Due to the lack of exposure to classical music from the family level, children grow up with a dismissive attitude towards it. What is ironic is that most children or teenagers of this age have never even attempted to discover or explore classical music. Thus, beyond the ‘lack of exposure’, disinterest is another factor for the youth to stay disconnected from this genre of music.
Even though classical music is not as popular as it was in the yesteryears, efforts are still being made by institutions like Chhayanaut, Nazrul Institute, and Shilpakala Academy to keep the legacy alive. Many artists in the country are developing fusion-based music that blends classical music with modern genres of music, to inform the new and young listeners with a refined version of the genre, just with the hope of attracting them to classical music. Perhaps, this is the only way a hint of Indian classical music could be preserved for the youth to enjoy.
