T M Krishna Award Row: Trichur Brothers Stand By Their Decision To Boycott Madras Music Academy Event - Here's What They Said

Renowned Carnatic musicians Trichur Brothers (Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan) have said that they stand by their decision to not perform at a festival "presided over" by controversial artist T M Krishna.

Krishna, who had glorified E V Ramaswamy, was selected for this year's Sangita Kalanidhi award by the Madras Music Academy.

Sangita Kalanidhi is a prestigious award that the academy bestows on Carnatic musicians.

Opposing the academy's decision, world-renowned Carnatic vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri, known as Vidushi sisters, announced their withdrawal from participating in the Music Academy’s conference 2024, saying that Krishna glorified a controversial anti-Hindu figure like EVR.

Following the announcement by Ranjani and Gayatri, many famous personalities in the Carnatic music circuit including Trichur brothers, Chitravina Ravikiran, Harikatha exponents Dushyanth Sridar and others also opposed the Academy's decision.

Issuing their "closing statement" on the controversy on Tuesday (2 April), the Trichur brothers emphasised music as a unifying force and express concerns about T M Krishna's approach to Carnatic music, which they believe has negatively impacted the art form.

They advocated for preserving the traditional and spiritual roots of Carnatic music and rejected narratives they view as detrimental to these values.

"At the outset, the last few days have been very purposeful, owing to the fact that it is the first time in a decade that the world of Carnatic music and its listeners have opened up to a hitherto silent "alternate side", which is free from agenda and negativity," the musician duo said.

The Trichur brothers said that they have actively engaged with individuals reaching out to them on social media, addressing both supporters and critics, and even the few "abusive trolls", striving for respectful communication.

"As musicians, as artists, we have always sworn allegiance to unification through the higher power of music to heal rather than harp and divide, which is evident from our choice of projects (The Namami Gange Anthem and Vandhe Bharathambe) and contents of our concerts," they said.

"We have been watching Mr. T.M. Krishna from the side-lines for close to a decade, silently, in the hope that it would enable more people to take to the art form we worship, as genuine practitioners or listeners," they said.

"Sadly, over the years Mr. T.M. Krishna has either invented or magnified fault lines, not with the intention of closing them, but to pry them wide open, merely to sensationalize. In the process, the art, its values, its roots and a majority of its followers have suffered immensely, hopefully not irreparably and irreversibly," the musician duo said.

"This is why we were constrained to take a stand to preserve the sacred roots of Carnatic music before it was too late, and we stand by our decision to not perform at a festival "presided over" by the gentleman in question," they added.

The Trichur Brothers outlined their value system, highlighting the unifying power of music and the importance of adhering to the traditional roots and spiritual aspects of Carnatic music.

"Carnatic Music is primarily rooted in Hinduism as much as Gospel Music is rooted in Christianity and Qawwali/Sufi Music is rooted in Sufism. A true practitioner embraces and acknowledges the respective roots of an Art Form, even if it is Religious," they said.

They advocated for respect towards the art form's heritage, including its saint composers, lyrics, language, and cultural ethos, while supporting the idea of positive messaging and respectful innovation within the traditional framework.

They also said that their value system also include patriotism and love for Bharat, and carrying the message of the country to the world through Carnatic Music.

"Therefore, we cannot, in good conscience endorse the motivated, manufactured and feckless narrative that tramples on the faith, belief and value system of a majority of the followers of this sacred art form, by participating in a festival presided over by Mr. T.M. Krishna," they said.

The musician duo also emphasised the importance of preserving the integrity of ancient Indian art forms in their pristine forms, advocating for their practice without fear of "getting branded by a bunch of nay-sayers".

"We have a moral responsibility and obligation to share with the world our thought process and what we believe is the core value system of our art. Our stand, in effect, is simply targeted towards a false narrative that has been in propagation with neither basis nor direction nor destination," they said.

"These words are to ensure that our actions are in symphony with our music and the spirit that guides it," they added.

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