Carnatic music is an ancient art form that has endured thousands of years and has remained unchanged since its inception. However, after the dawn of the 21st century, its appeal has started to decrease in the eyes of the newer generation.
Western "pop" music has been creating waves in the music industry and has attracted a young audience. This drives them away from not only Carnatic music but also from western classical music. This type of music is also easier to access as there are entire companies like 'Spotify' dedicated to making streaming easier for customers.
If you attend a Carnatic music concert tomorrow, you will mostly find people in their mid-50s or 60s because their generation grew up listening to this art form. Before the advent of technology and globalization, Carnatic music was the only form of music in south India and because of that, everyone from the milkman to the king listened to Carnatic music.
Today, that spot has been taken over by modern music like hip-hop pop and EDM (Electronic Dance Music). Although these styles music have only emerged in the last few decades, their unique sounds and meanings have resonated with the newer generation. This leaves Carnatic music behind as merely a relic of the past.
The timeless appeal of classical music is fading and the only way to arrest this downward spiral is to cater to the new audience. Artists have started to adapt to the times by making fusion pieces which combine the best aspects of both western and Indian art forms. People have also started making Carnatic-style covers of popular western songs which have gained significant interest on youtube.
Carnatic musicians should also think about showcasing their content on newer content sharing platforms like youtube, facebook, and Spotify. This would put high-quality Carnatic music on everyone's phones which could have the potential to reignite the passion for Carnatic music in many young people. Doing this would make it easier it appreciate Carnatic music because as of now, the most popular way to experience this is to attend a physical concert.
These solutions would help to reduce the average age of Carnatic music fans and propel this age-old music form into the modern world and help newer generations understand the beauty of the music their ancestors composed.
