They say that music is food for soul.
For most of us, music is a source of relaxation, providing a little respite in our jam-packed schedules. We can also say that music is the love of our lives. Be it any type of genre, from different generations and different types of instruments, music is important in our lives to keep us going. Having said that, despite the many known and flourishing musicians out there, there are still so many other really good musicians, who aren’t looked upon or even, given enough opportunities to grow. Think about it- how many single youth out there interested in pursuing music often gets a chance to work upon it? Most of them get their dream squashed before it begins. While, for the others who do get a chance, it does not last.
Around our own country, most local musicians are not treated with respect, not even by the event organizers. To understand the situation, we got into touch with a local band from Sikkim, called the Tribal Rain, a classical experimental Nepali band
This particular band is known for their unique genre of music, where they fuse classical acoustic and modern metal. For those who enjoy modern classical pieces, you could listen to Tribal Rain for a change.
A band member said “We do not want lakhs of rupees! We are musicians! I guess what every musician would want is some respect, a good treatment and some basic amount of money after a show, unless it’s a charity show. I mean we need money so that we can continue functioning and make new music. I know we are not engineers and doctors but what we do is just as much as hard as them. I think people need to understand that and respect that”.
This is not just the tale of this band but many other bands who are facing a similar type of problem where proper respect and appreciation is not given for their work. It’s really sad that in this generation, even though we are evolving, there still are those who do not show enough consideration towards artists.
An even bigger issue comes across when this behavior is influenced by the narrow minded mentality shown towards those who belongs to smaller states or minority regions. Complimenting the talent is way different than actually appreciating it. The main problem when it comes to an artistic field; not just music, but any form of art, is that people do recognize the talent but don’t actually do anything to help promote this talent to grow further.
Music is a global language which does not need words, and is understood throughout because of its abstractness. Its a communication. And local bands are the representation of this global language of that particular locale. These are people finding time to create something beautiful and moving, for the world. The least we can do is cheer them at their gigs, invite them to perform in community gatherings and accept & play music as a way of recreation for all ages!
Lets look forward to inculcating a culture of music appreciation instead of the usual maata ka jagrata!