Do you or someone you know fit into any of these profiles?

Profile A: Walks out when the tani starts or would have (say to take a bathroom break plus may be a short visit to the canteen) if only it wasn’t considered bad etiquette as it is nowadays.

Profile B: Starts chit-chat, or reads newspaper, magazine, festival brochures, or looks around to check the audience. Basically looses focus and does things other than giving full attention to the tani.

Profile C: Pays attention to the tani and starts to put tALam loudly. Seems to have some satisfaction in the nice rhythmic sound of everyone putting tALAm during the tani. May even think that putting tALam loudly is an important aspect of proper appreciation of tani. Also may have these other characteristics:

  • Can pass general opinions of the tani i.e. “The tani was excellent” or “That tani wasn’t that good”.
  • However, may not know what the kOrvai was, which naDais were employed, or may not even know what a kOrvai is, what different naDais mean etc. May not know how to recognize when a tani ends
  • When asked why a tani was good has one or more of the following reasons:
    • It “sounded” good aurally. This means good nAdham/tone, and perhaps different tones used to nice aural effects.
    • The beats were “catchy”
    • The mridangist played energetically and enthusiastically.

In fact, do you think an average carnatic rasika fits into one of these profiles? Hence, do you think that most rasikas in a carnatic concert would fall into one these profiles?

Please feel free to leave comments.

Oh, by the way, if you are wondering, I certainly fit into one of these profiles :) .