Carnatic musicians Rajani-Gayatri boycott conference after TM Krishna gets award

Here’s an explainer on what this whole issue is about.

Thodur Madabusi Krishna is a Carnatic musician, activist, writer, and Ramon Magsaysay awardee. Krishna underwent musical training first under Bhagavathula Seetharama Sharma, then underwent special Ragam Thanam Pallavi grooming under Chingleput Ranganathan and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. He has been performing since the age of 12.

Krishna is known today not just for his music but particularly his activism against caste discrimination and caste favouritism in the Carnatic music system.

TM Krishna boycotted the popular Chennai Music Season (in December), which is the pillar of Carnatic music in Chennai and considered the most coveted by mainstream Carnatic musicians in India and around the globe. The Carnatic music season is nearly a century old but he felt the Carnatic music system in its present form was non-inclusive and shunned non-Brahmin musicians and certain art forms.