Renowned Carnatic vocalists Ranjani-Gayatri and Harikatha exponent Dushyanth Sridhar have withdrawn from the Music Academy Conference 2024 in protest. Their decision came after the Music Academy honored TM Krishna with the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award earlier this week.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the musician duo Ranjani and Gayatri announced their withdrawal from the conference and their decision not to perform at the scheduled concert on December 25. They expressed their concerns over TM Krishna presiding over the conference.
In their statement, Ranjani and Gayatri criticized TM Krishna for allegedly causing damage to the Carnatic music world by disrespecting revered figures such as Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi. They also raised objections to his glorification of EVR (Periyar), who, according to them, advocated for the genocide of Brahmins.
The withdrawal of Ranjani-Gayatri and Dushyanth Sridhar highlights the deep-seated divisions within the Carnatic music community regarding TM Krishna’s recognition and his views on certain historical figures. Their protest underscores the importance of upholding cultural and ideological values within the artistic community.
