Shankar talks music in Dubai
Popular Bollywood singer, who was in Dubai to meet students of his Shankar Mahadevan Academy, talks about online music courses and preserving Tamil culture
Literature, music and theatre are integral parts of Tamil society, with Carnatic music and the dance form Bharatanatyam enjoying a special popularity. The Shankar Mahadevan Academy in Dubai — founded by the popular Bollywood singer and composer — is hoping to keep Carnatic music alive among UAE’s Tamil residents, but with a difference. In a revolutionary move, the curriculum is predominantly online-based with assessments done from Bengaluru in India.
When asked about music on a digital platform, Mahadevan, who made his first visit to the academy recently, said: “[The] future is digital. Many keep saying how can we learn music online? Now we have proven that it can be done. People are so happy. Feedback is positive.”
He added that the academy conducts online classes in 76 countries.
“[The] digital platform is my idea and my conception, but it is implemented by Sridhar Ranganathan. We are eight years old and we keep coaxing people to give us complaints. And we haven’t received a single complaint. If people are not happy they would have sent a lot of complaints. We also have 24x7 support team,” Mahadevan added.
During the one-hour interactive session at the academy in Dubai, which became functional in January 2017, the singer guided his students through various notes and songs, including one from his upcoming movie Raazi, which he describes as an ode to unsung heroes of the country.
Speaking in Tamil, he said his project is not a commercial venture.
“Of course, people pay fees but our idea is to propagate the music of our country and our culture to this young generation. I have taken it up as a mission throughout the world,” he said.
Mahadevan, who is also a qualified engineer, had a few words of advice for aspiring singers.
“Ours [India] is a very fortunate country with lot of talents. Along with talents come lot of competition. So with more competition [you have to deliver] more hard work.
“You must have seen the reality show I did, Rising Star, and you must have seen the talent. One must not look at fame, popularity, giving super hits, performing and earning money as the first step. You should work hard and all these things are by products that follow,” he said.
Neelam Singh and Babita Umar, the owners of Galaxy Centre for Performing Arts (where Mahadevan’s courses are held) and SMA Brands Associates, said: “Ours is modernised curriculum based on academic subject. There are three levels – beginners, intermediate and advanced – with each level on a nine-term cycle.
“Each term is three months and after every three months there is an assessment. All the students are given a chance to perform and the progress will be assessed by the head office in Bengaluru, which is in addition to the quarterly assessment. However, the biggest advantage is one can continue the course from across the world.”
The motto of the academy is to promote music as an activity so that it becomes an important aspect of life.
After the event, Mahadevan promised students that he would spend a whole day during the Vidyarambham (introduction to the arts), before rushing off to catch his flight out of Dubai.