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| SRA was set up by ITC Ltd in 1978 to foster and support Indian classical music as a public charitable trust, and a 'gurukul' to revive the Indian 'guru-shishya parampara' at a time when such thinking was unknown in the country.
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| SRA executive director Amit Mukherjee said SRA's first objective today was to propagate appreciation of Indian classical music to the large diaspora of Indians and non-Indians overseas.
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| Mukherjee, an exponent of Hindustani classical music, said the global drive would strengthen the core objectives of the academy as well. The academy was set up with emphasis on reviving and nurturing the heritage of Hindustani classical music.
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| Mukhejee said the western world's interest in Indian music was rising and this would be nurtured. SRA would target the universities and music institutes, to expose them to Indian music, both vocal and instrumental.
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| SRA would consciously make an effort to reach out to the music institutes and not just concentrate on musical concerts. Concerts would just be a part of the "thinking global" programme.
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| According to Mukherjee, the western world was much more acquainted with our instrumental music rather than vocal. Without aiming at creating a divide between vocal and instrumental music, SRA would introduce the western cultural institutes to vocal music.
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| SRA would take gurus from the academy to perform at the institutes. There would also be limited performance by scholars, or 'shishyas'.
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| However, SRA was not in favour of excessive exposure of scholars during their learning period as it would distract them.
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| The academy has always had a galaxy of gurus including legends like the late Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan, the late Vidushi Hirabhai Barodekar, the late Pandit Nivruttibua Sarnaik, the late Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan, the late Ustad Ishtiaq Hussain Khan, as well as living legends like Vidushi Girija Devi, Pandit T D Janorikar, the late Yunus Hussain Khan and Pandit Viajy Kichlu.
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| To take globalisation to its last mile, SRA would also encourage an exchange of western and Indian music through its scholars.
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| Mukherjee has already made an offer to some music institutes to send their scholars to SRA and expose them to Hindustani classical music either from the academy's gurus or the recordings available with the academy.
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| SRA prides on its exhaustive collection of recordings of its gurus which cannot be used for commercial purposes, Mukherjee said.While it was not possible for the academy's scholars to really learn both Indian and western music, the academy would urge its scholars to expose themselves to western music for a better understanding of music in all its manifestations worldwide. |
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