Saregama introduces app for Hindustani, Carnatic music
The app boasts of an enviable portfolio of musical compositions from virtually who’s who of classical music.
Making classical music easily accessible to a large smartphone user base, Saragama India Ltd., an RPG group enterprise, has introduced an exclusive app that opens up a treasure trove of more than 8000 recordings of about 400 stalwarts of Hindustani classical, Carnatic, and fusion music for music lovers.
A galaxy of musicians including Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Jasraj, Dr Balamuralikrishna, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Ajay Pohankar and poet-lyricist-film-maker Gulzar were present at the introduction of the app “Saregama Classical” at a suburban Mumbai hotel on Tuesday.
The app will be available across 172 countries on iOS and Android platforms.
The app boasts of an enviable portfolio of musical compositions from virtually who’s who of classical music. It will feature the works of over 70 Carnatic classical musicians including MS Subbulakshmi, Dr M Balamuralikrishna, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, DK Jayaraman, Lalgudi Jayaraman, MS Gopalakrishnan, Madurai Mani Iyer, Bombay Jayashree to name just a few.
Similarly in Hindustani classical music, the app will make it easy for smartphone users to download the works of four generations of musicians dating back to the era of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Zohra Bai, Hirabai Baodekar, Pandit DV Paluskar, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Pandit VG Jog to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Alla Rakha, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur, Pandit Basavraj Rajguru, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and younger musicians like Ronu Majumdar, Ustad Rashid Khan. The third category of fusion music will include the compositions of Amaan Ali and Ayaan Ali Khan, Bickram Ghosh, Rahul Sharma and Pandit Ajay Pohankar among others.
The app will allow users access to over 50 specially curated radio stations and also allow them to download offline their favourite compositions to their mobile phone to enable them to listen to music without mobile data charges. Music lovers can download the app free with a 7-day trial period after which they will have to choose from a monthly, semi-annual and annual subscription offers.
Speaking to The Hindu, Vikram Mehra, Managing Director, Saregama India said the digitisation of music had strongly eroded the business of traditional music and record companies as cassette and CD sales declined, and the transition to app-based platform was inevitable. “Music piracy was also rampant. This app allows to us to reach out to classical music lovers in 172 countries. Even if there is a small group of 500 Indian classical music lovers in a country like Iceland, they will be able to download this app from today. We could not have reached out to them earlier with CDs, but now we can,” said Mr Mehra.
“Unlike Carnatic music which has a mass following in Southern India, there is a perception that Hindustani classical music is an elitist thing to do. So, we want to break that stereotype, and take it to masses. We also consciously decided that we did not want the app to be free. If it is given free, the euphoria over it dies down in a few months. If it is paid, then royalties will go to musicians and there will be reinvestment,” Mr Mehra said.
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