My son (Siddharth) and I were watching TV news filled with grim images of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US. My ten-year-old son looked up from his sketches, his brow furrowed.

"Ammā, why do people fight like this? Does it ever stop?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "It’s complicated, Siddharth. But sometimes, when people feel they aren't free, they find ways to stand up for themselves that don't involve weapons. Sometimes, they use something much more powerful—like music."

He looked puzzled. "Music? Like the Kṛti-s I practice?" He looked more curious now.

"Exactly," I said. "Before India was free, our great musicians turned our ragas into a movement. They showed that a song can be just as brave as a sword."

During the pre-independence era, the Carnatic music stage wasn't just a place for devotion; it became a platform for defiance. While the British controlled the streets, they couldn't silence the emotions stirred by a well-rendered composition. Musicians began to realize that the same discipline used to reach the divine could be used to reach the hearts of fellow citizens.

"Think of these composers like the influencers of their time," I told Siddharth. "They didn't have social media back then, but they had rāga-s that could go viral."

• Subramania Bharati (Bhāratiyār) was a firebrand. He used catchy, powerful rhythms so everyone could sing along. When he wrote songs like " वन्दे मातरम् - Vandē Mātaram", he gave the nation its first big anthems.

• Māyuram Viswanatha Sastri wrote the iconic " जयति जयति भारतमाता - Jayati jayati bhārata mātā " in the rāga Khamās. Don’t you remember me teaching this to another student. It was so moving that people felt it should have been our national anthem.

• Harikēśanallūr Muthiah Bhāgavatar was a superstar in the Mysore court. He used his fame to celebrate Indian identity, often weaving praise for the land into his grand compositions. नमो भारत जननि - Namō bhārata janani (“Salutations to the Mother of Bhārat”)

Siddharth, if you see this movement wasn't just about the writers; it was about the legendary performers who took these songs to the people.

D.K. Pattammal, hailed as the "Voice of Freedom," made Bhāratiyār’s songs a staple of the classical stage. 

M.S. Subbulakshmi, performed numerous benefit concerts to raise funds for the freedom struggle and was a beloved presence at Mahātmā Gāndhi’s prayer meetings.

"So they didn't just sing in the halls?" Siddharth is curious how they sang in public political rallies.

"No," I replied. "They took the music to the streets."

Political rallies often felt like concerts. At the 1927 Madras Congress Session, legends like Ariyakuḍi Rāmānuja Ayyaṅgār performed, using their art to draw massive crowds. K.B. Sundarambal was a true activist who campaigned in the streets, wearing Khadi and singing stirring songs like "Vīra Sudandiram" to inspire the masses. Even C. Saraswati Bai used the storytelling art of Harikatha to educate audiences about the freedom struggle.

As I explained this, the tension in Siddharth's shoulders eased. He started humming a line from a Bhāratiyār song he had learned in his school.

"So, they weren't just singing to God, they were singing for everyone’s freedom?" he asked.

"That's right," I said. "Patriotism in music isn't about anger. It’s about love for your home. It’s a reminder that even in dark times—like what we see on the news—the human spirit always finds a way to sing."

For us in the Carnatic community, this history reminds us that our art is a living, breathing force. Every time we sing a patriotic kṛti today, we honor those brave souls who used their voices to build a nation. 

Book References

• "Semmangudi: A Mosaic-Portrait" by V. Sriram

• "The Madras Quartet" by Indira Menon

• Bharatha Bhajanam (musicresearchlibrary.net) by Maayuram Viswanatha Sastry

Online References

• https://sriramv.com/2022/08/15/singing-for-independence/

• https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/how-pattammal-became-the-voice-of-freedom/article61430216.ece

• https://www.karnatik.com/co1072.shtml

• https://www.karnatik.com/co1033.shtml

• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/and-they-sang-for-the-nation/article17465936.ece 

• https://sriramv.com/2022/08/15/singing-for-independence/