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Jai: Chutney music dying without support!
Government must do more to preserve chutney music.
This is the reasoning from chutney and chutney-soca musician, Rikki Jai (Samraj Jaimungal). Jai was speaking at a webinar presented by the Office of the president of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) on “Tradition to Innovation: Fusion Indian Music in T&T”, in commemoration of Indian Arrival Day 2022.
Jai lamented: “Chutney music is deteriorating but who is educating the chutney artistes on how to write a song or what are the elements you need to put in your song?” he questioned
Jai said a new generation of artistes is being left behind. “Where is the school of thought to put into place for these youngsters? These youngsters who are now trying to follow in my footsteps, where is the school of continuation?
“So, if we want to talk about tradition and innovation, how can we expect the young people to really innovate if they are not being taught? Indian entertainment needs a proper forum, it needs proper direction, it needs proper education,” Jai said.
Jai said for innovation to take place there needs to be funding. “The calypso fraternity has a system in place for the continuation of the calypso and soca art forms through workshops and all sorts of different things that happen on a yearly basis and on a grandiose scale all over Trinidad and Tobago,” Jai said.
He said there needs to be a balance in the way culture is supported. “There is a one-sidedness of how culture is viewed in Trinidad and Tobago. I myself have been in culture for the better part of 35 years and the allocation that is given to one side of culture as opposed to the other is totally unbalanced. If you want people to become innovative then somebody has to fund it.
“I have funded my career for the most part. If you really want innovation then the Government has to come in and play a bigger part and recognise that the Indo-Trinbagonian aspect is a great importance as well and it has much to offer the world and it can’t be left to be borne on the shoulders of the artiste alone,” Jai said.
Jai said workshops must be taken to the communities. “I am successful but most Indo-Trinbagonian artistes out here are not in a position to do the things that I have done. I spent all my money for culture, for innovation and for change. I think that this generation needs help more than ever if you want this tradition to innovation to be something better than where I left it. Much more needs to be done and put into the pot which can have a big effect on how things change, how lyrics are written, how management and proper guidance can mould young artiste and entertainers in the right direction,” Jai said.
Pichakaaree singer, Mukesh Babooram said pichakaaree is also in need of funding. “Pichakaaree has an issue with funding. If it is not funded it will die. But pichakaaree is not considered national culture. For pichakaaree forum to be more relevant it must be given the life support it needs it must be recognised supported and funded,” Babooram said.
hover11 wrote:How many songs you could really sing about rum?
My sentiments for those remake rubbish most of the local artistes call " chutney ". Give me the likes of Rasika, Rakesh and a few others with the classical style Hindi worded chutney songs. Doesn't get better than that.........VexXx Dogg wrote:I hate chutney music with a passion, but it'd be shame to lose part of our country's cultural identity.
It depends on what type of Chutney music. If it's traditional Chutney which is sung in bhopuri then if should be preserved. If on the other hand it's about rum and in English then that type should die.VexXx Dogg wrote:I hate chutney music with a passion, but it'd be shame to lose part of our country's cultural identity.
Jai lamented: “Chutney music is deteriorating but who is educating the chutney artistes on how to write a song or what are the elements you need to put in your song?” he questioned
Jai said a new generation of artistes is being left behind. “Where is the school of thought to put into place for these youngsters? These youngsters who are now trying to follow in my footsteps, where is the school of continuation?
“So, if we want to talk about tradition and innovation, how can we expect the young people to really innovate if they are not being taught? Indian entertainment needs a proper forum, it needs proper direction, it needs proper education,” Jai said.
Les Bain wrote:So what Rikki meant to say is that Chutney dying without Government money.
Mmoney607 wrote:Long live chutney. Why allyuh want to hide that part of allyuh culture?
MaxPower wrote:Get rid of this rubbish music and ALL the other songs that also contribute to corrupting, encouraging and inspiring our youths to abide and live by the disgusting lyrics and noise pollution.
White oak and water?
Every Monday is Caura?
Rum is my lover?
Rum in my veins?
Rum till i die?
I want my rum in the morning?
Six outside owkayyyy owkayyyy?
Jeezus crice WDF is really going on with these Indian and African “artists”????
SuperiorMan wrote:Mmoney607 wrote:Long live chutney. Why allyuh want to hide that part of allyuh culture?
allyuh????
You not Indo?
Well Bai, when I thought I had heard the last of the rubbish, I now hear the gecko with the local version of Ratan Lambhiye( the song that the brother and sister light up social media with ). This local mix is yet another disgrace to the true quality and appreciation of it's lyrics. Then again, when ppl head bad, anything does sound nice ehMaxPower wrote:Get rid of this rubbish music and ALL the other songs that also contribute to corrupting, encouraging and inspiring our youths to abide and live by the disgusting lyrics and noise pollution.
White oak and water?
Every Monday is Caura?
Rum is my lover?
Rum in my veins?
Rum till i die?
I want my rum in the morning?
Six outside owkayyyy owkayyyy?
Jeezus crice WDF is really going on with these Indian and African “artists”????
hover11 wrote:How many songs you could really sing about rum?
matr1x wrote:
You ever heard Latin music. It's no better. It's like ghetto flex
Rory Phoulorie wrote:Why doesn’t the private sector step up and support chutney? Why is it the Government’s responsibility?
Let Angostura et al pump funds into that music sector. As someone highlighted, rum is almost always a topic in a chutney song. That would be good advertising for the alcoholic beverage manufacturers.
If that doesn’t happen, it’s not like we will be losing any real music of value.
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