The song I have selected for analysis in this essay is “Nataraj”
by Jai Uttal. If you are interested,
here is a link to the YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3okPXwkASw
This song is part of a sacred tradition called Bhakti
(Devotional) Yoga. In Bhakti Yoga
practitioners meditate and recite the names of gods. Kirtan is a musical form that sings or chants
the names of gods. Bhakti Yoga and
Kirtan generally come out of the Hindu tradition, but I believe there is Kirtan
in the Sikh tradition as well.
Jai Uttal provides a chord progression to the melody which
is designed for the Western ear. The
instruments he uses are also primarily Western: Guitar and percussion trap
set. If this same chant were played for
an Indian audience I suspect there would be a Sitar, Tabla and Harmonium. Because of its simplicity it may be an
example of Theodor Adorno’s “Regression of Listening.”
“Nataraj” is the aspect of the god Shiva when dancing. This song praises the powerful image of the dancing
Shiva. It is said that as Shiva dances
he destroys everything in his path and re-creates the world in his wake. Impermanence is an important concept in
Eastern thought. One of the important
features of this song is that it engenders an acceptance and appreciation of
change both in broad terms and in the very personal.
The song supports the spiritual practice of the Kirtan
participants. One of the goals of the
music is to produce a devotional religious trance in the part of the
practitioner. Kirtan is typically
presented in a call-and-response format, which fosters group identity.
Art, in general, and music, in particular, can be accessed
from many different perspectives. I
listen to this type of music often, but I come at this from a secular
(non-religious) point of view. While I
am highly skeptical about the idea of gods when it comes to philosophy or
theology, I am happy to have gods inhabiting the music around me.
Specifically, I am a painter and it seems to help when I
listen to this music while painting. By
sinking into the trance-like rhythm and simple melody I feel grounded in a
non-rational creative potential. In some
ways it is though the music represses some part of my brain activity that gets
in the way of painting.
So, I treat this music instrumentally. It serves a psychological use. The music tends to bring my emotions close to
the surface and produce a sense of “Oneness” with everything. I believe this sense of “oneness” leads to
ethical attitudes of gratitude and compassion which I view as positive.
However, it is far from clear that others listening to this
music will have the same experience. I
believe that art, including music, can have multiple outcomes or responses to
the same work. Some may be ethical some
may not.
Others may view this piece of music in negative terms. First, those who have a worldview that does
not include the Hindu pantheon of gods, may believe this music corrupts the
religious beliefs of the listener. Secondly,
and more serious in my opinion, is the claim that this Westernized version of a
sacred tradition is cultural appropriation and commodification of their spirituality. My response to this musically is ethically positive and I hope others can get past mythology and enjoy it as I do.
Mike Mallory
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