Sunday, September 3, 2017

Book Review - Carnatic Music (Tamizh), by Mahadevan Ramesh

When I first saw this book in Amazon recommendations, I grabbed the offer with both hands, thinking that it would be an ideal introduction into the Carnatic part of the Indian Classical Music. But the book turned out to be a big disappointment in two aspects though.

1. It's the Tamizh translation of a book originally written in English. While it is nothing wrong by itself, the translation of Maths and Science jargon into Tamizh makes for difficult reading. Also, what's the point in reading a translated work when one can very well read the book in the original language in which it was written!

2. Though the book claims to be an introduction to Carnatic music, aimed at informing the laymen on the basics of this classical form of music, the book fails to live up to that promise. Within the first couple of pages, the author shifts gear and gets into technicalities and nuances that will be discernible only to the amateurs and those who already have a basic understanding of Carnatic music.

If you're a novice looking for a book that will initiate you into the world of Indian Classical Music, well, there are much better ones out there.

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