Giving The Pandemic Its Sound Track

They’re performing online, experimenting with new instruments and making fresh music at home. India’s musicians are beating the lockdown one note at a time

- Bhavya Dore and Sukhada Tatke

SHUBHA MUDGAL

Some of us have come together to start the ADAA (Assistance for Disaster Affected Artistes) campaign. This has been initiated out of concern for what the future holds for artistes and the arts in India. It is clear that the virus cannot be contained without social distancing and, if that is the case, what will happen to performances, concerts, events? While some of us are fortunate to have savings and access to family resources, there are many whose existence depends on daily performances. The campaign, led by Aneesh Pradhan (musician and scholar), Arundhati Ghosh (cultural practitioner), Mona Irani (producer and casting director), Rahul Vohra (actor and arts consultant), Sameera Iyengar (cultural practitioner) and myself, is an effort to provide some assistance to those artistes and art professionals whose savings or earnings may not be adequate to tide over these difficult times.

T.M. KRISHNA