"All top Indian artistes support us whole-heartedly because they know that this is how we create future audiences," informs Kalyan Bose, chairperson of Spic Macay’s Mumbai chapter. "Round the year, we have close to 130 concerts and lecture-demonstrations lined up."

In Mumbai, the Indian Music Group (IMG) is not lagging behind in its mission to keep the classical traditions alive. Set up by students of St Xavier’s College in 1974, this is another organisation that arranges regular concerts with maestros, identifies and promotes upcoming talent and even has a music room where students are initiated into the essentials of khayal and dadra.

Observes classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal, the current craze among college-going youngsters: "The number of students seeking admission to music schools and colleges is steadily going up. In fact, there are queues and waiting lists everywhere. So, it is a myth that collegiates don’t look beyond pop."

For lovers of western music, there are organisations like the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (which hosts Zubin Mehta’s orchestras in India) and Parag Trivedi’s Sabrang (which conducts music appreciation workshops) that are turning out to be hugely popular with the youth.

"My son knows more about Mozart and Bach than I could gather in my lifetime," says Arun Takia, a software professional and a proud parent of a 20-year-old who attended one such workshop. "The best part is he is prepared to discuss the finer points of compositions without being anxious to impress!"

The community profile of this new generation of music aficionados has also undergone a change. Earlier, Parsis and Goan Christians mainly patronised western classicals while Bengalis, Maharashtrians and South Indians were more into Hindustani or Carnatic music. Today, no such community barriers exist as Gujarati and Punjabi kids enthusiastically jump on to the classical bandwagon.

Whether this translates into a "discerning audience" at concerts and increased CD sales is, however, too early to say. Many are hopeful that it would over time, whereas some purists feel that this could well be a passing fad in the absence of anything exciting happening in pop music to hold the interest of the youth.

Aneesh Pradhan, the noted tabla player and Shubha’s husband, is optimistic: "But music circles should try to find out what exactly keeps our youngsters interested. Unfortunately, in many of these circles, there is still an outright condemnation of the young."

Music teacher Sandhya Kathavate has figured a way out: "I play a popular film song with a classical base, say Poochho na kaise maine rain bitaye and tell my students that it is in Raag Ahir Bhairav and set to kherwa taal. Thereafter, I sing a bandish in the same raag. I’ve found that this way, students can not only relate to a classical composition effortlessly, but also enjoy their lessons."

"It surely helps," says music critic Anjay Ray. "For instance, if I show how (film composers) Illayaraja or A.R. Rahman use the same fundamental principles in the creation of modern music, youngsters will immediately catch on. Likewise, it will not be difficult to understand waltz if I can demonstrate how Johann Strauss combined a folk dance form with orchestral tradition."

Significantly, in all this, nobody counts on government support or the self-appointed cultural mandarins to sustain the current enthusiasm towards the arts. As Takia points out, what is happening is totally spontaneous and it is this natural urge of the youth to be "culturally literate" that should keep India’s classical traditions alive. (MF)