First we shall take up the question why the word Carnatic comes into picture. Why we don't call it as Indian Music? Once there lived a great composer named "Purandarasa" who composed so many devotional songs in Kannada lanaguage. He framed the basics of how to learn Music, so he is being called as the "Father of Music". The word 'karnatakam' means traditional. Karnatakam became Carnatic in due course. Carnatic music is the traditional music. It is also believed that the word Carnatic came from the term 'karu nadu' which means 'dark country' referring to the dark cotton growing in the deccan plateau region in India.

In those days, there were rich composers who wrote songs mainly in languages like Telegu, Sanskrit and Kannada. Those songs covered all the aspects of Music and are the treasures today in present world. The disciples and followers of those composers spread the songs and at one point of time people started thinking that only Telegu and Sanskrit songs come under Carnatic and Tamil language won't come into the picture. But the real fact is Language has no barrier in Carnatic Music.

Eventhough there are a lot number of Tamil composers who composed so many good songs in Tamil, there happened a stage like the Professional Musicians didn't sing Tamil songs in the concert. By the effort of so many people, and as a result of a long struggle, Tamil joined in the world of Carnatic Music.

Initially, Thevaram, Thiruppavai, Thiruvasakam (Devotional light Tamil pieces) became popular and there came an immediate response from the people for those pieces. Slowly Musicians turned their attention to Tamil. To be precise there are volumes of Tamil songs, good and rich in all aspects. Gradually Musicians took them and sang in the concerts. Now a variety can be seen in the concert, where U can also see an integration of all languages with their primary goal to reach God devotionally.

Last Revised: 5^th January 2001