Cultural Etiquette: Gone Amiss?
Syed Saad Andaleeb
As a visitor to the country, I enjoy going to the cultural events occasionally. A glimpse of the cultural landscape also never fails to excite me as I come across the plethora of ideas and themes being pursued by various individuals and groups as depicted in the newspapers and magazines. One evening, recently, I decided to enjoy a cultural product and ended up at the Alliance Francaise to enjoy a performance by Anup Barua. As is customary, or so I am inclined to believe, I reached the venue a few minutes before the programme was to begin. Upon entering the performance hall, the first thing that caught my attention was the sparse attendance. The musicians were chomping at the bits, ready to roll...alas, where was the audience? So we sat there listening to the musicians tune, retune, fine tune and further tune their instruments to the finest shade of a note; yet no audience!After about 45 minutes beyond the scheduled start time, the singer decided to begin the performance. After a cursory introduction the programme finally began, much to my appreciation. It was then that the audience began to stream in...during a full-blown performance and a commotion ensued. People were jostling for space, muttering dissatisfaction as others grazed them, coaxing each other to make space, and even waving animatedly to someone across the hall to catch their attention. Then came the atrocious cacophony of the cell phones accompanied by full scale conversations in hardly muted voices. As if that was not enough, the clinking of china began drifting into my ears in another discordant note: people in the back of the room were ordering tea in the back counter. And tea is never sipped in silence in the Bengali culture when you are with friends. Needless to elaborate, a wonderful rendition of Nazrul songs along with a smattering of light classical and purono diner gaan by a very accomplished artiste was marred by an insensitive subset of the audience that became simply unpalatable. Several things must be done so that these cultural programmes are not trashed in this unceremonious manner: 1) Being on time would facilitate a smooth programme. Also, since the programme started late, the really interested parties were deprived of additional songs. 2) The tyranny of the cell phones must be stopped. What is an obvious intrusion is disregarded with impunity everywhere...as if nothing is more important than the ridiculous ring-tone and the animated and public conversation! Even in high-profile forums with international guests, I must note that the cell phones of the locals intrude rather shamelessly. Clearly even the educated and elite of society seem to need an education on cell phone courtesy. 3) The performance hall was also packed much beyond capacity. The stifling and unhealthy room, the rising temperature, and the inability to sit comfortably was getting rather unbearable. There was also a safety issue; if a fire hazard started a stampede, many would be hurt badly. 4) Why tea/coffee would be sold while the artiste is performing at the venue was beyond my comprehension. Surely, this service could be offered during the break or at an outside location. The culture of attending a cultural programme requires a level of sensitivity that was clearly lacking in the programme I tried to enjoy but failed. If this is the state of cultural appreciation in the country, some form of audience education is imperative ... in discussions, talk shows, and other media forums. While some may disagree with me, vigorously defending the freedoms of the audience in a free country, I would respectfully disagree! What I depicted is uncultured, intrusive, insensitive, and discourteous to the artiste as well as to others in the audience and must change for the better. The author is Professor and Programme Chair at Penn State Erie.
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Illustration: Shubho |
