Thank you for the music
I recently came across the word ‘Frisson’ in the context of music. It refers to the physical sensation of a shiver or goosebumps accompanied by a strong emotional response, triggered by a particularly moving or captivating musical passage. I hadn’t realized that this feeling required a distinction apart from being human; that everyone didn’t get teary eyed at the sound of specific chord progressions or deeply personal lyrics. Google to the rescue and I am informed that only a percentage of people respond physiologically to the stimulus of music.
On 17th May, in Mahalaxmi Racecourse, twenty-six thousand people experienced collective frisson in sweaty, nostalgic abandon at the Guns n Roses concert. It had rained earlier that day, offering some respite from Mumbai’s oppressive heat. The air felt markedly different, charged with humidity and excitement, as fans from across India, wearing Guns and Roses t shirts, started to pour into the grounds. Conversations whirled around us as we waited in queue. Strangers who hadn’t met before then, exchanged stories of how their trains or buses were filled with concert goers; of which hotels they were staying at and which songs they hoped the band would play. Everyone was beaming, bound by contagious anticipation.
Concerts or any festival or celebratory gathering highlight the primal need of humans to partake in collective joy; to be a part of a voice bigger than ourselves There are forces at work in such gatherings that can’t be captured in any selfie or Instagram reel. These forces lift the boundaries we have drawn around our lives and usher us into one big community tethered by exultation and human connection.
There’s a technical term for the process that leads to this phenomenon of rhythmic human connection. It’s called entrainment - the act of synchronization of rhythmic movement between individuals, or between an individual and an external rhythm, like music. Broadly, it is a process where two or more independent rhythmic processes synchronize with each other.
From a sociological viewpoint, Emile Durkheim coined the term – Collective Effervescence. This refers to the exhilarating, shared experience of unity and belonging that arises when individuals come together in a collective ritual or event. This feeling of excitement and emotional fervor strengthens social bonds and reinforces shared values. Durkheim believed this phenomenon was crucial for maintaining social cohesion.
Durkheim gave recognition to this concept in 1912, and over the next century, we have witnessed musical performances mobilizing entire movements, both in the political and cultural space. Protest songs are the defining soundtrack of dissent and freedom of expression. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez’s folk music during the Vietnam war, Faiz Ahmed’s – Hum Dekhenge, Bella Ciao sung for the partisans of the Italian resistance, all originated from different parts of the world but commonly questioned authority and inspired activism. Is there anyone alive impervious to collective movement and song, to seeking transcendence and unity? Music is perhaps the greatest elicitor of awe there is.
The Mahalaxmi grounds are a crescendo of chaos as people throng the various food and drink stalls. The more ardent fans have been there for hours and have already formed a teeming concentric circle around the front of the stage. Thousands are still making their way through the various entrance gates. Without warning or announcement, the stage lights up and we hear the iconic opening chords of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. In that moment, we think – “This is it. They’re here. It’s begun”. A loud roar reverberates from the audience and envelops us from all sides. Those that are still outside are sprinting towards the main stage. I realize my throat is catching to be able to bear witness to this moment. This moment that is a culmination of months of anticipation, of the opening chords of a song we have grown up listening to and to watch the world around us erupt into collective rapture.