First appeared in www.scroll.in on September 6, 2014. Tarana, a vocal form in Hindustani music said to have been developed by Amir Khusrau, probably best represents the vocalist’s urge to move away from song-text and into the realm of instrumental music. It uses syllables like dere, naa, deem, tana, and pakhawaj syllables. These syllables, therefore, are used as a musical language tied in with melody and rhythm, allowing musicians to be unfettered by the restrictions that literal language may
Category: Articles
First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 30, 2014. Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, worshipped as the destroyer of all obstacles and harbinger of peace and success, finds mention in some Hindustani vocal compositions. Perhaps, these pieces were composed by musicians engaged by patrons to perform during the ritual worship of this god. They may have also been inspired by the individual musician’s religious beliefs. Here is a Ganesh Vandana written by the saint-poet Tulsidas. It is sung by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist
First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 23, 2014. Many colonial writers equated hereditary women practitioners of Hindustani music with prostitutes and condemned them as a debauched lot. Their contempt also extended to male musicians, who provided musical accompaniment to women performers and taught them. This perspective influenced a section of the Western-educated Indians, who looked down upon the practice of music and dance. Consequently, until the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the study and performance of Hindustani music
First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 16, 2014. Sufism is an integral part of Indian mystico-religious tradition and its influence is found in several other philosophies and rituals. Similarly, Sufism, as practised in the Indian subcontinent, has embraced other motifs and imagery. Music has played a significant role in this exchange of perspectives as is evident from this short film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NjBfchLnu6s Hindustani music reflects this amalgamation of mystico-religious ideas. Forms of music like khayal have incorporated elements from qawwali
First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 9, 2014. Before the days of public support, Hindustani music was patronised by the feudal aristocracy. But even before ticketed performances became the convention, it was the commercial and industrial elite in cities that engaged musicians to entertain select audiences. Recreating the last days of feudal patronage and the brashness of the new urban elite, Satyajit Ray’s film Jalsaghar showcases beautiful concert sequences held in a Bengali zamindar’s palatial home. The music for this film
First appeared in www.scroll.in on August 2, 2014. Gwalior was one of the major centres for the development of dhrupad in the 16th century, but the Gwalior gharana, or school, as we know it today is considered to be the fountainhead of the khayal form. This style was popularised in the 19th century by two brothers, Haddu Khan and Hassu Khan, and later by Haddu Khan’s sons, Chhote Muhammad Khan and Rehmat Khan, the latter of whom died in
First appeared in www.scroll.in on July 26, 2014. Many of us have heard of Indian musicians performing at international festivals held in Europe and North America. Some are even featured in festivals held in South America and Australia. But little is known of their participation in festivals held in regions that are geographically closer to India, regions that share deeper and longer cultural associations with us. The Shiraz-Persepolis Festival of Arts, or Jashn-e-Honar-e-Shiraz, was one such event, held in Iran
First appeared in www.scroll.in on July 19, 2014. If there were one Hindustani raga that could be considered an all-time favourite with a cross-section of musicians and listeners, it would probably be Bhairavi. Back in the days when concerts ended at dawn, Bhairavi, a morning raga, was often performed as the concluding piece. This convention and the raga’s popularity has led it to becoming the grand finale of most concerts, even if they end by 10 pm. In fact,
First appeared in www.scroll.in on July 5, 2014. Originally, the term ‘gharana’ referred to a khaandaan or family of professional musicians with successive generations involved in the performance and teaching of a specific style of Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. Gharanas exist even in kathak. It was only later that the term acquired wider meaning, coming to include disciples, grand-disciples and so on, from outside the family. Gharanas were identified by the name of the city, town or village
First appeared in www.scroll.in on July 12, 2014. Moradabad town in Uttar Pradesh and its neighbouring areas were once home to migrant communities from Afghanistan, who not only assimilated the local culture but also contributed elements from their own. Not surprisingly, therefore, the region has offered such diversity and richness to Hindustani music. Many hereditary musicians consider Moradabad their place of origin and can list ancestors who lived in the city back in the early 19th century. They studied initially with