First appeared in www.scroll.in on December 6, 2014. To conclude the three-part series on the tappa form, let us turn to some presentations that are outside the Gwalior and Banaras gharanas. We begin with a tappa in raag Kafi sung by Mushtaq Hussein Khan (1880-1974), one of the most eminent vocalists from the Sahaswan-Rampur tradition. The composition is sung in a 16-count cycle, and although the tabla is not very audible, it appears to be a kind of Ekvai
Tag: Quicksilver tappas from beyond the Gwalior and Banaras gharanas
First appeared in www.scroll.in on November 29, 2014. In the second part of the series on tappa, we focus on Banaras gharana exponents. The elaboration of the tappa in the Banaras gayaki or vocal style is quite different from the Gwalior style, although the compositions created by Shori Miyan in Punjabi are common to both gharanas. The Banaras gharana vocalists seem to prefer the 16-count or matra taal called Sitarkhani or Addha. We begin with a tappa set to