India Music

Music is One of the oldest and finest forms of human expression. The Vedas, representing the most ancient literature known to the world, are set to a distinctive melody, that has been passed down through the centuries in an unbroken oral tradition.

Being an abstract art form there are many definitions given to music. Emotional and scientific correlation of sound in space and I time is a safe definition of music. Music is a Painting drawn with invisible lines and colours of sound on the canvas of silence. Music is like an inexhaustive spring and infinite space. There is music in cosmic breath. The waves of oceans, the embrace of bamboo branches, vibrations of atoms and heartbeats: music, is omnipresent. However, music has evolved as a definite art form during the childhood of human civilization in folk music. The agony, ecstacy and anxiety of life, meanderings and fascination of nature, desire and hope for a fruitful future, all get its forceful expression in different art forms and music in particular.

Every near perfect expression of classical music stream is nothing but diamonds and emeralds emerged out of far different materialchiselledbytime. Music can be divided into Western classical, Hindustani classical, Carnatic classical, folk, jazz. Pop, Fusion, etc. Of these there can be further identification of Vocal and Instrumen music. Within instrumental there can be Idifferentiation of percussive instruments as lweil as wind and string instruments.

In India, the arts have been classified by the scriptures into two major streams known as margi and desi that can be roughly translated as classical and folk. Numerous texts such as the Sangeeta Ratnakara of Sarangadeva lay down the basic tenets of classical music.

The two major systems of classical music today are the Hindustani and the Carnatic. Though today they appear to be quite distinct styles, they in fact have their origins in a common theory and source as is apparent from ancient treatises.

There are references about Dhruvaprabhada (which has later transformed into Dhrupad) in ancient texts such as Natya Shastra of Bharata and Sangeeta Magaradham, Raaga Sarangini etc. Dhrupad developed as part of worship in temples and various rituals such as yagnas. At the same time it is also possible that during 'cultivation and hunting, people collectively sang especially to celebrate the success of a hunting or a good harvest.

There is no doubt that in achieving the classical standards, music had to undergo the vicissitudes of getting encouraged and patronaged by zanwfidars and kings. However, there were great souls like Thyagaraja and Swami Haridass who had the moral and spiritual strength of carrying on with the sangeeta tapasya discarding lure of royal patronage and wealth. This is exemplified in the emancipating Thyagaraja composition nidhi chaala sugama.

There cannot be two opinions about the intense and concentrated classicism of Dhrupad which has four distinct vanis or Gharanassuch as Gudiya Govarhar, Khandar, Dagar and Nanhar. However, the Dhrupad fundamentalist position that all other forms of classical music such as Khaya) etc. are vicious aberration is unsustainable.

A new form of Hindustani music known as Khayal emerged during the 13th and 14th centuries. This word of Persion origin means imagination. This style gave an entirely new dimension to Hindustani classical music tradition. Amir Khusuro is considered the proponent of this style.

The pivotal concept of Indian music Carnatic and Hindustani) is Raga (Melody). Ragais India's contribution to world musicology. A highly scientific and practical scheme of raga classification introduced by Venkatamahi became the foundation for Indian classical music of the north and south as we know it today. In fact so comprehensive is the scheme, that even other systems of music can be classified in it as we shall see later.

According to the melakartha scheme, the ragas are divided into 12 sections or chakras consisting of six ragas each. These are also known as janaka ragas because they are the sources of innumerable janya ragas, with shadava, audava, bhashanga or vakra combinations. Hindustani music too recognizes main ragas though they are termed the thaats. However, in practice, ten main thactts are used.

Each of the seventy-two melakarta ragas has been given a distinctive name. These can be applied to the two principal scales in Western music, the diatonic and chromatic. The diatonic major scale fits the swara combination of Dheera Sankarabharanam, while the minor scale fits Natabhairavi. The Harmonic minor scale corresponds to Keeravaani and melodic minor to a combination of Gauri Manohari and Natabhairavi.

As performed today, the Hindustani and Carnatic genres of music are so different in practical approach that a listener whose ears are turned to one will not automatically appreciate the aesthetics of the other. Though sharing the history, science, theory and structure, the seeming paradox of these two systems turning out so differently can be explained by looking into four factors:

Regional, Line guistic, Technical, Socio-political. The first factor refers to the local tendencies and practices of the practitioners the have moulded and handed these arts down the centuries. For example, the raga Yamani Hindustani and the raga Kalyani in the Carnatic are exact counterparts. However they have evolved with phrasings that distinguish them.

The same swaras are given a different welghtage, as it were. The linguistic factor is easily identified The languages of the north are linked by common source Sanskrit, whereas the lan guages of the south represent the dual stream of the Dravidian and Sanskrit. The language literature in the south has been general Telugn with generous use of Tamil, Kanna and Mafayaiam whereas in the north Hindu and its early dialects are the major linguist base for Dhrupad and Khayal compositions The third factor refers to the tendencies that developed as a result of the re-adjust ment of the sruti'laya alignment. For example in singing raga alaapana, a Hindustani musician would normally begin with the nishad(ni) while the Carnatic musician begins with either pancham (Pa) or sadjam(Sa), depending on the swara formation of a raga.

The fourth and last factor, socio-political refers to the 'conditions prevailing in north and south India during the period in which the two systems of music were evolving. The south as is well known has been historically cushioned from a foreign invasion. Its culture has remained to a great extent intact. What ever cultural infiltration took place, did so at a leisurely and gentle pace. The north haw ever, being the gateway to Central Asia, displayed dramatic influences from other cul tures. This was highly apparent in the arts which quickly absorbed much Mughal influence in particular. In practical terms we can see that carnatic music is imbued with a pre-dominance of devotional character. Hindustani music has a virtuoso quality that stems from its refine ment as a chamber art in the Mughai courts.

This is particularly evident in the exposition of the sahitya. In the slow vilambit introdution of a Khayal composition, the musical phrasings receive priority over the meaning of the lines, whereas in a Carnatic kriti the musical embellishments, for example the niravalponion do not lose sight of the literery content of the lyrics. Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Deekshithar and Shyama Shastri, popularly known as the trin ity of Carnatic music, laid the foundation for the development of Carnatic music with their innumerable compositions in hundreds of ragas. These compositions paved way for the with all these differences one distinctive feature of Indian music whether of the north or the south is the manodharma or improvisational aspect. This one feature serves to make ative art forms of the world.

Ragas are made of different combinations of sapta (seven) swaras:
Sa sadjam: Ri Rishabam; Ga Gaandharam: Ma Madhyamam; Pa Panchamam; Dha Dhaivadam; Ni Nishadam.

However it is not necessary that all the seven swaras (notes) are present in a raga. Yaman in hindustani an its Carnatic counter part (Mecha) Kalyani have all the seven swaras both in the ascending and desending order. However it is acknowledged that a minimum of five notes are compulsory in the formation of a raga. The irrepressible msic maestro Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna questioned this and composed a raga with just four notes.

What makes Indian classical music unique is its adherence to permutations and combinations of swaras. In Western classical Piano one octave consists of twelve notes whereas inindian music the same octave contains 22 (srutis)) notes: The twenty two srutis are called Siddha, Prabhavati, Kantha« Suprabha. Shikha, Diptimati, Ugra, Hiadi, Nirviri, Dira, Sarphara, Kshanti, Hridayonmulini, Visarini, Prasuna, Vibhuti, Malini, Chapala, Vala, Sarvaratna, Sitantaj and Vikalini.

Swara is generally defined as a note whereas sruti constitutes the mocrotonal intervals between two swaras. The nuances of these can bebest understood in prayoga (practise) rather than theory.

Though tabala is defined as rhythm, in Indian music it is much more than that. Whether in vocal music or instrumental music taala plays a creative and organic part in bringing but the essence and elevating the musical expressions to new dimensions. The major taalas are Aadi Taala, a cycle ofeightmaathras (beats), Chautal or Eaka Taal consisting of twelve maatharas mostly played on the pakhawai. lhavtalconsistinRoften maathras. Roopak taala of seven maathras, and Teen Tola of sixteen maathras.

In musical expression though there are innumerable instruments of amazing quality, potential and range, each one of them fails to achieve the near perfection to human voice. iiolin is widely accepted musical instrument of foreign origin which has an unavoidable presence in Indian classical music. The well known exponents of Violin are Dr. N. Raj : am, V,G. Jog (Hindustani), Prof. T.N. Krishnan, Lalgudi G Jayaraman, M.S. Gop Jayaraman, M.S. Gop Alakrishnan, V. V. Sub L. Subrahinanyanr (Carnatic).

Bismillah Khan it the legendary symbo' of Shehanai. There is no doubt that before reaching rioe age U Srinivas would definitely achieve the same status with regard to Mandolin.

Srinivas would definitely achieve the same status with regard to Mandolia. Shiek Chinna Maulana and Naniagiripettai Krishnan are themost Tominent Nagaswacam artists. Valayapatti Shanmugam Sundaram Pillai is recognized as the high priest of Thavil.

T.K. Moorthy, Umayatpuram K. Sivaram, Palghat Raghu, Vellore Ramabhadran and Karaikudi R. Mani (Mridangam), Kishan Maharaj, Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain (Tabia), T.H.Vinayakaram(Ghatam)andG. Harishankar (Kanjira) arethelfiadmg percussionists.

Shemmangudi Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal, Palghat K.V. Narayanaswami (Camatic), Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Jasraj (Hindustani) are the most shining vocalists of Indian music. Three instrumentalists handling stringed instruments Ali Akbar Khan (Sarod), Ravi Shankar (Sitar), Vilayat Khan (Sitar) have achieved global eminence. Veena Doraiswamy lyengar and Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod) have also made remarkable contribution.

The adaptation of Guitar to Hindustani Music by Viswa Mohan Bhatt and similar adaptation of Saxophone by Kadri Gopalnath deserve appreciation.

Lata Mangeshkar, K.J. Yesudass and S.P. Balasubramanyam have made significant contribution in popularizing semi-classical music thereby attracting new sections towards serious music appreciation.

Once we look back to the yesteryears of Indian classical music one would be startled at the amazing depth, range and magnitude of those who enriched our rich and great tradition. A country with Himalayas and Indian Ocean as sentinels cannot reconcile with mediocrity.