As per Hindu mythology, the first ever sound emanating in the universe is the Om mantra; it is the purest and most melodious sound to hear even today. Like most things Indian, its music today is characterised by diversity and fusion of thousands of years of old traditions with modern trends; three main genres can be identified: classical, popular and folk.
Traditional Rajasthani mUSIC IN jAIPUR
The classical music of India comprises two main schools – Hindustani or North Indian, and Carnatic or South Indian. They freely borrow from each other. The differences in style are, however, clear and anyone with a little familiarity can readily identify a piece as belonging to one or the other school after hearing just a few notes.
The classical music of India is based on an elaborate theory of music spelled out in a comprehensive reference called ‘Natya Shastra’ ascribed to the sage Bharata in the fourth century. This is believed to be a compilation of ideas that were already developed, rather than a new creation.
Music in India gives prominence to melody rather than harmony. Classical performances use very few instruments – normally a percussion instrument to keep the beat, and a string instrument as a background drone to accompany the voice. Unlike western classical music notation in the Indian classical music is rudimentary. Performers do not use written music at all and their renditions have a high element of improvisation. The basic concept underlying classical music is ‘raga’ which is best described as an outline for improvisation. A raga lays down a sequence of notes, which can be different in ascent and descent, and certain key movements that help in building the mood of the raga. Each raga is associated with a time of the day and a mood. Some popular ragas are Yaman, Malkauns, Bageshri, Bihag, Darbari, Bhairavi from the North and Kalyani, Hindolam, Hamsadhwani, Shankarabharanam, Kalawati from the South. Some prominent names in classical music are Ravi Shankar (sitar), Bhimsen Joshi (vocal), Jasraj (vocal), Balamurali Krishna (vocal), Kishori Amonkar(vocal), Amjad Ali Khan (sarod) and Lalgudi Jayaraman (violin).
There is a rich tradition of gharanas (house of music) in Hindustani Classical Music. The gharana concept gained popularity in the 19th century when the royal patronage enjoyed by musicians weakened. Performers were compelled to move to urban centres and to retain their respective identities they fell back on the names of the regions they hailed from. Thus even today the names of many gharanas refer to places. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology; the gift of music is passed down from one generation to another or from the guru or teacher to the shishya or student. Some well-known gharanas of Hindustani classical music are Agra, Gwalior, Kirana, Jaipur, Rampur, Patiala, Delhi, Benaras and Mewati.
The most popular music in India is from film soundtracks. Unlike Hollywood, where very few films are musicals, almost all Indian films have half a dozen or more songs. These songs often become more popular than the films themselves. Film music draws freely on classical, folk and also western classical and popular music. Major singers and composers have a place in popular imagination that borders on the divine. The queen of Indian film music is undoubtedly Lata Mangeshkar who has been honoured with ‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian award in India.
Film music is followed in popularity by devotional music and light classical music. Some of the devotional music is traditional, but much of it is new and often inspired by popular numbers from films. The devotional music of the South retains more of its traditional purity.
The most popular form of light classical music is based on poetry in Urdu – a very elegant and refined language formed by the fusion of Persian and Hindi, the common language of North India. The commonest form of Urdu poetry rendered in light classical music is called ‘ghazal’ and it is equally popular in India and Pakistan. Many Pakistani singers enjoy popularity in India.
With the influence of the West fast-paced rhythmic music suitable for dancing has also emerged as a popular form. The soundtrack of the film ‘Come September’ was wildly popular in India when the film first came out. Of late, however, ‘Punjabi Pop’ - a combination of western style instruments and beats with words and certain musical elements in Punjabi: the language of Punjab known for its verve and zest for life – seems to be taking over the dance floor.
MAN IN Maharashtra preparing Pakha vaj MusiCAL Instrument
The folk music of India reflects the tremendous diversity of India. Each region has its own special style. Some folk melodies have been elevated to classical status: we have raga Pahadi from the hills, Mand from the deserts and Pilu from the Ganges valley. Folk music is an indispensable part of special occasions such as childbirth, wedding, festivals, social functions, and even agricultural activities like planting and harvesting. People give vent to their happiness, joy, fears and aspirations through these songs.
Then there is tribal music, it is usually accompanied by drum-beats with no presence of specific melody. Like folk musicians, tribal musicians make their own instruments using materials like coconut shells, animal skin and strings.
Two other musical genres deserve special mention. Rabindra Sangeet, a collection of songs written and set to music by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, which is today an integral part of the cultural identity of Bengal. At the other end of the country we have the Natya Sangeet of Maharashtra – songs based on classical and folk music in Marathi language plays.
