|
|
Fashion | Music | Spirituality | Textiles
MusicBeginning with OmHindu mythology places the origin of music with the first sound in the universe— the Naadbrahma, or Om. The Naadbrahma was believed to be the purest sound ever made, a manifestation of divine power. Indian classical musicians seek to achieve that same level of purity and perfection with their music. From that pure, simple beginning evolved one of the most beautiful, intricate, and complex forms of music. India’s classical music is complex and sensual—aligned to a spiritual fusion of spirit, mind, and body. Their philosophy defines the nine human emotions, or navarasas, as embodied in Indian music: hasya (happiness), krodha (anger), bhibasta (disgust), bhaya (fear), shoka (sorrow), vira (courage), karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonder), and shanta (serenity). An important second century Indian musician wrote he felt his task as a musician was to evoke a particular mood or emotion. The classical music of India strives to express these principles. It is a form of meditation, focus, and devotion. The RagaA staple of Indian music is the raga. A raga conforms to a set of musical definitions and guidelines, corresponding to one of ten different categories or classes called thaats. No matter which thaat is followed, there is always a tala, or cycle, that repeats throughout the raga. Often complex in design, the raga is written as a set of intricate guidelines for the musicians. From within this set of guidelines, the musicians proceed to use their expertise and imagination to define the emotion of the piece. One famous Hindustani Sarod musician, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, summed the concept up this way—“Freedom within discipline.” Today’s Indian classical music consists of two basic groups or schools based on different styles: the southern school, or Carnatic, and the northern school, or Hindustani. The tones used in each school are quite different and they have their own distinct ragas. InstrumentsThe instruments used by classical Indian musicians are often stringed, portable, and made to be played seated on the floor. Three commonly used instruments are:
Listen to IndiaListen to Indian music with an open mind, don’t try to find harmony, counterpoint, or rhythms similar to western music. You might be tempted to compare Indian music to jazz, and while they might occasionally have similar phrasings, the very loose, unstructured nature of jazz is completely different from the very complex, tightly defined musical phrasings to be heard in classical Indian music. Many great Indian musicians such as Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Vilayat Khan helped introduce this unique and incredibly beautiful music to the west. Indian classical music has inspired many new fusion bands, both in India and in the west. Singers like Sheila Chandra, former lead singer for Monsoon and now a soloist, take a sometimes irreverent interpretation to the structured Indian music model, with stunning and beautiful results, blending eastern and western music. Modern Hindi "pop" is the latest in the evolution of Indian music, incorporating the haunting raga moods into upbeat, hypnotic, modern rhythms. We’ve assembled a small sampling of Indian music for you to listen to. To enjoy the music on this page, you need to have the RealAudio plug-in.
For more information about the music of India, it’s history and current evolution, we suggest the following books and Web sites: Evolution of Indian Classical Music by Neerja Bhatnagar;
Publication Scheme, 1997
www.music-india.com
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|