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Raja Ravi Verma’s Galaxy of Musicians 9

Introduction

One of the longest-surviving musical traditions in the world is
found in India. The ideology has its roots in the Vedas; namely
the Sama Veda that laid the basis for Indian classical music.
It consisted of hymns, mantras and poetic texts that were
chanted during Vedic rituals, sometimes with instrumental
accompaniment. Numerous tales have emerged with the
beginnings and progression of Indian classical music that
highlight the significance of music in Indian culture.
Its origins are in many different genres, like folk music, old
religious Vedic hymns, tribal chanting, and devotional temple
music. It is melodic in nature, in contrast to the harmonic
nature of Western music. Indian classical music has a strong
connection to the natural world. It draws inspiration from
various seasons and times of the day to create ‘ragas,’ or
musical moods, as well as numerous time cycles, or ‘taals,’
which have been further arranged.

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Styles of Music

The classical music tradition of the ancient and medieval
Indian subcontinent (modern Bangladesh, India, Pakistan) was
a generally integrated system through the 14th century, after
which the socio-political turmoil of the Delhi Sultanate era
isolated the north from the south.
The two styles of Indian music emerged in the 12th and 13th
centuries but were considered distinct traditions only after the
16CE. The styles are categorised based on the region- North
Indian music is termed as Hindustani Music, whereas South
Indian music is termed as Carnatic/Karnatic music.
Many regional forms have historically been incorporated into
and evolved into Indian classical music. Due to this openness
to new ideas, regional folk innovations and influences from
beyond the subcontinent were assimilated. Hindustani music
incorporated Persian and Arab influences. This fusion of ideas
was based on the raga, tala, matra, and other ancient classical
foundations, in addition to the use of musical instruments.

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Disciples playing music

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Carnatic Music

The musical style known as Carnatic is frequently connected
to South India. Most songs in Carnatic music are composed
to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are
intended to be performed in gayaki (singing) style. Vocal
music is the primary focus of Carnatic music. Carnatic music
is mainly sung through compositions and is typically used for
teaching and learning. Most compositions in the development
of Carnatic music are in Telugu or Sanskrit, with a few in Tamil
and Kannada.
Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble
of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually
a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin),
a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam), and a
tambura which acts as a harmony.
Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga- the modes
or melodic formulæ, and tāla- the rhythmic cycles.
With a fixed structure, Carnatic music has a sequence that
artists follow. The opening piece is called a varnam and is a
warm-up for the musicians. A devotion and a request for a
blessing follow, then a series of interchanges between ragams
(unmetered melody) and Tanam (the ornamentation within a
melorhythmic cycle, equivalent to the jor). This is intermixed
with hymns called krithis. The pallavi or theme from the raga
then follows.

Raja Ravi Verma’s Saraswati

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Nature of Carnatic Music Thyagaraja

Carnatic music tends to be more rhythmically intensive and
structured than Hindustani music. The logical classification of
ragas into melakartas-collection of fundamental ragas and
the use of fixed compositions explains the structure.

Lyrics in Carnatic music are largely devotional; most of
the songs are addressed to the Hindu deities. Many songs
emphasize love and other social issues or rest on the concept
of sublimation of human emotions for union with the divine.
Carnatic raga elaborations are generally much faster in
tempo and shorter than their equivalents in Hindustani
music.Carnatic music represents a more ancient and refined
approach to classical music.

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Golconda

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A woman playing the Tanpura Hindustani Music

Hindustani classical music is the music of the northern regions
of the Indian subcontinent. Hindustani music arose during
a period of great Perso-Arabic arts influence, in the time of
Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb culture, thus combining the Indian
classical music tradition with Perso-Arab musical knowledge.
Hindustani music may have started during the 14th CE in the
courts of the Delhi Sultans. The development of Hindustani
music reached a peak during the reign of Akbar. During this
16th century period, Tansen studied music and introduced
musical innovations for about the first sixty years of his life
with the patronage of the Hindu king Ram Chand of Gwalior,
and after that performed at the Muslim court of Akbar. Many
musicians consider Tansen as the founder of Hindustani music.

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Sub Styles in Hindustani Music

Dhrupad / धर् ुपद Khayal / ख्याल

Dhrupad is considered as the mother of all sub styles. It is the Khayal or Khyal comes from a Persion-Arabic origin that
oldest known style in vocals. It is derived fromthe Sankrit term means an idea, imagination.
dhruva meaning immovable, permanent and pada meaning There are three main characteristics of khyal: various musical
verse. It is of Vedic origins and was developed in temples. ideas that can be employed, the selection of different types of
Dhrupad s performed by a solo singer or a small number of improvisation, and the placement of various ideas in order to
singers in unison to the beat of the pakhavaj or mridang. produce a balanced and aesthetically pleasing performance.

Dhrupad is solemn music, uplifting and heroic, pure and Khayal is a very free, flowery and is associated with romantic
spiritual. Its main theme revolves around religion, philosophy, poetry. Since its vert free, it allows the performer greater
devotion and celebration of seasons. freedom of expression.

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Tarana / तराना Thumri / ठुमरी

Tarana is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal The term “thumri” is derived from Hindi thumuknaa, which
music in which certain words based on Persian and Arabic means “to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the
phonemes are rendered at a medium or fast rate. ankle-bells tinkle.”
A Tarana form has a second, contrasting melody, usually with The style is connected with dance, dramatic gestures, mild
higher notes, that is introduced once before returning to the eroticism, evocative love poetry and folk songs. A thumri
main melody. singer goes straight to the emotional core of a composition
Tarana consists of a fast tempo, have an emphasis on and evokes each yarn of feeling, and sensuous sentiment
producing rhythm and requires specialisation and skill for Thumri is romantic or devotional in nature and is
rhythmic improvisation. characterized by its sensuality, great flexibility with the raga.

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Gharanas

Kirana Gharana In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a Gharanas
is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent,
linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship and,
more importantly, by adherence to a particular musical style.
The word gharana comes from the Hindi word ‘ghar’ which is
derived from the Sanskrit word Griha, which means ‘house’.
It typically refers to the place where the musical ideology has
originated from.
The way the notes are sung is the primary variation between
Gharanas. Gharanas grow as a result of the idea of a
Guru-Shishya. The Gharanas result from a genius’s creative
flair, which gives preexisting structures a completely fresh
perspective, form, and interpretation.
In Hindustani tradition, a “distinctive musical style”
encompasses unique performance and repertoire
characteristics and a more comprehensive concept of music,
aesthetics, and education.

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Gharanas

In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a Gharanas
is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent,
linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship and,
more importantly, by adherence to a particular musical style.
The word gharana comes from the Hindi word ‘ghar’ which is
derived from the Sanskrit word Griha, which means ‘house’.
It typically refers to the place where the musical ideology has
originated from.
The way the notes are sung is the primary variation between
Gharanas. Gharanas grow as a result of the idea of a
Guru-Shishya. The Gharanas result from a genius’s creative
flair, which gives preexisting structures a completely fresh
perspective, form, and interpretation.
In Hindustani tradition, a “distinctive musical style”
encompasses unique performance and repertoire
characteristics and a more comprehensive concept of music,
aesthetics, and education.

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Dhrupad style Gharanas

Dagar Gharana Darbhanga Gharana

The Dagar gharana (or Dagar vani) is a tradition of the Darbhanga gharana is a tradition of the Hindustani classical
classical dhrupad genre of Hindustani classical music spanning music dhrupad thought to have been started in the eighteenth
20 generations. For some generations its members were century by Radhakrishna and Kartaram who were musicians in
associated with the courts of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Mewar. the court of the Maharaja of Darbhanga.

The primary characteristic of the Dagar gharana is the The style is notable for its vocal delivery and energetic
nuanced, subtle, calm, and rigorous presentation of alap- performances, as well how the songs are sung after the alap.
jor-jhala, with a special emphasis on microtonal inflexion, The Darbhanga Gharana was unique in using identical balance
that highlighs the nuances of the raga that are frequently in alap and bandish. It presented an equal proportion of the
neglected or lost in performance. melody as well as rhythm.

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Bettiah Gharana Talwandi Gharana

The Bettiah Gharana was one of the oldest style of vocal Talwandi Gharana is said to be the oldest gharana of Dhrupad.
music in Dhrupad style. The followers of this gharana claim to be the descendants of
The Court of Bettiah was the haven of music with intense the two Dhrupad singers, Syuraj Khan and Chand Khan.
compositional activity with at least five different lineages of The musical repertory of the Talwandi gharana includes many
dhrupad musicians actively composing and performing. different genres of vocal music- alap, dhrupad, khayal, ghazal.
Bettiah gharana held a poetic form incorporated into an Talwandi gharana was a leading gharana that immensely
extended presentation style marked by precise & orderly contributed to retain the cultural and musical aspect and the
elaboration of a raga. heritage of India.

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Khayal style Gharanas

Gwalior Gharana Agra Gharana

The Gwalior Gharana (Gwalior school of classical music) is one Agra gharana was a Khayal gharana. It was also known as
of the oldest Khyal Gharana in Indian classical music. The rise Rangeela gharana.
of the Gwalior Gharana started with the reign of the Mughal The gayaki (style of singing) of the Agra Gharana is a blend of
emperor Akbar. khayal gayaki and dhrupad-dhamar.
The Gwalior singers, who were experts in Dhrupad, played The gharana adopts a kind of voice production which relies on
a revolutionary role in the shift from Dhrupad to Khayal a flatter version of the vowel sound “a”, which makes its music
style.They popularized it by bringing some changes to the agreeable to rhythmic variations and is best suited for a deep
prevalent style. masculine voice. Emphasis is laid on bold, full-throated and
A distinguishing feature of the gharana is its simplicity. The robust voice production, and singing in the lower register.
singing itself places the composition at the heart.

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Kirana Gharana Patiala Gharana

Kirana gharana is one of the Indian classical khyal gharanas, The Patiala gharana is one of the vocal gharanas of Hindustani
and is concerned foremost with perfect intonation of notes. classical music, named after the city of Patiala in Punjab.

The individual notes of the raga are independent realms of The Patiala gharana was inspired from and influenced by four
music capable of horizontal expansion. Emotional pukars in musical gharanas — Delhi, Gwalior, Riva, and Jaipur, and it is
the higher octaves form a part of the musical experience. particularly noted for its ghazal, thumri, and khayal styles of
Kirana gharana’s unique feature is the intricate and ornate use singing. The gharana is now generally referred to as the Kasur-
of the weaving patterns with the notations themselves. Patiala gharana.

Performers from the Kirana gharana are particularly fond of Patiala gharana is known for its creative improvisations by
the Komal Re note of the classical music scale. borrowing freely from other gharanas and merging them
aesthetically to enhance the khayal form of singing.

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Concepts in music

The foundation of Indian classical music is melody. It can be characterised as
introspective and contemplative. There is no intentional harmonic structure
beneath melodic lines.
Indian classical music is based on five characteristcs which are Swara, Tala,
Raga, Alankaar and Shruti. Raga and Tala are the foundational elements of
Indian classical music and both have frameworks that are open for creativity and
allows for a large number of possibilites in terms of melodies.
Other than characteristcs, Indian classical music also has different concepts on
which music can be based on like Ritu and Ras.
Indian classical music usually avoids Western classical ideas like harmony,
counterpoint, chords, and modulation because the space between the sounds is
frequently more significant than the notes.

Swar / स्वर

Swar is a Sanskrit word that is derived from Svar which means sound. It found
its use in the Vedic literature- Samveda. Swars are supposed to be pleasing to
the ear when heard. The melodic aspect of a song is entirely based on swars or
the musical notes.
Swars are the building blocks of music and have their own personality, which is
determined by its colour, mood, origin and the animal it sounds like.

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Thaat / थाट Raag / राग

A Thaat is a “Parent scale” in North Indian music. The concept A Raag literally translates to ‘which colours the mind’. It
of the thaat is not exactly equivalent to the western musical is a musical theme formed from a set of swars. Raags are
scale because the primary function of a thaat is not as a tool associated with different times of the day depending on
for music composition, but rather as a basis for classification the moods that specific swars or combinations evoke. Only
of ragas. Thaats must fulfil the following rules- dudring this period is the raag at its height of melodic beauty
A thaat must have seven tones out of the twelve tones [seven and majestic splendor.
natural, four flat (Re, Ga, Dha, Ni), one sharp (Ma)] To make a complete structural composition, a raga consists
The tones must be in ascending sequence. of the tala, which is the cyclical system of beats, and sahitya
A thaat cannot contain both the natural and altered versions which are the lyrics. The sahitya could either be sung or
of a note. played on instruments through a non-verbal language.
A Thaat does not have any separate ascending and
descending lines.
A thaat has no emotional quality.
Thaats are not sung but ragas produced from the thaats are.

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Dawn

Ragas that are played at
dawn are said to be very
serene and devotional.

Raag played at dawn
Bhatiyar
Bhankar
Lalit
Bhairav
Kalingada
Gunkali
Ramkali

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Morning

Ragas played during the
mornings are said to be the
most evocative of the time
and are soothing and calm.

Raags played in the morning
Bilawal
Deshkar
Devgiri
Hindol
Mudraki
Todi
Bahaduri Todi
Leelavati

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Afternoon

Afternoon ragas tend
to create a pensive and
introspective mood.Theres is
a peaceful and sombre mood.

Raags played in the
afternoon
Peelu
Brindavani Sarang
Bheempalasi
Asavrai
Jaunpuri
Desi
Bhairavi
Bilashkani Todi
Dhanashri

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Dusk

The melancholy is evident in
ragas played at dusk. They
have a feeling that is unique
yet experienced by everyone.

Raags played at dusk
Marwa
Poorya
Jait
Poorvi
Shri
Poorya Dhanashri
Deepak
Gauri

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Evening

Evening ragas have an
extensive melodic and
rhythmic range allowing
for different moods to be
captured by the ragas.

Raags played in the evening
Durga
Nat Bihag
Hamsdhwani
Yaman
Bhupali
Kedar
Khamaj
Tilak Kamod
Des
Malhar

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Night

Most of the ragas sung
during the night time are of
‘gambhir’ rasa; serious and
meditative in mood.

Raags played at night
Kafi
Bageshri
Darbari Kanada
Adana
Malkauns

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Seasons / रितु

Since the beginning of time, ragas have been connected
to specific seasons. Songs and dance were always a part of
celebrations honouring harvests, solstices, local deities which
solidified the link between music and season.

Vasant (spring), Grishma (summer), Varsha (monsoon),
Sharad (autumn), Hemant (pre-winter), and Shishir (winter)
are the six main seasons.

Mediaeval musicological treatises chose six fundamental Winter season
ragas to represent each of the six seasons. Although the raga-
season linkages in these treatises varied, the most widely used
system used the ragas Hindol (Vasant), raga Dipak (Grishma),
raga Megha (Varsha), raga Bhairav (Sharad), raga Shree
(Hemanta), and raga Malkos (Shishir).

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Spring season Summer season

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Monsoon season Autumn season

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Early winter The three Ragas intended to be performed in spring according
to North Indian tradition are Basant, Bahar, and Hindol. The
six primary Ragas—from which all other Ragas derive—are
connected to the day and season.
The ragas that each season is connected to are- Malkauns
(ekydkSUl) connceted to deep winter, Hindol (fgUMksy) to spring,
Deepak (nhid) to summer, Malhar (eygkj) to monsoon,
Bhairav (HkSjo) to autumn and Shree (Jh)for early winter.