Panache Tech and Gadgets. Panache People City Life. ET Magazine. Rate Story. Font Size Abc Small. Abc Medium. Abc Large. Music is a precious gift of God. Every human being is born with sound and rhythm. The heart beats or pulse rates in a variety of tempos are indications of rhythm. Conversations, recitation, chanting, singing are all part of music. Music is all-encompassing. Since time immemorial, music has had the patronage of emperors, kings and the high and mighty of society.
For example, a scholar-musician who has spent the last twenty years trying to compile an encyclopaedia of Indian music which has finally been published this year, by Sangit Mahabharati was confounded by the absence of factual information. Was the sitar invented by the Persian poet Amir Khusro or does it have roots in the Subcontinent?
What is the origin of the word aalaap , which refers to the slow cadences with which a musician lays out the raga? Hindus, on the other hand, trace its roots to the Dhrupad Dhamar tradition, a form of classical music believed to have evolved in the 15th century, under Raja Mansingh Tomar in Gwalior.
And did a particular raga come from what was then Persia — given that the same melodic framework seems to exist in the Subcontinent, though under a different name? So often, one listens to a recital by, say, an Iranian musician, and finds stunning similarities in Hindustani music.
The truth is, no one quite knows the precise history of this great tradition. Like a tumultuous river, Indian classical music has gathered different influences along the way, and seamlessly merged them into its flow. Most musicologists agree that the basic swara, or note, originated in ancient Hindu Vedic chanting. The chants developed into organised groups of notes, which eventually became ragas. Just as in the West, organised music emerged as a medium to praise divinity, initially sung in places of worship.
The compositions praised god; the audience comprised the devotees. Gradually, between the 12th and 14th centuries, the music moved to the royal courts and developed into a sombre, stately style called dhrupad , accompanied by a baritone pakhwaj drum. Around this time, the texts of the compositions also started to change. For instance, the music sung in the temples was about the gods, while that sung before the king would praise him or describe worldly subjects such as marriage and love.
Firmly syncretic The music of the Subcontinent started to transform quite dramatically around the 14th century, when the Mughal dynasty from Central Asia established itself in the region and held sway for the next three or four centuries. Inevitably, the cultural landscape began to change, as elements from Islam inspired the architectural aesthetic, dress habits, food and, of course, music, irrevocably altering its rendition. The musician and mystic poet Amir Khusrau, started to meld Islamic motifs into the local music.
He inspired many new ragas, drawing from Persian melodies and ideologies. He also created new genres within the Dhrupad style, replacing traditional Indian compositions with Persian verses and couplets.
Both Hindus and Muslims regard him as a saint-singer. Although Islam was the dominant faith of the ruling class in the north, people did not define themselves by religion. Rather, class and caste remained far more divisive than faith. Many poor Hindus converted to Islam because it seemed to offer them the opportunity of social mobility; some converted for reasons of patronage. Like him, most musicians of the time would trace their lineage back to Haridas Swami, the great singer and saint who taught Tansen during the 16th century.
The story goes that one of his descendents, Nath Vishwambara, a forefather of Alladiya Khan, was actually a Hindu priest, but converted to save his patron and king from being captured by the then Mughal emperor of Delhi. In addition to his early in-depth training on the tabla, Abhijit also studied vocal music and violin, resulting in a wide-ranging understanding of music. Marking a distinguished career in performing Indian classical music, he has collaborated with a cadre of Jazz musicians and has earned distinction as a composer in film and television.
Ventakaraman will accompany Krishnan on the mrdangam. Well known to local audiences, Vinod is highly esteemed for his extensive appearances worldwide with legendary Carnatic instrumental musicians as well as collaboration with some of the greatest Jazz artists of today.
Percussion virtuoso, Vaikom Gopalakrishnan plays the fascinating clay pot instrument, the ghatam, as well as the mridangam, and has accompanied several leading artist in his trips abroad. Completing the Carnatic percussion ensemble is Sriram Ramesh performing on the kanjira, a small-framed drum that primarily supports the mridangam in complex rhythmic patterns. While music is usually employed to reflect inner conflicts, Bindra and Tiwari wanted to focus more on the external conflicts that young lovers face.
But there is as much of external conflict in the lives of our two protagonists. To understand the voices and choices of the youth, Bindra and Tiwari interacted with youth at the location in Rajasthan instead of relying on their own feelings while writing the show.
It is, however, the music that saves the show from sinking. What also works is the indepth portrayal of some traditions followed in gharanas. For instance, in the second episode, titled Shuddhikaran, Radhe has to take a strenuous musical test to prove his mettle as a singer and as a sign of penance.
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