MUSIC OF INDIA

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MUSIC OF INDIA
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• BASIC FACTS
• South Asia
• 2nd most populous country in world
• Birthplace of 4 major religions (Hinduism,
  Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism)
• Official languages Hindi, English and 21 other
  languages
• Was British colony until independence in 1947
• Over 5,000 years of recorded history
• Largest film industry in the world great source
  of popular music

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Indian Music

• Carnatic vs. Hindustani classical traditions
• (music and dance)
• Raga and Tala
• Improvisation and Composition

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Indian Instruments
SITAR
SAROD
TAMBURA
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Indian Instruments
TABLA
MRIDANGAM
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Sound Sample

• CD 2/20 Engal Kalyanam (Our wedding)
• 1969, from Tamil film
• CD 2/21 Devi Niye Tunai
• Classical song (kriti) by 20th cent. Composer
  (singer, mridangam, in Tamil)
• Medium and fast gats (sitar, tabla)
• Ghazal, by Zasar (vocal, tabla) (poetic form,
  light classical music

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Indian Classical Ensemble
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RAGA

• Series of pitches
• Rules for ornamentation
• Rules for ascending
• Rules for descending
• Associated with mood, time of day and
• North India 200 ragas
• South India 72 main, several secondary

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Raga Basant
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TALA

• Fixed metrical cycle consisting of shorter units,
  often of unequal length
• Basis for improvisation for soloist and drummer
• Audience participates by counting time with hands

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Ata Tala

• Ata tala 5 5 2 2 14 beats
• 2 3 4 5 /6 7 8 9 10/11 12 /13 14//
• Clap Clap
  Clap Wave Clap Wave
• Tintal 4 4 4 4 16
• Clap 234/ clap 234 /wave234 /clap234
• Sound example Medium and fast gats in raga
  Yaman and tintal EXC CD 1/1

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The Kriti

• Most well known form of Carnatic music
• Originally vocal with religious texts
• Modern kriti repertoire composed in 18th-19th
  cents.

Saint Tyagaraja (1757-1847)
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Kriti Structure

• Alapana (improvised opening, introduces the raga)
• 3 sections (no breaks)
• Pallavi opening section and refrain
• Anupallavi introduces secondary theme, moves
  towards climax
• Caranam final section (may be relaxed or may be
  virtuosic restatement of previous material)

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Banturiti by Tyagaraja

• Voice, violin, mridingam
• Raga Hamsanadam (c e f g b)
• Adi Tala (4 2 2)
• Clap 2 3 4 / clap wave /clap wave

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Devi Niye Tunai by Papanasam Sivan (20th cent.)

• Voice, mridangam
• Raga Keervani
• Tala Adi Tala (4 2 2)
• To the goddess Devi (with the fish-shaped/always
  open eyes)

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Sarasiruha
Pallavi O Mother who loves the lotus
seat, Anupallavi Save me who have taken refuge
in you! Charanam Complete Being, who holds a
book in her hand which bestows all dominion.
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Sarasiruha by Pulaiyar Doraismy (19th cent.)

• Instrumental but based on song with words
• Vina, mridangam
• Raga Natai ancient raga associated with god
  Shiva in form of Lord of the Dance
• Adi Tala
• Alapana/Tanam//Pallavi/Anupallavi/
• Caranam