Hindustani Classical Music, its Evolution and emotional Synthesis

By Priyaankaa Mathur

Indian classical music is a heritage that has evolved through the centuries. It is a blend of ritualistic, folk and cultural expression of the sub-continent and represents music of different genres. At one extreme, it is classical music whilst at the other extreme; it is a mixture of musical genres of different regions that reflect the diversity of India.

Hindustani classical music is an Indian classical music tradition that took shape in northern India in the 13th and 14th centuries A. D. Its origins lie in existing religious, folk and theatrical performance practices. The origins of Hindustani classical music can be found in the Samaveda (wherein Sa-man means “melody” and Veda means “knowledge”). The Samaveda comes second in the usual order of the four Vedas. Samaveda consists of a collection (Samhita) of hymns and verses or specifically indicated melodies called Samagana that were sung by the priests while offering libations to various deities.

Hindustani classical music has its origin as a form of meditation and is based upon ragas and taals each designed to affect different “chakras” (energy centers, or “moods”) in the path of the “Kundalini” of the human system. Vedic practice traces specific physical, mental, biological and spiritual results associated with activation of these centres to generate the very sound of “OM”. ‘OM’ is believed to be the beginning of all creation in which are rooted the seeds of sound and music.

For a traditional Indian artist, artistic creation was the supreme means of realizing the Universal Being regardless of the field of work. Art was a combination of Sadhana (discipline), Yoga (exercise) and Yajna (sacrifice). Thus, any form of Sadhana and the artistic creation is a means of achieving a state of ‘complete harmony. Through this creation, the artist seeks to evoke a state of pure joy (Anand) that could be second to the seeker’s ultimate goal of absolute bliss in the Brahman (Universe) i.e. “Brahmananda’. The artist is indeed like a worshipper, who again and again sees God and who attempts to re-create the ultimate state of his realization. This is a mental experience that takes place through the use of specific techniques of his art.
According to Bharata, there are nine mental states or feelings or Bhavas that are latent in our minds as the ‘Sthayibhavas’. They are Rati, Hasya, Krodha, Utsaha, Bhaya, Vismaya and Jugupsa. These are the objects of experience for a person. These nine Bhavas are latent in the minds of the Sahradya i.e. the knowledgeable contemplator in the form of ‘Sthayibhavas’ (permanent basic emotional states). When associated with Vibhavas i.e. the stimuli or environment, they are capable of infusing the emotional states and become the objects of mental perception in correlation to the artist’s creation and expression (bhava-abhivyakti). This emotional state is called “Rasa” and the aesthetic experience so achieved is “Rasanubhuti”. Thus, the aesthetic experiences which emerged as a result of these beliefs were called the “theory of rasa”, as propounded by Bharata (300 BC) in his extensive treatise “Natyashastra”. According to Bharata, there are nine emotional states or “navarasas”. These are: Shringar, Hasya, Karun, Raudra, Veer, Bhayanaka, Vibhatsya, Adbhut and Shant.

Indian music is traditionally practice-oriented and taught by teachers through an oral tradition. Until the 20th century, it did not employ notations as the primary media of instruction, understanding or transmission. The rules of Indian music and compositions themselves are taught from a Guru to a shishya under the guru-shishya parampara or the teacher-student tradition. An important landmark in Hindustani music was the establishment of gharanas (style and content of singing) under the patronage of princely states.

A gharana is more a school of thought rather than an institution. Each gharana developed distinct facets and styles of presentation and performance. Indian classical music has one of the most complex and complete musical systems ever developed in the history of mankind. It divides the Saptak (octave) into 12 swaras or semitones (5 shudha + 4 komal+1 tivra + 2 sthira) out of which the 8 basic notes are Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa, in that order.

Musicologists came to believe that music originated from natural sounds, such as the cry of a peacock which became the Swara note Sa or shadja. The voice of a Chatak (Rain bird) gave the Swara Re or Rishabh. Thecall of a Goat yielded the Swara Ga or Gandhara. The crowing of a crow became the Swara Ma or Madhyama. The sound of a cuckoo became the Swara Pa or Pancham. Thesound of a frog was considered the Swara Dha or Dhaivata. The trumpeting of an elephant became the Swara Ni or Nishaada. Hindustani music has a number of embellishments and ornamentations or gamaks like meend, kana, murki, etc. which enhance its aesthetic appeal. The prime themes of Hindustani music are romantic love, descriptions of nature’s beauty and devotion to the almight. These are, in-turn, enhanced further with the use of the embellishments in appropriate measure.

Indian classical music is monophonic in nature and built around a single melody line, which is played over a fixed drone. The performance is based melodically on particular ragas and rhythmically on talas. The tabla plays a very important role in maintaining the rhythm during a Hindustani concert. There are a number of Tals (beat patterns) like Ek-Tal, Jhap-Tal, Dadra, Teen-Tal and so on. Each Tal has its own characteristics.
The wide range and complex content of Indian music was not restricted merely to India. It was also influenced by countries like Persia and Afghanistan. The ‘Sufi’ influence in Hindustani music during the medieval period was fused with ideas from Persian music, particularly through the influence of Sufi composers like Amir Khusru and Tansen. However, Amir Khusru is erroneously referred to as the inventor of the sitar and tabla and numerous musical forms such as khayal and tarana. The Hindustani music that developed during the time of the Moghul period (15th and 16th centuries, A.D.) is based on the rich Indian tradition and its interaction with Moghul influences.

During the rule of Moghul emperor Akbar, Hindustani music reached its zenith, mainly due to Mian Tansen (He was born Tanna Mishra or Ramtanu to Makarand Pande. The name of his Guru was Swami Haridas), who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court. It was during this era that Hindustani music, like an ever flowing river, absorbed many streams of varied musical genres such as Dhrupad, Dhamar and Khayal. Many semi-classical music genres also came in vogue during the period of Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah Rangila. These were Thumri, Dadra, Hori, Sawan and Chaiti.

Indian classical music can be classified into two distinct categories, the North Indian or Hindustani & the South Indian or Carnatic music. The essential features and basis of both the styles are the same in the sense that both are spiritual in nature. Both put emphasis on the musical structure and the possibilities of improvisation in each raga. The main architect of the present system of Hindustani music is Pandit V N Bhatkhande, who was responsible for the classification of the Ragas into the 10 ‘thaats’. The two main vocal traditions in Hindustani music are Dhrupad, the purest of all, without any embellishment and completely austere in its delivery and Khayal, with a romantic content and elaborate ornamentation. Less abstract vocal forms fall into the light-classical variety: These are: Dadra, Thumri, Hori, Sawan and Chaiti.

The author is an Indian Classical Vocalist. Presently learning from Smt Shalmalee Joshiji of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. Her journey of music brought her to learn the Jaipur Atrauli tradition from Delhi to Mumbai. She has been blessed enough to learn from legendary Musician Smt. Kishori Amonkarji though for a short span of time. It has been a journey of 13 years and has influenced her music althrough ,as she learnt from Ustad Iqbal Khan Saheb of Delhi Gharana , Pt. Jagdish Mohanji (Kirana)Pt.Madhup Mudhgalji (Gwalior)and late Shri Mahadev Deshpandeji (her Nana Guruji)at Gandharva Mahavidya, New Delhi.Last but not the least, her first Guru is her mother Smt. Chhabi Mathur , who has been her sole inspiration.

The author is a trained  Hindustani Classical Vocalist and is M.Phil in Indian Classical Music from  Faculty of Music & Fine Arts, Delhi University. More articles of Priyaanka Mathur here. – And you can mail to Priyaankaa Mathur.

(Source: 01/2010 – eSamskriti | The Essence of Indian culture – Essays – Indian Sangeet)

Ancient Tradition of Dhrupad Music – Origin Evolution and Presentation

By Priyaankaa Mathur

Dhrupada is possibly the  oldest surviving musical form of North India. The  word Dhrupada is a combination of the two words Dhruva & Pada. Dhruva  which means structured fixed or rigid, that does not alter its course, and  pada, means word or syllable, a metrical foot, denoting the composition. The  word Dhrupada therefore means a composition in which the padas or words are set  in a definite structure or pattern.

If one searches for the roots of  this form, one would definitely go back as far as the Sama Veda chants. The chhandas and the prabandha modes of composition are believed to have originated in  the rhythmic Vedic chants. Of the two, chhandas have rise to verse and  prabandha to meter. The historical evidence suggests that there must have been  a gradual evolutionary process which resulted in the emergence of Drupada from  its progenitors “Prabandha”.

In Indian tradition, music was  equated with truth and truth with God. From this rich lore originated Dhrupad,  whose roots can be traced to the Vedic scriptures in Sama Veda. It is also said  that the chant of the epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana by  the rishis, ascetics of yore, gave the intonation and color to Dhrupad.  Consequently, Dhrupad was devotional in nature, an invocation to the gods, sung  exclusively in places of worship.

It soon assumed the status of a  yoga – nad Brahma (sound). A yogic meditation was pursued by the rishis to attain purity of sound. Dhrupada seems to be related to the tradition of  religious hymns which were sung in the temples since when Prabandha gave way to  Dhrupada. Dhrupad probably evolved from the earlier chanting of Om the sacred syllable, which is believed  to be in the Hindu canon, to be the source of all creation. Om is said to have a spiritually  purifying effect on the person chanting it and the phrases like Om, Ananta Narayana Hari or Hey Anant Hari were a kind of invocation  to God. However later on, these phrases disappeared but were left with nom tom as a vestige.

Bharata`s Natyashastra makes  reference of Dhruva as the song sung  before the commencement of a play, whereas 11th century music texts, such as ‘Sangeet Makarand’, and 14th century  texts like ‘Raagatarangini’, discuss  both the dhruva and the dhruva-prabandha forms. About Prabandha we get  references in ‘Mansolesa’ written by  Somesvara ,‘Sangit Ratnakar’ written  by Sharangdeva and ‘Sangitaraja’  written by Maharana Kumbhakarna.Someshwara tells us that Prabandhas were mostly  hymns in praise of Gods & Goddesses namely Brahma, Vishnu, Shankara,  Saraswati, Gauri, Mahalaxmi and so on. There were also Prabandhas in laudation  of human beings of great beauty, sublimity and power.

Various scholars like Bhavabhatta  of the 17th Century have given descriptions of the Dhrupadas and the  ragas sung at that time. The Dhrupada style of singing was gaining ground in  the 14th century. The Dhrupadas had a strong classical base as they  evolved from Salag Suda Prabandha,  since it was this type of prabandha that the Dhatu(divisions) ‘antara’was sung. The salag suda Prabandha had  five Dhatus namely Udgraha, Melapaka,  Dhruva, Antara and Abhoga. Of these, the Abhoga, being very long was split into two sub parts the Sanchari and the Abhoga. The Dhruva was  also dropped. The Dhatus of the Dhrupavaprabandha thus became Udgraha, Melapaka, Antara,  Sancari and Abhoga. Later Udgraha and Melapaka were combined into one division called the Sthayi.

Thus the modern Dhrupada came  into four divisions: Sthayi, Antara,  Sancari Abhoga.

During (1486-1516) Raja Mansingh Tomar gave Dhrupada  immense encouragement and introduced many refinements in it. He presented  Dhrupada in a new form which began to flourish from the 16th century  onwards thanks to Tansen (born Tanna  Mishra or Ramtanu to Makarand Pande) and other eminent musicians. These  musicians brought a rare beauty, elasticity and dignity to Dhrupada. Dhrupada  became the most prominent feature of music culture of that time. Being  unfamiliar with Sanskrit Persian musicians could not get the bhavna (feeling)  right even though they mastered our music. Conversion of many Hindu musicians  to Islam also had the unfortunate effect of their moving away from the Sanskrit and Sastrika traditions.

When the dhrupad form migrated to  the royal courts, between the 14th and 16th centuries, its nature and content  underwent several alterations. Simplicity yielded to sophistication, devotional  feelings to the romantic and, at times, to amorous ones since music had to  satisfy and amuse regal patrons. Group singing of the dhrupad also yielded to  individual style of singing, where display of skill was necessitated.

Such changes, brought about by a  fusing of historical, social and cultural factors which contributed to the  emergence of the dhrupad as a classical form. During the 12th to 16th  centuries the language of composition changed from Sanskrit to Brijbhasha/Avadhi. Most of the  compositions sung to this day are drawn from Brij compositions, composed during  the 15th and 16th centuries and thereafter.

The teaching of dhrupad is very  closely tied to the ancient system of Guru-shishya  parampara (the teacher-disciple tradition). This is an oral tradition that  dates back thousands of years. The students lived in the home of their guru and  devoted themselves to riyaz (practice)  of music. Musical treatises refer to different Vanis. These were different  styles or schools of dhrupad presentation that existed during the 16th century.  They themselves were supposed to have evolved out of five Geetis, or styles of singing, referred to by the scholar Matanga during the 17th century. From  these styles, came four dhrupad vanis – Gauhar,  Nauhar, Khandar and Dagar. Many of the existing dhrupad gharanas trace  their origins back to one or the other of these vanis.

With the passage of time, the musical aspect of  Dhrupad became so sober and complete in itself that instrumentalists started  solo performances of Dhrupada on instruments like Been & Rabab, Surbahar and sitar with no less grandeur as the vocalists. The Dhrupad music played on  the instruments has adopted portions of vocal music which can be accommodated  by instruments and is called as ‘gayaki’. Misri Singh, son in law of  ‘Tansen’ accompanied him on Been when Tansen Performed Dhrupada. Tansen’s son Bilas  Khan accompaniment of vocal music with the instrument called Rabab

In ancient times Veena used to accompany Dhrupad singers. But later on Veena adopted  itself to the style of Dhupad and Alaap which preceded a Dhrupad recital that was  prevalent in those days. There were many dhrupadiyas who were fairly good Veena  Players. Amongst them was Niyamat Khan  (Sadarang) who popularized veena as a solo instrument. According to the  famous veenkar Ustad Asad Ali khan, “his ancestors Rajab Ali Khan and Musharaff  Khan followed the khandahar vani which was perfected to suitably apply to veena”.

The dhrupad style of singing  evolved as result of an attempt to relax the rigidity of prabandhas. The  dhrupad contains of two phases Nibaddha and Anibaddha. One of the chief strengths  of the dhrupad is that, it gives importance both to the free exposition and  development of the raaga through the initial alaap (anibaddha), as well as to  the rhythmically framed composition (Nibaddha). A performance in dhrupad will  start with a detailed Alaap in a  preferred Raga wherein the singer tries to evoke the mood, tone and spirit of  the chosen Raga. The nibaddha or the closed form comprises of a  rhythm-bound composition in a raga, which embarks, develops and concludes  within the outline of a fixed rhythm pulse. Thus, Dhrupad establishes  co-equivalence of swara and tala, thereby meeting the listener’s  demand for aesthetic attention to the subtleties of the Raga, as also its  energetic illumination through rhythmic play.

A vocal dhrupad performance begins with a  meditative Alaap in which the artist  develops the raga, note-by-note, without any instrumental accompaniment except  the drone of the tanpura. The emphasis is on developing each note with purity  and clarity. To quote the famous Dhrupad stalwart Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar: “Alaap entails the search to get the  most perfect pitch of every note. It takes you into a sort of meditation in  which you are lost in the waves of sound and forget everything. There remains  only sound.” The alaap evokes a mood in the audience that coincides  with the mood of the raga that is chosen. The singer, many a time, begins with  an inventive chant of the Omkara in the chosen raga. The contemplative character of the alaap is amplified  by the prayerful manner in which the singer articulates these syllables in the  lower, middle and upper registers. As the alaap follows no fixed text, the  singer is free to use words like re de ti  ri li na nom ta, collectively called nom  tom, to emphasize and expatiate the notes. It is supposed that these  `nonsense` syllables possess a semantic and mystical effect. The philosophy  behind not using words is that words may distract and thus lessen the chance of  floating in a spiritual plane. Without the distraction caused by words, what  one hears in the alaap is the sound of pure music, ideally leading to divine  fusion.

There are a total of four sections in the  dhrupad- sthayi, antara, sanchari and  abhog. Following a series of improvisations, in the sthayi section, the singer moves on to the antara (intermediate) section, designated by his transition from  the lower octave to the middle and high octaves – i.e., from ma or pa, to taar sa. Further  improvisations take place in these two octaves, after which the singer returns  to the sthayi, to attempt improvised variations in a rhythmically oriented  manner. The first section which is sung is the sthayi (meaning steady). The weight of  the raga and of the composition falls on this section. The first phrase of the bandish, which carries the  characteristic melodic intonation and weight of the raga, is sung first.  The three components of this section are song-text,  melody and rhythm, all of which are evenly accentuated. The pakhavaj player joins the singer at count one of the tala cycle, providing accompaniment with beats from this point on, thus setting into  motion the rhythmic cycle. Generally the dhrupad compositions are sung  in chautal (a 12 beat rhythm cycle).  Other Tala cycles that are used are sula tala (10) and tivra tala (7 beats), and dhamar (14 beats). While delivering the sthayi, the  singer is free to pick the speed he wishes to.

In the sthayi section only the poorvanga (lower tetra-chord) of the  raga is stressed. The words of the composition are broken and sub-divided  rhythmically into their basic syllabic units and then re-organised, in order to  create brilliant syllable-beat and  word-beat synchronic patterns. This part is known as bol-baant (word-divisions). The meaning of text in composition is  very important and the artists must pay careful attention to the enunciation of  words. Even during improvisation, care is taken not to mispronounce the words. Using  the sthayi, the singer attempts to sing the words in a different tempo, known  as dugun (twice), trigun (thrice) and chaugun (quadruple). The tempo would be in multiples of the basic  tempo, set by the singer. The singer and pakhawaj player engage in a lively  dialogue, but do not attempt to compete with each other. After this synchronization  with the percussionist for a while, the singer slows down the tempo severely,  returns to the first line of the Sthayi and  concludes the recital. Thus unlike the alaap,  the dhrupad section is short and structured. It follows a strict sequential  pattern. A full-fledged dhrupad recital is normally followed  by a Hori-dhammar or a Sadra.

Dhrupad singers belonging to the Dagar Gharana style do not use melodic  accompaniments, like the harmonium or sarangi, during their recitals. Only the drone of the tambura is perceptible in the background. However, those belonging to the Darbhanga tradition, resort to the sarangi. A dhrupad alaap normally occupies the  longest duration in a recital and normally take not more than 45 minutes to one  hour to go through all the phases systematically.

Pandit Bhatkhande`s collection of hundreds of  Dhrupad-Dhamar bandishes is a very good reminders of our rich tradition. However,  only the practice of the art can revitalize the style. To this day the temples  of Vrindavan, Nathdwara, Puri and Dwarka use a simple Dhrupadi as a part of their devotionals with an elementary  rhythmic accompaniment provided by cymbals and hand-bells. It is believed that  the association between dhrupad and ritual worship was amplified when the Bhakti Movement gathered momentum during  the medieval period. The relationship between dhrupad and worship thus, has a  long history, dating back at least seven centuries. The survivor of this hymnic  form is the haveli dhrupad, which  recourses to a highly abbreviated alaap.

Prominent  Dhrupad Gharana of today is the Dagar Gharana. It represents the  Dagarbani Dhrupad rendition and is characterized by meditative and leisurely  development of alap. The Dagar style of Dhrupad is defined by 52 musical  concepts or Arkaans (12 basic alankaras and 40 more). These include concepts  like Uda-tta, Anuda-tta, Svarita, Sapta Gupta, Sapta Prakata, and Saka-ri etc. which have all but disappeared from Indian classical music and even from  Dhrupad .The Dagar family claims  lineage through Swami Haridas (fifteenth century), a renowned singer of that  time and teacher of Tansen. Besides Swami Haridas, Behram Khan (1753-1878) was  the most renowned dhrupad artist in the Dagar clan. He was associated with the  royal court of Jaipur. Other famous artists were Ustad Zakiruddin Khan  (1840-1926) and Allabande Khan (1845-1927) who were well known for their Jugalbandi (duet) performances. The  famous Dagar brothers are the grandsons of Allabande Khan, whereas Ustad Zia  Fariduddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar are the grandsons of Zakiruddin Khan. Dagar family has contributed  significantly to preservation and spreading of Dhrupad. They have helped keep  this art alive even though this music was losing popularity in a time of  changing tastes.

Dhrupad music has survived so far due to the  persistence and dedication of the masters. They did not give up inspite of financial  hardships and adversity. Their persistence seems to be bearing fruit as  we now see a new generation of dhrupad artists such as Wasifuddin Dagar,  Bahauddin Dagar, Gundecha Brothers, Nancy Lesh, Uday Bhawalkar, Prem Kumar Mallik, Ashish Sankrityayan and many other promising performers. The Dhrupad Kendra in Bhopal i.e. based on  this ancient tradition has produced several outstanding vocalists. However lot  more needs to be done to ensure the survival of this ancient tradition i.e.  an intrinsic part of Indian culture.

The author is a trained  Hindustani Classical Vocalist and is M.Phil in Indian Classical Music from  Faculty of Music & Fine Arts, Delhi University. More articles of Priyaanka Mathur here. – And you can mail to Priyaankaa Mathur.

(Source: 01/2010 – eSamskriti | The Essence of Indian culture – Essays – Indian Sangeet)

WOMEX Conference Sessions (Copenhagen, 27-31 Oct 2010)

WOMEX Conferences

Daytime Schedule
Location Kit (pdf) incl. venue maps and all schedules
Conference Sessions
Matchmaking for Publishers
Country Speed-Dating
Mentoring Sessions

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To arrange for a Networking Meeting or to book a Presentation or Reception at WOMEX, send an email to conference@womex.com.

 

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Seminars, mentoring, training, information – keep up with changes, trends and innovations. Colleagues and special guests offer can’t-miss sessions that help delegates navigate the uncharted waters of the music industry.   In consultation with the WOMEX Jury we select informative, educational, even controversial speakers to present their topics.

WOMEX  Conference Photo by Eric van Nieuwland

WOMEX 10 Daytime Schedule: online / download

Are you WOMEXperienced?

Each year the programme is designed to serve the industry’s ongoing need for education, exchange and inspiration. From professional to sensual, intellectual to emotional, from “how-to?” to “why?”, we will be taking the value of the “experience” this year to guide you through the Conferences at WOMEX 10.

As you would expect, not all sessions fit any one box or file but saunter between the Live, Recorded and Digital Experience extending out to the “Vision Beyond”.

New at this year’s Conference is the Discovery Room, a platform for 10-minute presentations of recent projects from our worldwide community. You will find the session under “Vision Beyond”.

Session 18
Saturday 15:00 – 15:45

Speaker cancellation! Dhruv Jagasia (India), Media Offline/OML, won’t be able to participate

Conference 2 (Copenhagen Forum)

The Perfect Storm – The Indian Music Industry in 2010:
The myth of a billion music consumers and the state of the music industry in India

• Ali Sachedina (Canada/USA), Kinetic Management with:
• Girish Raj (India/USA), IDIGO/Kinetic Management

India is one of the world’s largest and eccentric markets: 22% of the population live under 1 US dollar a day, but India has sustained a growth in its GDP for the past 13 years of at least 6%. The median age is 25 and by 2013, there will be over 1.15 billion mobile phone subscribers. With a rapidly growing middle class who possesses a strong appetite for non-Indian culture, the opportunities for non-Indian artists and companies are seemingly limitless. This panel will provide an overview of the culture and economics of the music industry in India. It will further outline the opportunities and challenges for non-Indian artists wanting to expand into India, while summarising the latest developments in a market that is attempting to rewrite its music business model.

see all other sessions here.

(Source: 10/2010 – WOMEX)

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WOMEX ’10 – ShowCase Festival 2010 (Copenhagen, 27 – 31 Oct 2010)

Showcase Festival
Boost your Career

Showcase Festival Schedule
Location Kit (pdf) incl. venue maps and all schedules
Festival Tickets
Showcase Trailer
Special Focus: Nordic Club
Official WOMEX Showcases
offWOMEX
WOMEX Showcases 1994 – 2010

… And then comes the music. All night. Every night. During the day, too. The Showcase Festival presents t

he widest possible range of global music stars, secrets and discoveries, with or without a record contract. With official Showcases, offWOMEX, the Opening and Award Showcase, more than 40 acts from anywhere and everywhere are spotlighted.

WOMEX 10 Showcases Revealed

With over 700 proposals to squeeze into a mere three dozen Showcase slots, the WOMEX Jury’s work was cut out for them and many hours spent discussing countless high quality proposals. WOMEX cannot disclose the final selection without first offering it’s sincere thanks to the Showcase Samurai for devoting their precious time and effort to the shaping this year’s fresh and inspiring Showcase selection.

Once again WOMEX worked together with Sonicbids‘ online listening platform to ease the selection process for the Jury.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (source: Wikipedia)

The artists from India confirmed for WOMEX 10 Copenhagen:

Desert Slide is the latest project of the Indian slide guitar virtuoso Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. The former student of Ravi Shankar first gained international attention with his 1994 Grammy Award-winning album collaboration with Ry Cooder. And he straddles the cultures in more ways.

 

Desert Slide (source: Womex ’10 – photo by Leraf.com)

It was his love for the characteristics of North American slide Guitar that led him to invent the Mohan veena, a hybrid guitar with 19 strings which is now recognised as a true Indian classical music instrument. Desert Slide (buy CD here) sees him collaborating with the internationally renowned Gypsy musicians of Divana from Rajasthan.

CD Desert Slide (SWM)

The soaring tones of the Mohan veena intertwine with inspirational singing, mellifluous melodies of the kamancheh and ecstatic rhythms of tabla and dholak. A meeting of masters inspired by the vast expanses of the Thar desert. Not to be missed.

 

WOMEX 10 Nordic Club

After the huge success in 2009 the Nordic Club stage is back in 2010. Just as last year the stage will feature artists from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland – running all three Showcase nights. Yes, that means four full nighttime stages plus offWOMEX (to be announced shortly) once again.

WOMEX 10 offWOMEX Programme

For the first time WOMEX will present three national nights on the offWOMEX stage. WOMEX is most happy to have two special nights, highlighting music from Wales and from Québec. And, once again, the third night is presented by Sounds from Spain.

Full details, pictures and links here

(Source: 10/2010 – WOMEX)

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Moderation Script (10/2010): CHANDRA – Moon Ragas (Raga CDs of the Months)

View this document on Scribd

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Raga CDs of the Months (10/10): CHANDRA – Moon Ragas.

Humans in a multiplicity of cultures (Western, Eastern and Asian) award the moon mystic strength. The satellite circles the earth in 29,53 days from full moon to full moon at an averaged distance of 384.401 km. The gravitation of the moon and sun explain the tides ( ebb and flood).

Vedas, Hinduism…

Chandra (Source: metmuseum.org)

Already in the Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद, véda, “knowledge”), in the pre-Christian time of India the moon was referenced to the daily and week calendar. In the Vedas the moon was the divinity Soma, the sap. The moon is thus ruler over all plants and the vegetation. Also Soma determines itself over ‘Monday,’ like it is reflected in the Nava Graha-s (nine planets) :  seven (7) main planets + two (2) shaddow planets (decreasing and increasing moon), see below ‚Indian Astrology’.

In the Hindu self understanding the moon is a planet (Graha) and a divinity as well: Chandra. Chandra means  “shining”. We find this word  for moon in the old scholar language Sanskrit, in Hindu and national languages of different Indian Federal States (Ref.: Beside Chandra exist further names: “master of the night” = Rajanipati; “That, who illuminates the night” = Kshuparaka or “the bright shining drop” = Indu (see below Melakarta system).)

In Hindu mythology the moon personifies same positive as negative characteristics. The Queen of Moon can be as well the Demon of the Moon.

Chandra, the moon, is represented in figurative paintings and sculptures as a beautiful four-armed young man. Chandra drives a chariot nightly over the sky, pulled by 10 white horses or an antelope. (Note: In some  exposures Chandra is illustrated also with a hare as Chandra is the patron  saint of all hares.)

Indian Astrology… Nine Planets (Nava Graha-s)…

The vedic Astrology, the ancient Astrology of India interpreted the moon regarding the human body as brain and intellect. The moon is emotion, abilty of perception, gentleness, imaginative power, queen and mother.

In the Panchangam, the almanac of Hindu Astrology the year is divided into 12 months. The moon movement (Tithi) plays a crucial role (moon calendar “Chaitra “). The month of the moon consists of two halves: the first full moon phase and second new moon phase. The brightly waxing moon is regarded as benedictional and the covered, waning moon is malicious, harmful.

Beside the moon as one of the seven (7) main planets exist two divinities for the waxing and waning moon, so called shadow planets: Rahu symbolizes the waxing and Ketu the waning moon. Rahu & Ketu are demons of large power (see IMC radio show: “Ragas for Nine Planets (Nava Graha-s)“).

6 Seasons…

The time cycle of Indian Ragas or reference to seasons (e.g. spring ragas, monsoon ragas) have direct influence on the human consciousness and its emotional sensation. In Indian classical music one defines six (6) seasonal references, the so called rithu-s. Every rithu refers to one time period which is linked with a special event. Everyone of the six (6) rithu – takes two (2) sun months.

Chakra Svadhisthana (Source: http://www.namaste.it)

The exact beginning of a rithu is calculated from 30 degrees of sun movement with reference point to the equinoxes (day and night) and the summer and winter solstices – in relation to the earth rotation and inclination of the earth.

The season Varsha is assigned to the planet moon and sun. If sun & moon are located in the zodiac signs of Gemini and Cancer it is rainy season in India (Monsoon: 20th May – 20th July). In the Hindu moon calendar Chaitra these are Yeshta and Ashaadha.

The first day “Mahalaya” of the Durga feast, which  is the most important ceremony for Hindus, falls on the new moon day and celebrates the return of the married daughter Durga to her father Himalaya (see IMC radio show:  “Mother Durga – Ma Durga“).

Also the number of Chakras (body, spirit and soul) are twelve. The six lower Chakras are activated by the six seasons. The chakra Manipura is being activated by the bright moon light in the season Sarad Rithu. Manipura is mentioned as the third primary chakra (behind the solar plexus), also named as “the seat of the jewels”. The second chakra Svadhishthana is in relationship with the element water and the moon. Svadhishthana is being activated by moon and monsoon ragas like Raga Megh (see IMC broadcasting: “Ragas in the Indian Monsoon (rainy season ragas)”).

date of broadcasting…
19th October 2010 – 09:00 p.m. (CET)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Ragas of North Indian Classics (Hindustani)…

The mood of the moon and its special atmosphere is recflected in the late evening raga Chandrakosh (or Chandrakauns). Kauns marks this moon raga in the ascending and descending scale as 5 note raga (pentatonic scale). Chandrakauns existed in its old form till the 19th and early 20th century as a popular Raga for  recured melody forms, the Lahara-s (or known as ‘naghma-s’). This moon raga also was selected as an accompanying form for Tabla solos and for dance performances of Kathak (North Indian dance).

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old (left) and new (right) scala form of raga Chandrakauns (source: chandrakantha.com)

The Sarode legend Ali Akbar Khan died at the age of 87 years, on 18 June 2009. This exceptional musician of North Indian Classics created the moon raga Chandranandan. It can be counted as one of the outstanding compositions of Ali Akbar Khan. Chandranandan is a mix of four traditional Ragas: Malkoush, Chandrakauns, Nandakoush and Kaushi Kanada. (see IMC radio show: “Tradition & Modernity – A Tribute to Ali Akbar Khan“.)

Another variant of a moon ragas is ChandraDhwani. A blend between the moon raga Chandrakauns and night raga  Kaushik Dhwani. Both are 5 notes ragas (pentatonic). For Kaushik Dhwani the 2nd pitch Re (Rishabh) and 5th pitch Pa (Pancham) are omitted. All notes are played as “suddha” (natural).

South Indian Classics (Carnatic)… Ragams of Melakarta system…

Same as in Indian Astrology in South Indian Classics (Carnatic) there exist 12 groups (chakras) with each six Ragams. Altogether exist 72 Ragams in the the classification system of Carnatic music, called Melakarta system (see diagram). Ragams are the South Indian form equivalent to the North Indian Ragas. The first group is Indu, beside Chandra a second name for moon. There is only one moon, therefore Indu is the first group, the first Chakra in the Melakarta system. The color red (similar to Chakra Svadhisthana) is assigned to this Melakarta Chakra. Singing of these moon ragas makes the heart feels relieved. We feel the gentleness and pleasant effect of the full moon.

The following diagram shows all Ragams: 1st till 6th Melakarta Ragams (Kanakangi, Ratnangi, Ganamurti, Vanaspati, Manavati and Tanarupi) of the 1st Chakra Indu (Source: allcarnaticmusic.com)

 

Elements of Nature…

polished moon stones (souce: http://www.t-fleece.com)

The element of the moon is water (see above: six seasons – varsha ritu). The moon regulates the months of rain (monsoon) and the water for the harvests while Mercur  prevails over the period of growth and ripeness of fruit and Jupiter over the frosty months, in which leaves fall and the cold season begins. Chandra’s influence appears also in the food. The moon determines the structure of the rice.

In emotional colours the moon is understood as white, metal-silver. In India it is represented by pearls and moon stone which belongs to the group of the feldspars. The moon stone is a mineral variety of the Orthoklas. As genuine gem stone one finds it however very rarely as Cabochon – nearly translucent with tender-bluish gloss. The moon stone’s typical country of origin lies in direct neighborhood to India, on Sri Lanka.

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Chand phir nikla
(movie: Paying Guest – vocalist: Late Mangeshkar – composer: S.D. Burman)

The Moon has came out again but you still not came
My heart is burning. What can I do now?
This night is telling me that those good old days are gone.
My heart is telling me that you are no longer mine.
Even then, I am still waiting with my eyes wide open
(with the hope that someday you will still come back to meet me).
I do not know what to do since thoughts of you come to my mind.
The smoke is coming out of fire burning inside my heart.
I feel choked now, please come back to me.
The shadow from spring has burnt my whole body.
I do not know what to do since thoughts of you come to my mind.

chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla
yeh raat kehti hai woh din gaye tere
yeh jaanta hai dil ke tum nahin mere
khadi hoon main phir bhi nigahein bichaye
main kya karoon haay ke tum yaad aaye
chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla
sulagte seene se dhuaan sa uthtaa hain
lo ab chale aao ke dam ghuthta hain
jala gayi tan ko baharon ke saaye
main kya karoon haay ke tum yaad aaye
chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla

(Source: http://www.hindilyrics.net)

Raga CDs des Monats (10/10): CHANDRA – Mondragas.

In einer Vielzahl westlichernd, östleicher und asiatischer Kulturen sprechen die Menschen dem Mond mystische Kräfte zu. Der Erdtrabant umkreist in einem gemittelten Abstand von 384.401 km die Erde von Vollmond zu Vollmond in 29,53 Tagen. Durch die Gravitation des Mondes und auch die der Sonne erklären sich die Gezeiten von Ebbe und Flut.

Veden, Hinduismus…

Bereits in den Veden (Sanskrit: वेद, véda, “Wissen”), also der vorchristlichen Zeit Indiens, wurde der Mond zu dem Tages-/ Wochenkalender in Bezug gesetzt. In den Veden war der Mond die Gottheit Soma, der Saft aller Pflanzen. Der Mond ist also Herrscher über Pflanzen und Vegetation. Soma bestimmt auch über den Montag, wie es sich in den Nava Grahas, den sieben (7) Hauptplaneten + zwei (2) Schattenplaneten (ab- u. zunehmender Mond) wiederspiegelt (s.u. ‚Indische Astrologie’).

Im hinduistischen Verständnis ist der Mond ein Planet (Graha) und gleichsam eine Gottheit: Chandra. – Chandra, das heisst “scheinend”. Dieses Wort finden wir für Mond in der alten Gelehrtensprache Sanskrit, in Hindu und Landessprachen verschiedener indischen Bundesstaaten. (Hinweis: Neben Chandra sind weitere Namen: “Herr der Nacht” = Rajanipati; “Derjenige, der die Nacht erhellt” = Kshuparaka oder “Der strahlend-leuchtende Tropfen” = Indu (s.u. Melakarta-System).)

Dem Mond werden in der hinduistischen Mythologie gute und gleichsam negative Eigenschaften zugesprochen. Die Königin des Mondes kann gleichsam der Dämon des Mondes sein.

Chandra (Quelle: metmuseum.org)

Chandra, der Mond, wird in bildlichen Darstellungen und Skulpturen als ein schöner, vierarmiger  Jüngling dargestellt. Chandra fährt auf einem Streitwaagen nächtlich über dem Himmel, gezogen von 10 weissen Pferden oder einer Antilope. (Ergänz.: Auf einigen Abbildungen wird Chandra auch mit einem Hasen abgebildet. Chandra ist der Schutzpatron aller Hasen.)

Indische Astrologie… Neun Planeten (Nava Graha-s)…

Die vedische Astrologie, die antike Astrologie Indiens deutete den Mond in Bezug auf den menschlichen Körper als Gehirn und Verstand. Der Mond ist Emotion, Empfindungsfähigkeit, Sanftheit, Vorstellungskraft, Königin und Mutter.

Das Jahr ist im Panchangam, dem Almanach zur hinduistischen Astrologie in 12 Monate eingeteilt. Die Mondbewegung (Tithi) spielt eine entscheidende Rolle (Mondkalender “Chaitra“). Der Monat des Mondes besteht aus zwei Hälften: der ersten Vollmondphase und zweiten Neumondphase. Der zunehmende Mond, hell scheinend wird als segensreich, der abnehmende, verdeckte Mond als bösartig, schädlich angesehen.

Neben dem Mond als einer der sieben (7) Hauptplaneten existieren zwei Gottheiten für den zunehmenden und abnehmenden Mond, s.g. Schattenplaneten: Rahu symbolisiert den zunehmenden und Ketu den abnehmend Mond. Rahu & Ketu sind Dämonen von großer Macht (s. IMC-Sendung: “Ragas fuer Neun Planeten (Nava Graha Kriti-s)“).

Jahreszeiten…

Der Zeitzyklus der indischen Ragas oder der saisonale Bezug haben direkten Einfluß auf das menschliche Bewusstsein und sein Stimmungsempfinden. In der indischen Musik definiert man sechs (6) saisonale Bezüge, die Rithu-s.

Chakra Svadhisthana (Quelle: http://www.namaste.it)

Jede Rithu bezieht sich auf eine Zeitperiode, die mit einem besonderen Ereignis verknüpft ist. Jede der sechs (6) Rithu-s dauert zwei (2) Sonnenmonate.

Der genauen Anfang der Ritus berechnet sich jeweils aus 30 Grad Sonnenbewegung mit Referenzpunkt der Tag- und Nachtgleiche (equinox) bzw. der Sommer- und Wintersonnwenden (summer and winter solstice) – in Relation zur Erdrotation und -neigung.

Den Planeten Mond und Sonne wird die Saison Varsha zugeordnet. Wenn Sonne & Mond im Hause der Sternkreiszeichen Zwillinge und Krebs stehen,  ist in Indien Regenzeit (Monsoon: 20. Mai – 20. Juli). Im hinduistischen Mondkalender  Chaitra sind dies Yeshta und Ashaadha.

Der erste Tag “Mahalaya” des Durga-Festes, dem bedeutendsten Fest der Hindus, fällt auf den Neumondtag und feiert die Rückkehr der verheirateten Tochter Durga zu ihrem Vater Himalaya (s. IMC-Sendung: “Mutter Durga – Ma Durga“).

Auch die Zahl der Körper-, Geist- und Seele-Chakren sind zwölf. Die sechs niederen Chakren werden durch die sechs Jahreszeiten aktiviert. Durch das helle Mondlicht, in der Saison Sarad Rithu, wird das Chakra Manipura aktiviert. Manipura ist das dritte primäre Chakra hinter dem Solarpelxus, auch als “Sitz der Edelsteine” genannt. Auch das zweite Chakra, Svadhishthana steht in Beziehung mit dem Element Wasser und dem Mond, und wird durch Mond- und Monsoonragas wie dem Raga Megh aktiviert (s. IMC-Sendung: “Ragas im indischen Monsoon (Rainy Season Ragas)“).

Sendetermin…
19ter Oktober 2010 – 21:00 Uhr (MESTZ)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Ragas der nordindischen Klassik (Hindustani)…

Das Stimmungsbild des Mondes spiegelt sich in dem Spätnachtraga Chandrakosh (o. Chandrakauns) wieder. Kauns kennzeichnet diesen Mondraga in der auf- und absteigenden Skala als 5-Ton-Raga (pentatonisch). Chandrakauns war schon in seiner alten Form, im 19. Jahrhundert ein beliebter Raga, um  wiederholende Melodieformen, die Lahara-s (o. naghma-s) auszudrücken. Auch für Tablasolos wurde dieser Mondraga als Begleitform gewählt o. für Aufführungen im nordindischen Tanz Kathak.

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alte (links) und neue (rechts) Notenskala von Raga Chandrakauns (Quelle: chandrakantha.com)

Die Sarodlegende Ali Akbar Khan verstarb im Alter von 87 Jahren, am 18. Juni 2009. Dieser Ausnahmemusiker der nordindischen Klassik kreierte den Mondraga Chandranandan. Er kann zu den herausragenden Kompositionen von Ali Akbar Khan gezählt werden. Chandranandan ist eine Kreuzung aus vier (4) traditionellen Ragas: Malkoush, Chandrakauns, Nandakoush u. Kaushi Kanada. (s.a. IMC-Sendung: “Tradition & Moderne – Eine Hommage an Ali Akbar Khan“.)

Eine weitere Variante eines Mondragas ist ChandraDhwani. Ein Zwitter aus dem Mondraga Chandrakauns und Nachtraga Kaushik Dhwani. Beides sind 5-Ton-Ragas (pentatonisch). Bei Kaushik Dhwani entfallen die 2. Stufe Re (Rishabh) und 5. Stufe Pa (Pancham). Alle Noten werden “suddha”, als natürlich gespielt.

Südindische Klassik (Carnatic). Ragams im Melakarta-System…

Wie in der indischen Astrologie, existieren auch im Klassifizierungssystem der südindischen Klassik, im s.g. Melakartasystem, 12 Gruppen (Chakren) mit je sechs Ragams (insgesamt 72 Ragams im s.g. Melakarta-System), der südindischen Ragaform. Die  erste Gruppe ist Indu, neben Chandra ein zweiter Name für Mond. Es gibt nur einen Mond, also ist Indu die erste Gruppe, das erste Chakra im Melakartasystem. Die Farbe Rot ist diesem Chakra zugeordnet. Das Singen dieser Mondragas macht das Herz leicht. Wir empfinden die Sanftheit und wohltuende Wirkung des Vollmonds.

Folgende Übersicht zeigt alles Ragams (1.-6. Melakarta Ragam: Kanakangi, Ratnangi, Ganamurti, Vanaspati, Manavati; u. Tanarupi) des 1. Chakra Indu (Quelle: allcarnaticmusic.com)

Naturelemente…

geschliffener Mondstein (Quelle: http://www.t-fleece.com)

Das Element des Mondes ist Wasser (s.o. Varsha Ritu). Der Mond regelt die Regenmonate und das Wasser für die Ernten, während Merkur die Zeitdauer des Wachstums und der Fruchtreife bestimmt… und Jupiter über die frostigen Monate herrscht, in denen das Laub fällt und die kalte Jahrezeit beginnt. Chandra’s Einfluß findet sich auch in der Nahrung wieder. Der Mond bestimmt die Struktur des Reises.

In dem farblichen Stimmung wird der Mond als weiss, metallig-silbern verstanden. In Indien wird er durch Perlen und den Mondstein repräsentiert.  Er gehört zur Gruppe der Feldspate. Der Mondstein ist eine Mineral-Varietät des  Orthoklas. Als echten Schmuckstein findet man ihn  als Cabochon jedoch sehr selten – fast transparent mit zart-bläulichem Glanze. Das typische Herkunftslgebiet des Mondsteins liegt in direkter Nachbarschaft zu Indien, auf Sri Lanka.

———————————

Chand phir nikla
(Film: Paying Guest – Sängerin: Late Mangeshkar – Komponist: S.D. Burman)

The Moon has came out again but you still not came
My heart is burning. What can I do now?
This night is telling me that those good old days are gone.
My heart is telling me that you are no longer mine.
Even then, I am still waiting with my eyes wide open
(with the hope that someday you will still come back to meet me).
I do not know what to do since thoughts of you come to my mind.
The smoke is coming out of fire burning inside my heart.
I feel choked now, please come back to me.
The shadow from spring has burnt my whole body.
I do not know what to do since thoughts of you come to my mind.

chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla
yeh raat kehti hai woh din gaye tere
yeh jaanta hai dil ke tum nahin mere
khadi hoon main phir bhi nigahein bichaye
main kya karoon haay ke tum yaad aaye
chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla
sulagte seene se dhuaan sa uthtaa hain
lo ab chale aao ke dam ghuthta hain
jala gayi tan ko baharon ke saaye
main kya karoon haay ke tum yaad aaye
chaand phir nikla magar tum na aaye
jala phir mera dil karoon kya main haay
chaand phir nikla

(Source: http://www.hindilyrics.net)