IMC OnAir’s monatliche Sendung im September u. Oktober @ Radio RaSA (Schweiz) befassen sich mit den zehn wesentlichen Alankar-s. Die Alankara-s können in ihrem Charakter in vier Haupttypen (m. 10 Charakteren) gruppiert werden.
Der indische Begriff Alankar oder Alankara stammt aus dem Sanskrit, der alten Wisschenschaftssprache Indiens. Die Bedeutung ist vielfältig: Schmuck (jewelry),literarische Ausschmückung oder Dekoration. Als Sabda-Alankara wird die Ornamentierung durch Klang, der dekorative Gebrauch von Klang oder von schmückenden Wörtern bezeichnet. Die letzte vor ca. 100-150 Jahren geordnete Klassifizierung in der indischen Klassik war auch als Shabdalankar bekannt.
S e n d e t e r m i n e …
Teil 2 – 8. Oktober 2012 – 22:00 Uhr MESTZ (04:00 pm EST) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
Teil 1 – 24. September 2012 – 22:00 Uhr MESTZ (04:00 pm EST) @ Radio RaSA (CH) (Premiere: 17. August/21. Sept. 2009 – 22:00 Uhr @ TIDE Radio) broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast
Im Vergleich zu der früheren Klassifizierung Shabdalankar, in der die indischen Musikschulen, die Gharana-s erhebliche Unterschiede aufwiesen, reduziert sich die in unserer heutigen Zeit gebräuchliche Clusterung (10 Charaktere) auf die Behandlung der Noten, der swara-s. Es sind:
1. Asthai Alankar – die Rückkehr zur Anfangsnote,
2. Arohi Alankar – eine Notensequenz in der aufsteigenden Skala,
3. Amrohi Alankar – eine Notensequenz in der absteigenden Skala und
4. Sanchari Alankar als eine Kombination der Typen 1-3.
In der barocken Zeit der westlichen Klassik diente die Ornamentik zur Ausschmückung der Melodielinien. Der Gesangsinterpret improvisierte mit der Ornamentierung, wie wir es noch heute in der irischen Musiktradition wiederfinden. Die indischen Noten sind “nicht statisch”; kürzer gespielte Staccato-Noten (im Italienischen bedeutet staccare “abreißen”) oder einzelne für sich gespielte Noten sind nicht hörbar.
4 examples of Alankara-s (Source: Sitar Technique in Nibaddh Forms (written by Stephen Slawek, 1987))
Die Swara-s stehen in ständiger Verbindung zueinander. Jede Note ist verknüpft mit der Vorherigen und Nachfolgenden. Solche Vorschlagsnoten (“grace notes“) – Kan-Swara-s – sind die Grundlage für jede Form der Ornamentik, den Alankara-s. Die Alankara-s sind der Kern für die Entfaltung und Schönheit eines Ragas.
Der früheste Bezug zu diesem Begriff findet sich mit 33 Alankars in dem Natyashastra, ein Grundlagenwerk des Weisen “Bharata” zu den darstellenden Künsten des antiken Indiens. Die Schrift wird zwischen 200 vor Christus und etwas 100 nach Christi Geburt datiert. Weitere bedeutende Abhandlungen zur Klassifizierung der Alankars sind das Sangeet Ratnakarvon Sharangdev im 13. Jahrhundert und das Sangeet Parijatvon Ahobal im 17. Jahrhundert, in denen 63 bzw. 68 Typen von Alankars beschrieben werden.
IMC OnAir’s monthly radio show in October 2012 – being broadcasted in Switzerland (@ Radio RaSA) and worldwide as webradio – are concerning with part 2/2 of Alankar-s. The Alankara-s can be grouped in four main types (with 10 different characters).
The Indian term Alankar or Alankara originates from Sanskrit, the old science language of India. The meaning is various: decoration (jewelry), literary embellishment or decoration. As Sabda Alankara it designates as ornaments by sound, decorative use of sound or use of decorating words. The last classification in Indian Classics before approx. 100-150 years was known also as Shabdalankar.
dates of broadcasting…
part 2 – 8th Oct 2012 – 04:00 pm EST (10:00 p.m. CET) @ Radio RaSA (CH) part 1 – 24th Sept 2012 – 04:00 pm EST (10:00 p.m. CET) @ Radio RaSA (CH) (premiere: 17th August/21st Sept 2009 (10:00 pm CET) @ TIDE Radio) broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast
Compared with the earlier classification Shabdalankar, in that the Indian schools of music (Gharana-s) exhibited substantial differences. In our current times it is reduced as common clustering to the treatment of the Indian notes, the swara-s. There is:
1. Asthai Alankar – the return to the initial note,
2. Arohi Alankar – a note sequence in the ascending scale,
3. Amrohi Alankar – a note sequence in the descending scale and
4. Sanchari Alankar as a combination of type 1-3.
In the baroque area of Western classics the ornaments served mainly for the decoration of melody lines. Vocalists improvised with the ornaments like we know it till this day from the Irish music tradition. Indian notes are “not static”, here briefly played Staccato notes (in Italian staccare means “tears off”) or single notes played “stand alone” are not audible.
4 examples of Alankara-s (Source: Sitar Technique in Nibaddh Forms (written by Stephen Slawek, 1987))
The Swara-s are located in constant connection to each other. Each note is linked with the previous one and following. Such ”grace notes“ – Kan-Swara-s – are the basis for each form of ornaments, the Alankara-s. They are the core for the development and beauty of Ragas.
The earliest reference to this term can be found in the Natyashastra with 33 Alankars, an elementar work to the visual arts of acient India written by the sage “Bharata”. It is dated between 200 BC and 200 AC. Further important treatises for the classification of the Alankars are the Sangeet Ratnakar of Sharangdev in 13th century and the Sangeet Parijat of Ahobal in 17th Century, in which 63 and 68 types of Alankars are described.
On Friday the 5th of October Pandit Jashwantbuwa Buwa Joshi, one of the last great masters of a bygone era, passed away.
Yashwant Buwa Joshi – “The basic requirement of music is a magical quality called “Rang”
Yashwant Buwa spoke to Deepak Raja on June 5, 2003.
I was born and brought up in Pune. My father operated a couple of cabs in the city. He was untrained in music, but had a lovely voice and sang devotional songs very well. That is all I can claim by way of a family background in music. It was my uncle, Govardhan Buwa Naik, who was responsible for pushing me in this direction. He was an alumnus of the first batch (1901) of Vishnu Digambar’s Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (Music College) in Lahore under a nine-year apprenticeship in music. The only explanation for his having gone there was that lodging, boarding, and training were free. That was my grandfather’s way of ensuring that his family could survive on his income. Govardhan Buwa could not sing, but became a competent player on the Harmonium, Tabla and Dilruba (a short-necked, fretted, lute of the bowed variety). So, after graduating, he started a music school in Bombay. Because he had no children, he was keen that I should train as a musician and take over its management after him.
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At my sacred thread ceremony, which took place when I was nine, my uncle invited the famous vocalist, Mirashi Buwa (Yashwant Sadashiv Mirashi). My uncle’s Guru, Vishnu Digambar, and Mirashi Buwa had studied together under Balkrishna Buwa Ichalkaranjikar. My uncle and Mirashi Buwa thus belonged to a close-knit gharana fraternity. Mirashi Buwa had just moved to Pune from Nashik, after serving a leading theatre company for 24 years. Over lunch, my uncle requested the stalwart to teach me, and he agreed. This is how it started. Every single day, after returning from school, I would go to Mirashi Buwa’s house and learn music. As luck would have it, my uncle died within a year of my starting music lessons. There was no longer a ready business awaiting me. But, I continued studying music.
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The relationship was in the traditional mould, the only difference being that I continued to live with my parents. I paid no fees, and spent all my time – other than school – with my Guru. Initially, the teaching was by the “direct method” – reproducing what the Guru sings. No questions were to be asked. No logic was to be understood. Despite this, within five years, I found myself so intoxicated with music that I could no longer concentrate on my studies. So, four years short of graduation, I quit school in favour of music.
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Making a living
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My training with Mirashi Buwa continued for 12 years. By this time, I was 21, and had to start making a living. Music was all I knew. Those were difficult days for musicians, particularly in Pune. I spent a whole year contemplating my course of action. My childhood friend, and neighbour from Pune, Ram Marathe, was by now in Bombay, making some headway as a professional singer. So, in 1950, I decided to take on the world with his helping hand. Though I had no experience, the only path open to me was teaching music. Fees were poor in those days. Each student would pay Rs. 10 or 15 per month. With great difficulty, I earned about Rs. 50 a month. But, living was cheap – my monthly food bill was Rs. 30 — I managed. Though I did not ultimately inherit a music school, teaching was evidently my destiny anyway. For over 50 years now, I have been teaching. I must have, by now, taught over 125 students. Several have become successful vocalists. Some are just making a living as music teachers. Some pursue other professions and enjoy music as a hobby. And, many have merged into the faceless audience of Hindustani music.
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Moving to Bombay widened my horizons. Soon after I moved, Jagannath Buwa Purohit moved into our locality. I was greatly attracted to his style. So, I studied with him for about six years. In the same spirit, I studied with KG Ginde, SCR Bhat, Nivrutti Buwa Sarnaik, Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar, Mallikarjun Mansoor, and the Natyasangeet singer, Chhota Gandharva. In my childhood, I had heard Ramkrishna Buwa Vaze, and his style had made a deep impact on me. So, in my singing, you will find the glimpses of each of these stalwarts.
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The philosophy of music
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I am conservative, but not orthodox. I have a strong foundation laid in the Gwalior style. But, I was never a prisoner of the
gharana. I sought out every musician whose style attracted me, and learnt from him what I could. Jagannath Buwa often told me that the basic requirement of music is that magical quality called “Rang” (literally: colour). As a quality in music, “Rang” transcends considerations of voice quality, grammar and communication of rasa (emotional content). Public appeal is not my yardstick for validating my music. I will not sacrifice the dignity of my art to charm audiences. I will not, for instance, make a Thumree out of a Khayal, or start singing with my body. But, an artist cannot be a mere scientist. If he wants to command an audience and also command respect, he has to strike the tricky balance between the sanctity of art and the listening pleasure of audiences. If he cannot do this, he can remain a teacher.
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My recordings have been in the market for several years. I have been performing on the radio since 1946, and also broadcast two National Programmes over All India Radio. And, for a long time, nobody noticed. In the last ten years, people suddenly realised that Yashwant Buwa can also sing. Today, I have admirers not only in our home state of Maharashtra, but also in Calcutta, Delhi and a few other cities. Several institutions have bestowed honours on me for my services as a teacher and performer. At 75, I can still hold an audience for two hours. I have no regrets. But, had recognition come when I was younger, people would have heard better music from me.
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The pursuit of music – then and now
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Our times were tough. The status of musicians in society was low. There was no support for music either from government or from private benefactors or institutions. There was no ‘career’ in music, except for the greatest. Audiences were small. The Guru was the only source of musical inputs for students. There was radio, and there was the gramophone; but not many people could afford either. There were concerts; but mainly for invited audiences.
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To begin with, finding a Guru was tough. We did not pay fees, but rendered all manner of services in lieu of training. The relationship was totally one-sided, and often oppressive. He taught the way he wanted to, and there was no appeal against it. There was no notation, no possibility of recording training sessions, no grammar, no logic. You could encounter musicians who could sing a raga very well, but go blank if you asked them the scale of the raga. Learning was primarily by reproducing what the Guru sang. From studying music, to making a career, it was struggle, struggle, and struggle. The positive aspect of this was that, because of the price they had paid for their success, the survivors conducted themselves, and practiced their art, with dignity. They treated that passage between the stage and the audiences as sacred.
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The situation today is exactly the reverse. Anyone can learn music if he can afford it. Good Gurus are, of course, more scarce than they were in our times, and locating them can take a lot of trial and error. Recorded music is so accessible that it is possible to become a reasonable vocalist even without a Guru. The relationship between the Guru and his disciple is now a commercial one. A student can demand an explanation of the logic and get it. He can record training sessions for revision. Career opportunities are plenty, and the money is good for the successful. Society, government, and institutions encourage music.
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Most important is the emergence of a market, with audiences willing to pay for music. For creating a substantial class of connoisseurs, we have to thank the educational efforts of the two giants, Bhatkhande and Vishnu Digambar, and their followers. Glamour and money have now made music a rat race that everyone with half a chance wants to join. The journey is still tough. But, it is a struggle, which takes the dignity of the art as its first casualty. It makes art cross the frontier between the musician and the audience to plunge into pockets. And, yes, many bright kids now get money and fame ahead of maturity, get bloated heads, stagnate, and fall by the wayside. The demands of success are changing, as they inevitably will. Despite these anxieties, I am optimistic about Hindustani music for several reasons – today’s kids are intelligent and talented, studying music is no longer difficult, and there are ample opportunities for building a career in it.
“Yashwantbua Joshi, now 76 ( in 2004), is one of the leading exponents of the khayal gayaki of Gwalior and Agra gharanas. Yaswantbua had extensive training in Pune from Pt. Mirashibua. Around 1950, he moved to Bombay where he came under the tutelage of Pt. Jagannathbua Purohit “Gunidas”. He was also influenced by the gayaki of stalwarts such as Gajananbua Joshi and Chhota Gandharva.
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His gayaki combines the romanticism of swara with the discipline of laya, making his mehfils unparalleled in quality. He is an old-school artist at heart, preferring the Tilwada or Jhumra (not the ati-vilambit kind) for his khayals. The khayal is usually followed by multiple bandishes (or, rarely, taranas) in the same raag. The khayal presentations are full and leisurely. The badhat and the chhota khayals are peppered with a variety of taans and very sophisticated layakari. He has a huge repertoire of bandishes, from which he summons the choicest of compositions and presents them with panache. While his concerts are dominated by khayal, he also enjoys singing the occassional natyageet or bhajan.
Yashwantbua has been honoured with a number of awards, including the Maharashtra Government Gaurav Puraskar in 1993 and, most recently, the Sangeet Natak Academy Award.”
“Yashwant Buwa Joshi (born: 1927) is an unusual musician who has spent most of his adult life as a modest teacher, and gained recognition as a performer only after the age of sixty. Yashwant Buwa’s career has flowered (“Buwa” is a suffix commonly used in Maharashtra to signify a respected, elderly gentleman) in the sunset years of his life, thanks to the incredible vitality of his performances which have earned him nationwide popularity, and the growing rarity of his brand of music. He has performed on All India Radio since 1946, and currently occupies the top grade amongst empanelled musicians. Since the mid-1990s, he has also established a substantial presence in the commercial recordings market and collected his share of honours.
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Joshi studied first with Mirashi Buwa (Yashwant Sadashiv Mirashi) of the Gwalior tradition, and switched thereafter to the Agra style (Jaganatbuwa Purohit). The switch did not, evidently, quench his thirst for musical ideas. He therefore went on to study with several other vocalists (KG Ginde, SCR Bhat, Nivrutti Buwa Sarnaik, Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar, Mallikarjun Mansoor, and the Natyasangeet singer, Chhota Gandharva), representing an eclectic mix of styles. Today, he is respected as the last surviving pioneer of the Gwalior-Agra stylistic confluence in khayal vocalism.”
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