Indian Rhythms for frame drummer in Europe: Kanjira workshop with Ganesh Kumar (5th-8th Aug 2015)

The 10th edition of “Tamburi – Mundi Festival” (Drum Festival) in  South Germany, Freiburg is announcing Ganesh Kumar from India who will give a workshop for Kanjira (South Indian Hand frame drum) & Konnakkol (vocal classes).

Ganesh Kumar (India)

Workshop Date: August 5th – 8th, 2015

• 9 –   9:45 h   Warm up
• 10 -13:00 h  Kanjira Medium with Ganesh Kumar (Wed-Sat)
• 15 – 15:45 h   Short lectures with different lecturers (Wed-Fri)
• 16 – 17:30 h   Workshops (Wed-Fri)

Instruments: Kanjira and other frame drums

Course content: Ganesh Kumar’s course includes the expansion of the basic drumming technologies on the South Indian frame drum Kanjira. Primary emphasis will be placed on the split-hand-technique, phrasing and modulating different sounds. South Indian rhythms and compositions will also be introduced.

Ganesh Kumar also teaches the vocal percussion “Konnakol” and shows how to play  Mridangam (double headed drum of South India) and Morsing (mukharshanku).

For those among the participants playing other frame drums, there will be shown facilities to transfer the Indian rhythms onto their respective frame drums.

Level: Medium (good playing experience on kanjira or other frame drums)

! Registration opens now ! – Visit www.TamburiMundi.com

Formation of Tamburi Mundi e.V.

Since the end of the 90s, the internationally recognized percussionist Murat Coskun has endeavoured to spread and develop a wide variety of frame drum traditions of many different cultures with big commitment and idealism. His goal was to establish a festival in which frame drummers from the most diverse cultural groups come together and combine to form a common exchange. He came one big step closer in 2006, as he brought the “1st international festival for frame drums” to life called “Tamburi Mundi”, which would establish itself in the course of its existence as one of the most important platforms to support frame drum culture world-wide.
Tamburi Mundi created an international network of musicians, institutions, colleges, museums, as well as international cultural organizations and facilities and since then promotes the exchange of musicians in conversations, concerts, workshops and in the development and formation of common projects. With “Tamburi Mundi International”, “guest performances” were also done since 2008 in the festivals in Iran and Italy. In order to master the existing and further accumulating tasks with joint strength, the organization Tamburi Mundi e.V. was called into life in 2009.

( Source: 03/2015 – http://www.tamburimundi.com )

An ultimate frame drum “Kanjira” by Ganesh Kumar

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CH – Raga CDs des Monats (03/2015): Grama – Musikskalen des antiken Indiens.

Die Förderinitiative IMC – India meets Classic präsentiert im März @ Radio RaSA (und weltweit als webradio): “Raga CDs des Monats: Grama – Musikskalen des antiken Indiens”.

– Ragamala (Miniaturmalerei) – Die Legende besagt, dass Tansen mit dem Raga Deepak Feuer entzündete.	... Das antike Raga-Ragini System (16. Jahrhundert) bestand aus 132 Ragaskalen, mit 6 männlichen Ragas: Bhairav, Deepak, Malkauns, Hindol, Shree und Megh. Jedem männl. Raga werden 5 weibliche Ragas (Ragini-s) zugeordnet. Jede Raga-Ragini Gruppe besitzt 8 Kinder (raga Putras (Jungen) and raga Vadhus (Mädchen)).
Indische Rajput Miniaturmalerei (Mewar style) – Wasserzeichnung mit reinem Gold auf Baumwolle (Quelle: © Art of Legend India)

Die sieben Hauptnoten (oder Swars) der uns heute bekannten Ragaskalen in der indischen Klassik Nord- und Südindiens sind Sa (Shadaja), Re (Rishabh), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyama), Pa (Pancham), Dha (Dhaivat)und Ni (Nishad).

Sendetermine…

23. März 2015 – 22:00 Uhr CET (04:00 pm EST) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
(Premiere: 16ter Februar 2010 – 21:00 Uhr CET @ Tide Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Shadaja, Madhyama und Gandhar Gramas

Ihren Ursprung und die mikrotonale Struktur (22 shruti-s) der Ragas kann man zurückdatieren auf die ersten Schriftwerke des antike Indiens und das vedische Zeitalter (500-600 v. Christi Geburt).

Im Natya Sastra, einer musikalischen Abhandlung zu den darstellenden Künsten (Theater, Tanz und Musik) , das von dem Weisen und indischen Musikwissenschaftler Bharata Muni geschrieben wurde, finden wir erste Hinweise auf zwei Skalentypen (grama-s), auf denen noch heute alle Ragas beruhen: Shadja Grama u. Madhyama Grama.

Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation *

Die Entstehung des Natya Sastra wird datiert auf ca. 200 v. Chr. – 200 n. Chr.  Angesichts seiner Bedeutung für die darstellenden Künste Indiens bis in unsere Zeit wird es als das 5. Vedische Buch angesehen (Veda im Sanskrit bedeutet ‘Wissen’). Bharata Muni nahm in seiner Arbeit bezug auf die Ghandarvaveda, eine Abhandlung über Musik, Tanz und das Theater und Bestandteil der Upaveda, ein technisches Manual der Samaveda. Diese Sammlung von Hymnen ist das 2. Buch der Hindu Skripte und gehört zu den ersten vier vedischen Büchern. 75 der Melodien (samagana) in der Samaveda leiten sich aus der Rigveda ab, gleichfalls eine Kollektion von Hymnen, die von Priestern der vedischen Religion zur Lobpreisung der Gottheiten gesungen wurden.  Die Entstehung der  Rigveda wird zwischen 1700 und 1100 vor Christi Geburt datiert.
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*) Notation in ‘The Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation’ (Wolfang v. Schweinitz – 16.02.2007) /
microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz (2004/2005) / Just Intonation (JI) of Indian Scales (@ Wikipedia)

CH – Raga CDs of the Months (03/2015): Grama – Music Scales of the Ancient India

The promotion initiative IMC – India meets Classic presents in March 2015 @ Radio RaSA (and worldwide as webradio): “Raga CD of the Months: Grama – music scales of the ancient India“.

– Ragamala painting – the legend says sung by Tansen Raga Deepak created fire.	. . . .The ancient Raga-Ragini system (16th century) existed of 132 raga scales, with six male Ragas: Bhairav, Deepak, Malkauns, Hindol, Shree and Megh. Each male raga is linked with 5 female ragas (Ragini-s). Each Raga-Ragini group has eight children (raga Putras (boys) and raga Vadhus (girls)).
Indian Rajput Miniature art painting (Mewar style) – Water color with Pure gold on cotton canvass (picture source: © Art of Legend India)

The seven main notes (or Swars) that are well-known today for the Raga scales in Indian classics of North and South India are: Sa (Shadaja), Re (Rishabh), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyama), Pa (Pancham), Dha (Dhaivat) and Ni (Nishad).

dates of broadcasting…

23rd March 2015 – 04:00 pm EST (10:00 pm CET) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
(premiere: 16th February 2010 – 09:00 p.m. CET @ Tide Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Shadaja, Madhyama and Gandhar Gramas

The origin of the Ragas and it’s microtonal structure (22 shruti-s) can be dated back to the scripts of the ancient India and the Vedas (600-500 BC).

In the Natya Sastra, a musical treatise about the performing arts (theatres, dance and music) written by the Indian musicologist and sage Bharata Muni we find first references with two basic types of scales (grama-s) to which all Ragas of today can be referenced: Shadja Grama and Madhyama Grama.

Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation *

The accomplishment of the Natya Sastra is dated approximately between 200 BC and 200 AC. By its fundamental treatise of performing Indian arts till nowadays it is called the 5th Vedic book (Veda in Sanskrit means ‘knowledge’). Bharata Muni referred herefore to the Ghandarvaveda, a treatise about music, dance and theatre as part of the Upaveda, the technical manual of the Samaveda. This collection of hymnes is the 2nd book of the Hindu scripts and part of the 1st 4 Vedic books. 75 of the melodies (samagana) in the Samaveda derivate from the Rigveda, same a collection of hymnes sung by the priests of Vedic religion for praising different deities. The Rigveda is dated aproximately between 1700-1100 BC.

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*) Notation in ‘The Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation’ (Wolfang v. Schweinitz – 16.02.2007) /
microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz (2004/2005) / Just Intonation (JI) of Indian Scales (@ Wikipedia)