Chapter 6Indian Music: South India

(& some North?)

Brief History

2500-1700 BCE—Indus Valley cities3rd century BCE—countless kingdoms and emperors such as the Buddhist Asokac. 1400-1800 CE—Mogulsc. 1600-1947 CE—three centuries of British colonialism

Hinduism

“the dominant religion of India.” Caste: “one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes.”

Islam

Moslems “belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet.”About 10%

Palimpsest

“a manuscript parchment written on again and again in which everything written before is never fully erased. Everything written before is somehow still there, visible and readable . . .”Similarly in Indian culture old traditions persist and “coexist with the new and innovative . . .” (compare with China and Japan)

History, Culture, Politicsone billion people—a fifth of the world’s populationan area one-third the size of the United StatesFifteen major languagesMore than Five Thousand years of history

Regions

Hindustani -- NorthMoslem concentrationHindus Valley

Carnatic -- SouthHindu concentrationCarnatic Plains

The Taj Mahal

English Influence

railwaysdemocratic systems of governmentbureaucracyuniversitiesEuropean musical instruments

European musical instruments

“While Indians adapted European musical instruments to their musical styles, they did not adopt European musical styles.”

violinclarinetpianosaxophone GuitarMandolin

Traditional literature

two Sanskrit epics between 400 B.C.E. and 400 C.E.”

RamayanaMahabharata

In Carnatic music many song texts refer to events in these epics.

Important religious worksThe four Vedas UpanishadsPuranas

Music of India

Pop musicDevotional songClassical music

Cine Music

Indian popular musicA blend of East and West Sometimes reminiscent of early rock and roll “Anything goes”“Engal Kalyanam (CD II:20)

Hindustani and Carnatic MusicSimilarities ragas talas

DifferencesThe Hindustani north -- expansive improvisations Carnatic south -- pre-composed devotional songs

Raga

“that which colors the mind and the heart” a collection of notes, a scale, intonation, ornaments, pillar tones a precise melody form sa ri ga ma pa da ni (sa)

Talaregularly recurring metric cycles consisting of groups of beats.Beat groupings are usually uneven (i.e., 3+2+2; 4+3; 1+2)

veena

plucked string instrument with seven stringsthree drone strings and four playing strings (for playing melodies).

Mridangam

double-headed, barrel-shaped drum.

Sruti-box and tambura

The Carnatic texture

Melody Layervocalist(s)/instrumentalist (veena)

Drone Layersustained (continuously sounding) central tonetambura or sruti box

Rhythm Layer (percussion)mridangam—multi-timbral, double-headedtala

bhajan

devotional songsung by a soloist with accompanying instruments

or by a vocal group in a call-and–response manner “Devi Niye Tunai” (CD II:21)Tala accents p. 255

chinna melan

“small band,” an ensemble of two or more A chinna melam is likely to be performed at any auspicious occasion, for example, at temple worship, weddings, the opening a new store, and so on.

Chinna Melam instruments

nagasvaram double-reed pipes,tavil drums and sruti-box drone

Karnataka Sangeeta

Classical Music of South India

in English simply Carnatic music. It is named after the Carnatic plateau

Transmission

oral tradition passed down by memory. The music is to nudge the memory.no definitive version of the music exists. musical renditions may become highly variable

CD III:1 “Sarasiruha” (“To the Goddess Saraswati”)

Kriti in Natai raga and Adi tala. Performed by veena and mridangam.

Sarasiruha

0:00-3:15 Alapana “free-flowing exposition and exploration of the raga

absence of meterdrone sustains tonal center and the tone a fifth above tonal center

3:20-8:15 Tanam“strong sense of beat.”improvised melody continues

Sarasiruha

8:25-15:45 Kriti “Sarasiruha”“centerpiece” of the performance

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.”

Sarasiruha

15:45-18:05 Kalpana Svaras mridangam continues to accompanymelody played on the veena

18:06-22:20 The Drum Solo: Tani Avartanam

A long and complex improvised drum solo played on the mridangam accompanied only by the drone being played on the drone strings of the veena

22:04

North India

Tabla = drumSitar = descendent of veena

Tabla

Zakir Hussain, master tabla player

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Ravi Shankar

virtuoso sitar player1960s concerts brought him superstar status in Europe, the United States and India.

Indian Influences

The BeatlesMinimalism (Philip Glass et al)Pieces of EastDavid Amram Ballet (Chakra)

Chakra, David Amram

Jhaptal Tala (2+3+2+3)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

X X X X X X

Combined Result

(Raga transposed to G in Oboe Part)

Pieces of East