presents svs emagazine...gandharva, or swami haridas’ supreme confidence in his true disciple mian...

25th July 2016 Sangeet Vikas Sabha, Pune 0

Sangeet Vikas Sabha, Pune

Presents

SVS eMagazine 25th July, 2016


Contents

1. From the Editor’s Desk – Manasi Joshi-Singh

2. Quote - Shloka – Sonali Dandekar-Tambe

3. Rediscovering Veenatai Sahasrabuddhe – An

Exemplary Artist of Paluskar Tradition – Anjali

Malkar

4. Aakruti & Prakruti – Form and Nature of Ragas –

Seemantini Satre

5. Monologue – Poem by Charuhas Damle

6. Tappa Style of Music & its Evolution – A Workshop

– Event Review – Rasika Ekbote

7. Sangeet Ratnakar by Sharangdeva – Book Review –

Sameer Bildikar

8. Raga Conversation

9. FAQs about SVS eMagazine


From the Editor’s Desk

Greetings Friends and Music Enthusiasts!

“अज्ञानतितिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया।

चक्षरुुन्िीतलिं येन िस्िै श्रीगुरवे निः॥३४॥

Ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāñjanaśalākayā|

Cakṣurunmīlitam yena tasmai śrīgurave

namaḥ||34||”

Salutation to that venerable Guru, who,

through the pencil, by applying the collyrium

(eye-salve) of knowledge, opens the eye of

wisdom that had been blinded due to the

darkness of ignorance.

- Shri Guru Gita

Spanning over 4000 years of human

existence and pursuit, the wisdom of seers and

sages has provided the guiding light towards

evolution of the great Indian land. In turn, India,

has rightfully elevated to the highest pedestal, the

one who, time and again, has shown the way to

this light of divine self-realization, the Guru.

“Gu” means “darkness/ignorance” and

“Ru” means “destruction of darkness”. The

Guru is a phenomenal role across multiple

realms of the life-path. Not mistaken to be

merely an instructor, Guru is the one who

purifies and literally moulds the disciple,

transforming the entire personality inside-

out, thus liberating them. We are indeed

fortunate to find such impeccable qualities

in none other than our own revered Guru.

Guru, then, is considered no less than God by

their ardent devotees!

It is only befitting to acknowledge and

celebrate this esteemed role model in one’s life.

In India, every opportune moment is a

celebration, a symbol of valuing what we have in

every fleeting tide. It is also a way to express

humility, and seek blessings, so that we may

become capable and attuned to receive

more.

At the helm of the special Guru

Pournima this month, we begin with a glimpse

into the origin and significance of this festival,

and a thought-starter on its apparent

transformation. On occasion, we invite you to

come partake in the sweet offering of SVS

eMagazine.

Guru Pournima is celebrated in the

month of Aashadh (June/July), aligning with the

brightest full moon! So, how did it begin? This

day was originally dedicated to, and

earmarks the birth day of the author of the

epic Mahabharata, also believed to be the

compiler of the Vedas, none other than, the

great Maharishi Ved Vyaasa, who is

considered the greatest Guru of all times.

In the world of Indian Arts, Guru

Pournima bears a very special place. It goes back

to the Guru-Shishya Parampara (Guru-

Disciple Tradition), the primary means of

education in the olden days. The student

(Shishya) would spend years at the Gurukul

(home of the Guru), learning, absorbing, honing

their skills, preparing for the real world.

Classical Music Gharanas also embodied

this practice, so that their art would pass on

effectively, and their disciples would mature into

the best performers and artists.


The bond was formalized by a ceremony

called “Ganda-Bandhan” (thread-tying). The

disciple who sought the guidance, would

perform a holy Puja ritual, honoring the

esteemed Guru akin Gods themselves, with

offering of coconut, shawl, flowers, incense,

washing their feet, applying a vermilion Tilak

(mark) on the forehead, Bhog (sweet offering)

and a Guru-Dakshina (honorary monetary

token), with a request for acceptance. Signifying

so, an auspicious thread would be secured

around the disciple’s wrist, by the Guru. In

the spontaneous spirit of deepest spiritual

reverence and joy, the disciple would bow down

at their feet in prostration (Paad-Sparsh), and the

lessons would begin.

As the auspicious occasion of Guru

Pournima arrived each year presenting a renewed

opportunity to seek affirmation of the Guru’s

hand upon the head, it would bear testimony to

the unbreakable bond for senior disciples, and

even perhaps a chance to perform in front of the

Guru, only if the disciple was deemed ready.

Such practice still continues to be observed by

many Gurukuls and music schools today.

Nowadays the groups of disciples even organize

a grand public concert on occasion,

felicitating the Guru, and honoring the

relationship in the presence of an extended

audience, and well-wishers alike.

What is interesting to note is, that, what

was initiated with the best intent at heart, to

safeguard respect for the sacred art and

relationship, undeniably has morphed into

diverse practices. Amidst fast-paced lives,

changing expectations, and overwhelming

electronic resources to browse at fingertips,

the practice of this noble tradition is seen shaping

even undesirably in some areas.

Whether it is the flippant attitude of lay

learners to mistakenly seek multiple instructors

in an attempt to gain more, without the

differentiator of the Guru, rote learning from

records using the Guru’s name to endorse, using

the art itself as a stepping stone to pursue

mediocrity, or even undeserved favoritism…

Whether it is excessive insistence of the Guru to

adhere to unreasonable rituals, discouraging a

thinking-questioning attitude, not enough

attention dis-allowing progress of the disciple, or

even lack of adaptation to the changing

environment…

Efforts are in order, to treasure such a

delicate, fragile, yet noble connection. A bond

that has the ability to transcend the mundane, nay

lifetimes, to inspire larger-than-life potential to

manifest icons such as Bharat Ratna Pandit

Bhimsen Joshi, his infinite search and

unblemished love for his Guru Sawai

Gandharva, or Swami Haridas’ supreme

confidence in his true disciple Mian Tansen,

one of the greatest contributors to the art!

On this Guru Pournima, we bring yet

another potpourri of articles & poems, so that

you may be drawn into the garden of musical

thought, whilst reminiscing your own special

Guru connection. As always, your candid

feedback will keep us motivated to bring better,

improved content each month.

Last but not the least, this month of July,

we would like to extend heartfelt wishes for a

very happy Birthday to Guru ji, Dr. Vikas

Kashalkar. May he be blessed with a long life

and continue to inspire us!

Concluding with strains from a bandish in Raga

Marwa,

“गुरुतिन ग्यान कहााँ, िन िूरख सोंच काहे पछिावे...

Knowledge cannot come without the Guru,

O ignorant one, why do you indulge in

endless thought only to repent?

Thank You

Manasi Joshi-Singh


QUOTE - SHLOKA

~Brihaddeshi by Matanga Muni

न नादेन तवना गीिि ्न नादेन तवना स्वरः

न नादेन तवना नृत्यि ्िस्िान्नादान्िकं जगि।्

नादरुपः स्िृिो ब्रम्हा नादरुपो जनाददनः

नादरुपा पराशतिनादद रुपो िहेश्वरः॥

Na naaden vina geetam na naaden vina swaraha

Na naaden vina nrutyam tasmaannadanmakam

Naadaroopah smruto Brahma naadroopo Janardanaha

Naadroopa Parashaktirnaad roopo Maheshwaraha

Literal Translation:

There can be no notes, no music and no dance without sound. Therefore the universe (Brahma) is

made of sound. All living beings (Janardana or Vishnu) are also made of sound. The voice in the

original form of thought is also made of sound and eventually the end of existence (Mahesh) is also

nothing but sound. Sound is Brahma (beginning), Vishnu (existence) and Mahesh (end).

Deeper Meaning:

The Shloka discusses sound as a form of energy. The notes, rhythm, music, dance are all forms of

sound waves. The voice that is heard originates in the subconscious mind, passes on to become a

thought and then emanates as the spoken voice. At the micro level, within the subconscious mind, this

voice is nothing but sound waves. The entire universe is filled with sound waves from the origin till the

end of existence. Just like the cycle of life, sound has a beginning, existence and an end.

~ Translation provided by Sonali Dandekar-Tambe


Rediscovering Veenatai Sahasrabuddhe – An

Exemplary Artist of Paluskar Tradition

~ Anjali Malkar

On 29th June this year, Veenatai

departed, for the heavenly abode. She became

one with the eternal sound of the universe. For

the last four years, us, students were watching

her, battling helplessly with an incurable disease.

We were in awe of Baba’s (Dr. Hari

Sahasrabuddhe) ability to savor every precious

moment with Veenatai, displaying strength to

face the adversity with courage and fortitude.

As for me, I was fortunate to be her

disciple for many years, especially when her

career was in flight. Armed with a degree of M.A

music, I joined her class, and for ten years, for at

least three hours nearly every day, I had

witnessed her magician-ship in singing. Whether

there be a festival, or a holiday, all the days in the

year were converted into music celebration. A

simple and graceful woman, Veenatai was an

ultimate example of an inspired musician for me.

The obsession I experienced during those days is

unforgettable. Veenatai purposefully avoided

indulgence in matters other than music and

focused on improvement in music-making. She

introduced to us to the compositions of Pt

Ramashreya Jha, Pt Balwantrai Bhatt, and

Pt. Vasant Thakar and also to the music of

her father Pt. Shankar Shreepad Bodas and

her brother Pt. Kashinath Shankar Bodas.

Flawless both in words and tunes, she

demonstrated the beauty of the compositions


with great ease. When I joined her class, I was a

small girl coming from a small town. Every class

opened the deepest caves of musical treasure,

and I felt overwhelmed and desperate at the same

time. The glittering notes, meaningful words in

the Bandish imbibed in us, the aesthetic beauty

of lyrics in Classical music.

Veenatai was a humble musician. As I

remember, she never felt beneath to learn a

particular bandish she needed for a cassette from

a novice girl like me. She sat for hours with a

Dagga to teach a large group of multi-leveled

students in SNDT College even on fasting days,

without the slightest sign of exertion. Long after

she resigned from SNDT, the department still

cherished the memories of her dedication to the

subject.

Her demonstrative approach of

unfolding the Raga instilled basics of critical

thinking in us. She always said, “The first step to

elaborate a Raga is to sing the outline of Bandish

in ‘Aakar’. We are then benefitted with two

things. Firstly, we understand the structure of

notes used in the Bandish and secondly, the beat

number or Matra on which the pattern ends, thus

understanding the interweaving pattern of

Bandish and Taal”. She would also elaborate on

the importance of 5th, 7th and 10th beat, in a taal

with a plain structure, such as Ektaal.

It was under her tutelage that for the first

time I experienced a discipline in teaching. It was

a glimpse of Paluskar tradition for me. She

demonstrated in her riyaz that Aalap was not just

a glue of notes, (as it may be generally assumed)

but a beautiful necklace of shining pearly notes,

woven in the silken thread of Aavartan. I vividly

remember how the grand show of

demonstration, singing and playing Dagga

simultaneously, continued for hours leaving us

mesmerized.

Veenatai had a beautiful mind and warm

heart. The books, ‘Uttaradhikar’ and ‘Naadninad’

she published in memory of her father, a disciple

of Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and her brother

Pt. Kashinath Shankar Bodas showed her deep

affection and regard for the tradition she

inherited. Her literary eye and aesthetic sense

in displaying the lecture demonstrations on

different musical topics was very

sophisticated.

Learning was Veenatai’s second nature.

Though she inherited music from her father and

brother, she learned ‘Layakari’ (singing in various

speeds of taal) from Pt. Gajananbua Joshi,

delicate presentation of notes from Vidushi

Kishori Amonkar, and self-studied the beauty of

a meaningful pause from different recordings

from Kirana Gharana. She incorporated these

elements from various styles seamlessly in

her original Gwalior style of singing, which,

as a result brought her international fame and

recognition.

“Eliminate the bad and see what is good

in others singing, try to identify what is suitable

for you and imbibe that in your singing.” I still

remember these words when she was actually in

the formative process. We had always seen her

rehearsing tirelessly to achieve what she aimed

for. She was a perfectionist and never spared

herself till she got it up to the mark. Veenatai

viewed music as a wealth of knowledge and took

it very seriously. She executed with great

responsibility but never took a hard line

approach on technicalities. She managed a fine

balance of logical and innovative alternatives

while staying true to the music. The honesty and

faithfulness towards the art reflected in her

singing. Her special liking towards the vocal

form Tarana, took her to composing number

of Taranas. Having learnt dance in her

tender age, she composed Taranas full of

swings, Gamak and stressed notes. Her

vigorous Taranas were widely applauded by the

listeners. I still remember the thrill I felt listening

to her melodious Taranas with forceful,

undulating Taan patterns. Self-reliance and self-

awareness were two more virtues I saw in her,


during my tutelage. She had immense clarity in

her approach and a varied repertoire.

Unlike most of the musicians, who learnt

in the Ustadi system, Veenatai’s musical genes

nurtured on the curriculum system. The musical

teaching tradition in Bodas family was passed

down to her. Her father Shankarrao Bodas,

mother Shantabai and brother Kashinath were all

music teachers of Paluskar system. She received

further reinforcement in the Sahasrabuddhe

household. The neatness in her presentation,

presence of mind in selection of Bandishes,

announcing the name of Raga, and the

meaning of Bandish, thus making the listeners

comfortable, was a part of the Paluskar tradition

she inherited. That helped to build rapport

between the artist and the audience. I also found

manifestation of Paluskar tradition, which

combined good literature to enhance the

intellectual quality of music, when she designed

theme-based albums such as ‘Rituchakra’ and

‘Pancharatnamala’, and live presentation such as

‘Ritusangeet’ and ‘Krishna Sandhya’, in which

she incorporated works of famous Sanskrit and

Hindi poets such as Kalidas and Surdas.

All kinds of music listeners – from

learned musicologists to untrained music lovers,

were equally mesmerized by her music. The

energy in her notes and beats, and the

authenticity of her music moved the experts in

the field. An innovative way of elaborating

phrases in a Raga in Khayal impressed the

learned. Similarly, a detailed, cyclical

expansion of Raga in Khayal impressed the

learned, and apt choice of Bandish and

attractive Taan patterns won hearts of lay

music-lovers. The deep impact of Kumar

Gandharva on her Nirguni Bhajans would make

the crowd lose themselves to the divinity of pure

notes.

“The notes must stay crisp and the

Laya pattern in them should be varying. This

will keep the audience engaged”, she used to

say during the practice session. She practiced all

forms of music – from film music to Ghazals

with full sincerity to develop crispness. As a

postgraduate student of both Sanskrit and

Praveen, equivalent to Doctorate in Music, the

experiments such as Saraswati Upasana Stotras

and light emotional songs in ‘Bhava Veena’ were

successful.

Just as in India, Veenatai took the

audience abroad by storm when she performed

as an eminent singer of Gwalior Gharana. Her

fans and followers all over the world still cherish

her Raga Shree in unforgettable concerts. Baba,

as an authoritative figure in Computer Science

used the technology appropriately to propagate

Veenatai’s melodious voice all over the world.

He worked as a frame of a beautiful painting till

her last breath.

As a Shishya, and researcher of music, I

have meekly tried to unfold Veenatai’s genius. I

am very well aware of the shortfall in my

perceptions. Still, recollecting her virtuosity was

like re-discovering new facets from the revised

lessons by me. She will forever be remembered

as a brilliant singer of the Paluskar tradition and

will be in our hearts as a generous Guru for all

students.


Aakruti & Prakruti – Form and Nature of Ragas

~ Seemantini Satre

Preface

Hindustani Classical Music, has evolved,

over the years, with the wealth of thousands of

distinct ragas. Although, ancient literature talks

about these ragas, in today’s times, practically,

only 100-150 of them, are in vogue. While

studying ragas in detail, for the purpose of

performance, it is very important to study the

relative similarities in ragas. And for this purpose,

it is imperative to understand, why so many ragas

were created in the first place.

“Raga” and its mood

A simple definition of a “Raga” could be

a melodious structure of a peculiar combination

of Swaras or notes, which is capable of

elaboration. Every Raga is, in its simplest terms,

a tune, which can be sung or played repetitively

and creates melodious and soothing phrase made

up of these notes. Every raga creates a specific

but abstract mood and influences the minds of

the listeners with this mood. These moods could

be of various human emotions, like joy, sorrow,

agony, pathos, happiness, romance, energy and

many more.

These thousands of ragas have been

created out of only twelve notes (7 Shuddha /

pure notes and 5 Vikrut notes), but no two ragas

of these, are completely identical, even though

they may use the same swaras. And the reason is,

even if they use the same notes, the treatment

given to these notes is different, and that is why

they produce different emotive content, i.e. they

produce different moods. Human emotions, also

can be seen in different degrees of severity.

Happiness could be felt due to various reasons,

like meeting an old friend after many years or

seeing innocent smile on a child’s face, or

meeting one’s beloved. All these three situations

are examples of happiness, but of a different

kind. Exactly in the same way, every raga

produces a mood or Rasa of a different kind, and

to feel these disparate emotions probably, so

many ragas were born.

Comparison among Ragas – Sama Aakrutik

or Sama Prakrutik

There are many ragas in the Hindustani

Classical Music, which use the same notes, but

the ragas are not identical. Rather, if they were

identical, in terms of their impact or rasa which

they generate, they would not have been created

in the first place!! Let us look at some such ragas,

to explore them in greater detail.

Sama Aakrutik Ragas

Sama Aakrutik ragas use the same notes,

but these notes are treated differently and this is

how, each raga establishes and maintains its

unique identity. In these ragas, same notes are

being used, but the method of singing them, the

specific combinations of swaras with other

swaras, the resting places (Vaadi and Samvaadi

notes, Nyaasa note) are all different. Due to these

differences, they generate different moods and

pace.

Raga Darbaari and Raga Jaunpuri could

be one of the best examples to understand this

concept. Both these ragas use the same notes, but


their sequence in the raga and their treatment

(Swar Lagaav) is different. And due to this very

reason, they become distinct ragas, producing

distinct moods.

Salient similarities in Raga Darbaari and Raga

Jaunpuri

o Both the ragas are said to be originating from

the “Aasavari” Thaat (A Thaat is a set of

notes, with a peculiar sequence, which gives

it an identity, to be called as a family of ragas,

all ragas belonging to, or originating from a

Thaat, are similar in terms of selection of

notes and the broad impact).

o As both these ragas use the same notes, there

are similarities in few of their combinations.

But in spite of these similarities, due to the

disparate treatment given to these notes, the

“Prakriti” of these ragas has become completely

different from each other.

In Hindustani Classical Music, every raga

has a distinct personality. Due to this reason,

every raga generates a different mood. There are

ragas that use different notes, but generate

similar feelings and give similar emotive

experience to the audience. Such ragas are called

as “Sama Prakrutik” ragas.

Sama Prakrutik Ragas

A broad definition of Sama Prakrutik

Ragas could be ragas that produce similar

emotive content. These ragas may or may not use

identical notes, but they possess similar musical

personality.

Musical personality or “Vyaktitva” of ragas is

driven by many factors few of them are as

follows –

• Selection of swaras

Swaras give a personality, a character

to the raga. And that is why, ragas using same

notes, could have similarities. As an example,

Raga Maarwa and Raga Pooriya, deploy the

same notes. Both of them use Komal

Rishabh, Teevra Madhyam and the rest are

Shuddha swaras. Both omit Pancham swara.

Both are a twilight melody and both are

“Gambheer Prakriti” (solemn mood) ragas.

In spite of similarities in the swaras,

these are distinct ragas, due to minute but

well defined differences and these

differences define the purpose of their

creation.

Raga Maarwa is gloomy and low

spirited, but aggressive and relatively

speedier whereas, Raga Pooriya is serious,

extreme slow paced and blooms better in the

Mandra and the Madhya Saptaks (the lower

octaves). Raga Pooriya, in this manner, is a

big raga, in terms of its capabilities of

elaboration and exploration.

• Vaadi, Samvaadi and Nyaasa swaras

Every raga has many swaras, but

there are a couple of important swaras which

are the highlights of that raga. These swaras

are used more often than others and they

define the raga, their emotive character and

their Rasa or feelings which they generate.

As an example, Raga Bhoop and

Raga Deshkaar, use identical swaras, but their

Vaadi and Samvaadi swaras are different.

Raga Bhoop uses Shuddha Gandhar as the

Vaadi swara and Shuddha Dhaivat as the

Samvaadi swara, whereas, Raga Deshkaar

uses Shuddha Dhaivat as the Vaadi swara and

Shuddha Gandhar as the Samvaadi swara.

Due to these differences, Raga Bhoop

blooms better in the Mandra and the Madhya

saptak. Raga Deshkaar traverses more in the

upper octave and its capability of creation

and exploration has become limited.


• Swaraantar, Meend and Aandolans

In many ragas, position of the swaras

and omission of a one or more swaras, the

space of distance between the swaras

increases. This reduces the speed with which,

a raga could be sung or played. To fill up these

gaps, created naturally due to the space or

distance between the swaras (called as

‘Swaraantar”), an artist has to make use of

“Meend”.

A “Meend” is a method of applying

the swaras in a curvy manner. Meend uses

slight touch down approach while applying

notes and adds beauty to the rendering.

Meend should be used only in ragas which

demand more intensity and are typically low

paced, in most cases. Hence, the ragas that use

more of Meend, tend to get slower, bigger (in

terms of creation and exploration) and more

serious. Ragas that use straight or direct

approach to swaras, are many a times,

speedier, lighter in mood and energetic.

Typically, ragas which signify festivities use

less Meend and use the direct Swara Lagaav,

which makes them aggressive and energetic,

e.g. Raga Basant, Sohani and Bahar etc.

An “Aandolan” is wavy treatment to

the notes. Aandolan uses slight touch of the

earlier or the next note to create a wave like

effect. A typical example of the Aandolan is

Komal Gandhar and Komal Dhaivat of Raga

Darbaari. In this raga, the Komal Gandhar

uses slight traces of Shuddha Madhyam, in a

wavy fashion, to create waves of emotions.

Such waves, reduces the speed of the raga and

makes it more sombre and solemn. Raga

Jaunpuri, which uses the same notes, does not

use Aandolans or the wavy treatment, and

hence remains to be a speedy and less serious

raga, by personality.

• Artist’s vision and creation

Every artist paints the picture of the

raga in his mid and in front of the audience,

using his own knowledge, the practice or

Taaleem received from his Guru or Gharana

(A Gharana is a musical family of a peculiar

style of rendering) and his own vision of the

raga and its mood. This depends on a lot many

factors, like, the life of an artist and his

musical upbringing, his life experiences, his

musical temperament and his creativity.

Due to this reason, the same raga

rendered by different artists may create

slightly different emotive content, e.g., Raga

Lalat, sung by Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen

Joshi, appears serious, divine but aggressive,

whereas the same raga sung by Padma

Bhushan Pt. Padma Talwalkar, sounds

soothing and devotional. Raga Basant sung by

Pt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe sounds aggressive

and energetic but the same raga Basant sung

by Pt. Rajan and Sajan Mishra sounds mellow

and soft. So in this way, the Prakriti or

character of the raga, is also governed by the

treatment given by an artist through his own

style and vision.

• Bandishes (lyrics) and Kaavya (poetry)

In Hindustani stream of classical

music, the primary mood or rasa of all ragas

has been assumed to be devotional. There are

a few ragas that were created for generating

specific rasa, but most of them create the

environment of divinity and peace.

But, the poetry or lyrics of the

Bandish (a “Bandish” is the short lyric used by

artist to present a raga) plays an important role

in creation of the mood. A Bandish with

romantic words and phrases, tend to create

similar emotions and Bandishes with

devotional subjects take the audience closer to

spirituality. So, in this way, the Bandish, its

structure, the Taal (rhythm used for rendering

the Bandish), the Laya (the tempo) , the Sam

(the first beat of the Taal) and the Swara

which is arranged for the Sam, all contribute

to the effect and the mood created by the raga.


Monologue

~ Charuhas Damle

Now the concert has ended

And this tale is over

The notes of Bhairavee (have) drenched (my soul)

And the tunes still linger in my ear

I am content (and) I am pacified

(I feel) Like Shadja (the premier note) of Marwa.

My passion for music calms me,

Satisfied in the petals of a lotus, like a mused bee

I am neither a word nor a sound

I am no longer Taal (rhythm) bound

Unsure to which Raga I belong

I am now free Aalap, unbound

I am searching for the lost vibrations

Inside the Veena of my soul!

Someone who struck a chord in my heart,

HE is apparent, but Invisible!

~ Original Marathi Poem translated

by Dr. Aarti Dixit


Tappa Style of Music & its Evolution – A Workshop

~ Dr. Rasika Ekbote

Tappa is a beautiful and vivacious form

of semi-classical music originating from Punjabi

folk music and is sung along with other forms

such as Thumri, Dadra, Chaitee, etc.

A musical form called “Dapa” which

was prevalent at the time of Mughal Emperor

Aurangzeb, closely matches the “Tappa” form of

today. Although both these music types have

great resemblance, there is no evidence to

suggest that they were one and the same.

Ghulam Nabi “Shouri Miyan” is

considered as the inventor and earliest

proponent of the Tappa music form. During

the course of his khayal singing profession,

“Shouri Miyan” travelled to Punjab where he was

captivated and fascinated by its folk music and

love songs. He further presented these songs in

his own fluid and skittish vocal style which gave

birth to the “Tappa” form.

“Tappa” literally meaning bounce, in

style resembles the bouncing of a ball or the

gait of a camel in the sense its progression

comprises of swift movement of groups of

notes (Harkat). This musical form demands

specific vocal characteristics such as being able

to traverse briskly between notes as well as

precise and sharp vocal inflections. Classical

singers already have these abilities but “Tappa”

requires specific training and practice to sharpen

them further.

Shouri Miyan introduced the Tappa

music form in Lucknow and entranced the

khayal singers. This resulted in further new

amalgamated music forms such as “Tap-

Khayal”, “Tap-Thumri” and “Tap-Dadra”.

Gradually it spread to other parts of India such

as Rampur, Banaras and Gwalior etc. Between

1780 AD and 1800 AD Lucknow is considered

as the epicenter of the “Tappa” style.

Bade Muhammad Khan was invited by

the King of Gwalior, Daulatrao Shinde for his

superlative musical prowess and fame. Nathan

Peer Baksh settled in Gwalior with his

grandsons Haddu and Hassu Khan. It was

through these luminaries that tappa was

assimilated into Gwalior school of music and

further became a specialty of the Gharana.

Haddu and Hassu Khan as well as

Nathan Khan further trained their disciples

in Khayal as well as the Tappa music form.

Amongst these were Krishnarao Pandit,

Rajabhaiyya Poochwaale. The lineage further

extended to Rajabhaiyya’s disciples

Sadashivrao Agnihotri, Balasaheb

Poochwaale, Wamanrao and Govindrao

Rajurkar.

Pandit Balasaheb Poochwaale was

equally famous as a Tappa singer as he was as a

Khayal singer of the Gwalior Gharana. He

further trained Pandita Malini Rajurkar,

Shashwati Mandal and Dr. Jayant Khot is the

Tappa style of music.

Pandit Balakrishnabua

Ichalkaranjikar assimilated the art of Tappa

singing from Devjibua and further trained his

students in Maharashtra, the foremost amongst


them being Pandit Anantbua Joshi, Pandit

Yashwant Mirashibua and Pandit V D

Paluskar. This is a very concise account of how

Tappa became an integral part of semi classical

music in all of Northen India and yet in true

sense it is extremely difficult to master the art of

singing Tappa without proper guidance and

training.

Consider the following patterns of notes (middle

octave in title case such as Sa, Re and upper

octave in upper case such as SA, RE):

SaReGa, ReGaMa, GaMaPa

SaReGaMa, ReGaMaPa, GaMaPaDha

SANiNiDhaPa, NiDhaDhaPaMa, DhaPaPaMaGa

PaPaMaMaGaGaReRe, MaMaGaGaReReSaSa etc

These notes are taken in a very swift manner in

either boltaans or aakar taans and require very

specific training. The literature of tappa is

traditionally in Punjabi language. It uses the

forcefulness and grace of the language to depict

beauty and attractiveness. Tappa also uses very

specific beat cycles such as Punjabi (cycle of

16 beats) or Pashto (cycle of 7 beats). The

wizardry of a Tappa singer lies in their ability

to land on a sum or first beat of the beat-cycle

with intricate patterns of swift taans while

singing the composition. A tappa is quite often

followed by a fast paced Tarana generally in

Teentaal (cycle of 16 beats).

Gwalior Gharana singers such as Pandit

Balasaheb Poochwaale and Pandita Malini

Rajurkar are known to sing Tap-Khayal as well.

It is sung in slow-medium tempo of Tilwada

(cycle of 16 beats), but the movement of the

composition as well as the improvisation is at a

brisk pace and reminiscent of the tappa. Very

similar in concept is the Tap-Thumri, which is

sung in Deepchandi (cycle of 14 beats), but the

harkat and Murki are in accordance with tappa.

It is thus worth mentioning the joint

effort of two institutions “Arohi Sangeet

Academy” of Pune and “Roop Bandish” to

bring forth the training of Tappa singing under

the direction of “Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva

Mahavidyala Mandal” to students of music. The

two institutions jointly arranged a workshop

by Dr. Jayant Khot, Head of the Music

Department of Allahabad University and a

disciple of Pandit Balasaheb Poochwaale.

The workshop was held on the 28th and

29th of June 2016 with a participation of around

20 students. Dr. Khot guided students in the

proper technique of practicing and presenting

Tappa and also taught the students Tappa in

various taal such as Punjabi, Roopak, Addha and

ensured each individual student sung it properly.

Workshop

by Dr.

Jayant Khot

The highlight of the workshop was in the

way Dr. Khot was able to simplify Tappa style

and thus remove the tentativeness amongst the

participants in singing Tappa. This was only

possible by the commendable efforts of the

director of “Arohi Sangeet Academy” Sau.

Sampada Vipat and the organizer of “Roop

Bandish”, Sau. Anjali Malkar.

Original Marathi Article translated by

Sameer Bildikar


Sangeet Ratnakar by Sharangdeva - Book Review

~Sameer Bildikar

Amongst the numerous music treatise that delve

into the depths of Indian Music, “Sangeet

Ratnakar” stands out as one of most important

creation of the middle age. In importance it

parallels Bharata’s “Natyashastra” of the ancient

age. Written in the 13th century “Sangeet

Ratnakar” can be the very embodiment of

the scientific thought process of Indian

Music. In explains the principles of Indian

Classical music in a very detailed and precise

manner. The treatise is considered a foundation

upon which modern classical Indian Music is

built.

The creation of Sangeet Ratnakar is

attributed to Pandit Sharangadeva, a 13th century

musicologist in the court of Yadava King

Singhana II. Sharangdeva is believed to be of

Kashmiri ancestry and his grandfather had

migrated to Devagiri (present day

Daulatabad in Maharashtra, India).

By the time “Sangeet Ratnakar” was

penned, music had been established as an

independent performing art, and the treatise talks

about every aspect pertaining to music that was

relevant at that time. It talks about “Sangeet” as

a whole including singing, instrumental music as

well as Dance.

Given below are the seven chapters covered by

Sangeet Ratnakar

1. Swaragatadhyaya (स्वरगिाध्याय) – It describes

the elements described in the Gaandharva

chapter of Natyashastra. Sharangadeva

considered “Maarga” as parallel to

Gaandharva. He considered Jaati as the

origins of raga. This was subdivided into 7

sections

a. Padarthasangraha Prakarana (पदार्दसगं्रह

प्रकरण) – Information of Mangalacharan,

writer’s introduction and introduction to

7 chapters. The author commences with

an account of his genealogy i.e., about his

family and the Kingdom where they

lived. The author also declares that

among the three constituents of Sańgīta,

Gīta is primary and the most important.

Hence the treatment of Gīta is taken up

by him first. The author also gives a list


of ancient writers on music and related

arts from whose work he has drawn out

the essence and presented in

Sańgītaratnākara. Some of them are

Bharata, Kaśyapa, Matańga, Kōhala,

Viśākhila, Dattila, Abhinavagupta, and

Sōmēśvara.

b. Pindotpatti Prakarana (तपण्डोत्पत्ती प्रकरण)

– This describes the development of

human body from embryo to birth to

maturity with the help of Ayurveda

c. Nada-Swar-Shruti-Swarjaati-

KuladevataRshi-Chhando-Ras

Prakaran –

(नादस्वरशु्रतिस्वरजातिकुलदेविातषदच्छन्दोरस प्रकरण) –

Describes basic principles of music such

as Nada, Swar, Shruti, Jaati etc. This

prakaraņa describes how Nāda arises in

the human body and how the Nāda

manifesting in the three Sthāna-s or

places in the human body (a) Hŗd (heart

region), (b) Kaņţha (throat) and (c)

Mūrdhā (head region) gives rise to

Mandra, Madhya and Tāra varieties.

d. Graamamoorchanakramataan

Prakarana (ग्राििूच्छदनाक्रििान प्रकरण) – This

prakaraņa deals with Grāma, Mūrcchanā,

Krama and Tāna. Three Grāmas are

described - Şaḍja-grāma, Madhyama-

grāma and Gāndhāra-grāma. The names

of the Seven Mūrcchanā-s in each Grāma

are also given. Among the tānas there are

two kinds- Śuddha and Kūţa. Śuddha-

tāna is a Mūrcchanā devoid of one or two

svara-s. Kūţa-tāna-s are those varieties of

Mūrcchanās in which the svaras occur in

a disorderly way e.g.,’s g r m p d n'. Those

varieties in which svara-s are present in

an order are called Krama-s.

e. Sadharan Prakarana (साधारण प्रकरण) –

Talks about sadharan (normal) notes and

vikrut (deviant) notes

f. Varnalankaar Prakarana (वणादलंकार

प्रकरण) – The sixth prakaraņa is on Varņa

and Alańkāra. Varņa-s denote the

different kinds of movements that a

melodic line can take. There are four

varņas—Sthāyi, Ārōhī, Avarōhī and

Sañcārī. Alańkāra-s are ornamental

patterns of svara-s that decorate a

melodic line. Alańkāra-s are classified

under the four Varņa-s

g. Jaati Prakaran (जाति प्रकरण) - Talks about

the characteristics of jaati. Shuddha and

Vikrut jaati with examples and

composition. It also talks about the 10

characteristics of Jaati.

Graha, Ansha, Tar, Mandra, Nyaas,

Upanyas, Alpatva, Bahutva, Shadava,

Auḍuva.

In addition it talks about three more

lakshana –

Sanyasa - the svara on which a

portion within a section of a song

concludes.

Vinyasa - the svara on which a

melodic phrase especially underlying

a word, concludes.

Antaramarga - the special

movement of the melody involving

the Ansha and the Alpa svara-s

taking place in the region between

Graha and Nyasa svara-s.

h. Geeti Prakaran (गीति प्रकरण) –

Characteristics of Kapaal and Kambal

gaan, Pada of Kapaal, characteristics of

padashrit geeti etc.


2. Ragavivekadhaya (रागतववेकाध्याय) – The

second chapter describes the Ragas Marga

and Deshi. Among the Margi ragas there are

six varieties—Gramraga, Uparaga, Raga,

Bhasa, Vibhasa and Antarabhasa. The four

kinds of desi ragas are Raganga, Bhasanga,

Upanga and Kriyanga. Gramragas resemble

the Jati-s closely and they are further

classified on the basis of the different

melodic styles characterizing them. These

styles are called "Gīti" and are of five

kinds—Shuddha, Bhinna, Gaudi, Sadharani

and Vesara.

3. Prakeernadhaya (प्रकीणादध्याय) – The third

chapter deals with a variety of topics. They

are

a. The characteristics of Vaggyekaras.

Vaggyekaras are composers of both the

melody and text of a song.

b. Guņa-Doshaa: The characteristics of

different kinds of Voice; Merits and

Demerits of Male singer (Gayana),

Female singer (Gayani), Shabda and

Sharira.

c. Gamaka: There are fifteen kinds of

Gamaka-s, namely the kinds of shake

or oscillations that svaras can be

endowed with.

d. Sthaya: There are ninety-six kinds of

Sthayas, which represent the feelings or

effects associated with raga phrases.

e. Alapti including ragalapti and

rupakalapti.

4. Prabandhadhyaya (प्रिंधाध्याय) – Prabandha

represents a collection of musical forms

described in terms of two aspects, namely,

'Dhatu' and 'Anga".

Dhatu denotes the different sections, which

are, at a maximum, five: Udgraha, Melapaka,

Dhruva, Abhog and Antara.

Anga are six: and denote the content of a

song. Svara, Biruda, Tenaka, Pata, Pada,

Tala

These cover the three aspects of Music -

Melody, Tala and the text.

5. Taladhyaya (िालाध्याय) – Describes tala

units such as Laghu, Guru, Pluta and also

talks about Margi tala such as Chanchatputa

and Chapaputa and Desi taal

6. Vadyadhyay (वाद्याध्याय) –

a. Tata - Ekatantrī, Citrā, Vipañcī,

Mattakōkilā, Ālāpinī, Kinnar (Stretched

string instruments)

b. Suşira - Vamśa (of different sizes),

Kāhala, Şańkha (wind instruments)

c. Avanaddha - Huḍukka, Paţaha (vessels

covered with stretched membranes)

d. Ghana - Kāmsyatāla, Ghaņţā (solid,

dense objects)

7. Nartanadhyaya (निदनाध्याय) – It deals with

dance in 2 chapters – Nartana and Nava

Rasa.

Quote from Sangeet Ratnakar

Geetam Vaadyam Tatha Nrutyam Trayam

Sangeetamuchyatey

Music is said to be the culmination of the 3

elements, Song, Instrument and Dance.


In the expansive and all-encompassing

world of music, “Sangeet Ratnakar” truly

stands out a detailed and organized treatise

which documents the erstwhile established

principles of music and also helped pave the

way for the future generation to evolve them

further.

Sangeet Ratnakar has been and will

continue to stay at the helm of Indian

Classical Music and will be a source of

inspiration, information as well as critical

evaluation for all musicians – past, present and

future.

Sharangadeva meticulously studied about

forty musicians as well as music treatise before

him and presented the gist of their works

through Sangeet-Ratnakar. The music

principles that were evolving at the time of

Matang Muni are firmly established at the

time of Sangeet Ratnakar. These are the very

same principles that have been evolved into the

science of modern Indian Classical music.

Although every element as described in

Sangeet Ratnakar is not prevalent in the music of

modern times, it is very evident that the

principles established by Sharangadeva in

the 13th century still continue to form the

foundation of music as we know today.


Raga Conversation

Raga Todi is popularly known as Miyan

ki Todi. This Raga is extensively used by the

music directors in films, Ghazals and light music

because of its inherent expressive ability. The

notes and movements in this Raga are such that

they can create different moods. Re Ga Dha

(Komal) and Tivra Ma is the main feature of

this Raga. Pandit Bhatkhande has included the

scale of the Raga in the Thaat (groups of Ragas

with similar note subsets) classification.

We get the first reference of this Raga in

the thirteenth century. Raagvivek, the second

chapter of Sangeet Ratnakar, written by Pandit

Sharangdeo, mentions Todi as a derivation of

Graam Raga.

During this period, the Turkish people

had already arrived in India, and established

their own music. One of the Dastgaah

(musical mode) of their music became

popular during that time, and perhaps it is

named as Turushk Todi, which Sharangdeo

mentions as an Adhuna Prasiddha (recently

popular) Raga. If it is so, we will have to

reconsider that Miyan ki Todi existed before

Tansen. This needs more research to corroborate

the fact.

Though Bhatkhande mentions Todi as

Sampurna Sampurna (all seven notes in

ascending and descending movements), most

singers sing Sa Re (flat) Ga (flat) Ma (sharp) Dha

(flat) Ni Sa. Sa Ni Dha (flat) Pa Ma (sharp) Ga

(flat) Re (Flat) sa.

Raagmala Painting – Raagini Todi (Kangra, Pahadi – circa A.D. 1790)

Fifth note is very meticulously used in

this Raga as a resting note. But, there are a few

compositions which have Mukta (free) Pancham.

Different Gharaanas have different structures of

this Raga, which is why this Raga has different

moods.

Sa Re (flat) Ga (flat) Ma (sharp) Dha (flat)

Ni Dha (flat) Pa, Ma (sharp) Pa Dha (flat) Ma

(sharp) Ga (flat) Ma (sharp) Re (flat) Ga (flat) Re

(flat) sa, is the normal structure of this Raga.

Another Raga that is closely related to

Miyan ki Todi, is Gujri (or Gurjari) Todi. This

Raga altogether omits the Pancham, creating

another shade.


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To discuss various research oriented, theoretical and practical aspects of classical, semi-classical

music, and also film music, to some extent.

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Though students of music would be the main beneficiaries of this venture, our earnest efforts will

always be to make the eMagazine equally informative and interesting for music enthusiasts from all

strata.

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helpful to the readers?

Yes, in later editions we hope to provide information on new books and links to recordings.

4. Can articles and poems along with other informative write-ups on music be accepted from

amidst the readers and beneficiaries?

Yes. However, all articles are subject to be scrutinized by the editorial committee of the magazine.

Decision of the committee will be final in this respect.

5. Is there any scope for further discussion regarding the improvement and alteration of the

contents of the magazine?

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to further discussion.

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We invite you to send all feedback comments, suggestions, questions and contributions by clicking

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SVS EMAGAZINE TEAM

EDITORIAL TEAM Pradipta Chaudhuri Anjali Malkar Anjali Dani Ashwini Gokhale Dr. Aarti Dixit Manasi Joshi-Singh Purvi Vinchhi Sonali Dandekar-Tambe Sameer Bildikar

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