India is a land of many faiths and religions. There a vast variety of religions and an array of beliefs further, in these religions and faiths Hence, devotional music becomes a major part of Indian Music. It may be in the form of Chants, Bhajans, Shabad Kirtan, Borgeet, Qawalli or Sufi Song. Various faiths of India have there own devotional music.
BHAJAN
A Bhajan is a kind of Indian devotional song, generally sung by the followers of Hinduism or Hindus. It has no fixed form ans my range from a simple mantra (chant) to a sophisticated dhrupad or kriti, based on classical ragas and tals.
A Bhajan is normally lyrical, expressing love and devotion for the Divine Lord or conveying a philosophical message. Anecdotes and episodes from scriptures, the teachings of saints and descriptions of gods have all been the subject of bhajans. Nanak, Kabir, Meera Bai, Narottama Dasa, Surdas and Tulsidas are notable composers. Traditions of bhajan such as Nirguni, Gorakhanathi, Vallabhapanthi, Ashtachhap, Madhura-bhakti and the traditional South Indian form Sampradya Bhajan each have their own repertoire and methods of singing. Bhajan singing developed as a result of the Bhakti Movement during the Mughal Era.
Below are a few examples of Bhajan Singing in India.
Meera Bai's Bhajan, Sanvaro Nand Nandan, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Hanuman Chalisa sung by legendary Carnatic singer, M.S. Subbulakshmi.
Jaagiye Brij Raj Kunwar sung by Kavitha Krishnamurthy in Mahabharat.
Thumri is a style of Semi Classical Hindustani Music. It is generally romantic or devotional, and is based on a girls love and longing for Lord Krishna. Thumri Gayaki has primarily prospered in the region of Uttar Pradesh under the muslim influence, and hence is sung mostly in Brij or Awadhi language.
A thumri is composed in a single or a mixture of 2 ragas. The lyrics or bols of the thumri are few. It is upto the singer to sing it in way to bring out the emotions and feelings in the words and convey the message intended. Thumris are generally composed in Raga Pilu, Khamaj, Bhairavi, Tilak Kamod, Kafi or Gara.
The thumri flourished initially a the court of the Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah. This was the bol bandish ki thumri. However, in Benaras a new style of thumri emerged, the Bol Banao Thumri Gayaki.
Thumri is also the generic name for other styles of singing such as Dadra, Kajri, Chaiti, Sawan, Hori and Jhoola.
Thumri is of 2 different styles namely
Benaras Ang Thumri
Punjab Ang Thumri
The Benaras Ang Gayaki evolved under the patronage of the Nawabs of Awadh. Beneras became almost synonymous with thumri gayaki. Some of the biggest names in thumri gayaki are from Benaras, such as Siddheshwari Devi, Gauhar Jan, Rasoolan Bai, Badi Moti Bai, Jaddan Bai, Chhote Ramdas, Mahadev Mishra, Chhanulal Mishra among others.
Benaras singers developed their own style of thumri singing known as the Bol Banao thumri Gayaki, which was different from the Bol Bandish Thumri.
Below are some examples of Thumri Gayaki in the Benaras Ang Style.
Raga Mishr Tilang Thumri
Siddheshwari Devi
Rag Pilu Thumri
Rasoolan Bai
On the other hand, the Punjab Ang Thumri was diversified by Ustad Ali Baksh who received training in thumri gayaki from Maharaj Bindadeen and Maharaj Kalika Prasad of Lucknow. He mixed it with the tappa style and folk tunes of Punjab giving way to the now prevalent Punjab Ang Thumri. This style was popularised by his sons, the legendary singers of the Patiala Gharana. Ustad Badhe Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Barkat Ali Khan.
Yaad Piya Ki Aaye - Thumri
Ustad Badhe Ghulam Ali Khan
Other singers such as Shobha Gurtu, Prabha Atre or Ustad Abdul Karim Khan Sahib are regarded as singers of the classical thumri. Shobha Gurtu was referred to as the thumri queen for her purity and command over Thumri Gayaki.
The Ghazal is a style of singing romantic poetry, generally in Urdu, which has emerged out of the Persian style of singing. It has been sung in Indian courts through the medieval times and popularly in public in more recent times.
Ghazals are mostly based on a metre and sung in couplets. The composition may or may not be based on a raga, however most ghazals do take a raga as their base.
Some of the greatest poets of ghazals have been Mirza Ghalib, Momin, Ahmed Faraz, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Daagh Dahlvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi among others.
The greatesr singers of Ghazals have been from India and Pakistan. The most famous ones are perhaps Mehdi Hassan Khan, Begum Akhtar, Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum, Parvez Mehdi, Iqbal Bano, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Madhurani, Hariharan, Jagjit Singh, Ahmed and Mohammad Hussain among others.
Indian Folk Music is extremely expansive and varied due to the vast regional and cultural diversities of India itself. Every region and culture in India has its own folk music style. From the Bhangra of Punjab, to the Lavani of Maharshtra, to the Bihu of Assam and the Ghoomar of Rajasthan. All of this music is a part of the lives of all Indian people.
BHAVAGEET
Bhavageet, literally meaning emotional music, is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Most of the poetry sung in this genre pertains to subjects like love, nature, philosophy etc. The genre itself isn't too different from Ghazals, thought ghazals are bound to a particular metre. This style of music is popular in the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Some notable poets of Bhavageets include Kuvempu and D.R. Bendre in Kannada Bhavageets and Suresh Bhat and Shanta Shelke in Marathi Bhavageets.
Marathi Bhavageet composed by Shri Sudhir Phadke
BHANGRA
Bhangra is a form of dance oriented folk music which aaompanies the Punjabi dance form of Bhangra for men and Gidda for women. Bhangra is generally performed during the harvest seasons and festivals such as Baisakhi. The words are in the Punjabi language in the form of short couplets or bolis.
Punjabi Folk song by the famour folk singer Smt. Surinder Kaur.
LAVANI
Lavani is a popular form of folk music in Maharashtra. It is traditionally sung by women but men do perform along with women on the songs. The dance that is performed with a Lavani is known as Tamasha. Lavanis tend to be erotic and naughty in nature. They are performed to very fast beats of the Dholak and were initially intended to entertain the soldeirs.
Marathi Lavani 'Solava Varish' performed by the legendary Jayashree Gadkar.
DANDIYA
Dandiya Raas or simply Dandiya is the traditional folk of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. It represents the Raas Lila or the Divine Dance that Lord Krishna used to perform with Radha and her maidens, the gopis of Vrindavan.
Dandiya Raas
PANDAVANI
Pandavani is a folk tradition of singing stories from the Mahabharat and about the Pandavas. This folk style is believed to be as old as the Mahabharat itslef. Since most people could not read at those times, The Pandavani was a medium to spread the stories of the heroic feats of the Pandavas. The most renowned performer of this folk form is Teejan Bai. The Pandavani is widely popular in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and some parts of Orissa.
Pandavani performed by Teejan Bai
RAJASTHANI FOLK MUSIC
Rajasthan has a large variety of folk music. This desert state, full of colour and culture has churned out some of the greatest musicians of India, both in folk and classical genres. Some of the folk music styles from Rajasthan are Maand, Banna, Ghoomar and Pabuji Ki Phach.
Maand is a style of singing which resonates of the smell of the desert sands. It used to be sung in royal courts, in the praise of the Rajputs. But now days it is quite commonly heard. Maand is also a Raga in Hindustani Classical Music.
Banna is music which is sung at times of weddings in the family. These are very festive songs to mark a marital union in the family.
Ghoomar is the traditional dance form of Rajasthan. It is generally performed by women and is accompanied by folk music.
Kesariya Balama Padharo Mhare Des
A traditional Maand Folk, as performed in the Bollywood film Dor.
Banna Re Baag Me Jhula
Banna Folk Song from Rajasthan
Ghoomar Folk Music
TAPPA
Tappa is semi classical complex composition in a raga. Its speciality is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. The mood of a tappa is generally romantic or erotic. Tappa Gayaki originated from the camel riders of Punjab and Haryana. It was adopted as a form of Classical Music by Mia Gulam Nabi Shori, the court singer of Awadh.
Some of the most noted tappa singers are Pt. Laxmanrao Pandit, Pt. Sukhdev Prasad, Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Smt. Girija Devi among others.
Tappa in Raga Bhairavi
Smt. Malini Rajurkar
BAUL
Baul Sangeet is a particular type of folk music from Bengal. This kind of music is a mix of the Hindu Bhakti Movement and the Sufi mysticism.
Carnatic Music is the style of Indian Classical Music prevalent in the southern states of India, namely Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is believed to have a divine origin. It originated from the Devas and Devis and is venerated as symbolic of Nad Brahman.
Owing to Persian and Islamic influences in North India from the 12th century onwards, Hindustani music and Carnatic music styles diverged. By the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clear demarcation between Carnatic and Hindustani music. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in Tanjavur, while the Vijaynagar Empire reached its greatest extent. Purandara Dasa, who is known as the father (Pitamaha) of Carnatic Music, formulated the system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic music.Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the melakarta system of raga classification in his Sanskrit work, the Chaturdandi Prakasika (1660 AD). Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta system into the sampoorna raga scheme - the system that is in common use today.
Carnatic music was mainly patronized by the local kings of Mysore and Travancore in the 18th through 20th centuries. The royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena, rudra veena, violin, ghatam, flute, mridangam, nagaswara and swarabhat. .
Carnatic Music is also an integral part of the religious life in South India. Well renowned and experienced
singers generally sing compositions in various ragas dedicated to a god or goddess or of spiritual nature. The performance of the Sanskrit 'sloka', Tamil 'viruttam' and Telegu 'padyamu' or 'sisapadya' are particularly unique.The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the varnam and the kriti (or kirtanam).
In contrast to Hindustani Music of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned trough compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies alements of the composer's vision, as well as the musicians' interpretation.
A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element and the other being what is conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are composed for singing.
Some of the most prominent composers of Carnatic Music are Purandara Dasa (1480 - 1564), Tyagaraja (1759 - 1847), Muthuswani Dikshitar (1176-1827) and Syama Sastri (1762 - 1827).
The Trinity of Carnatic Music
From left - Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Tyagaraja and Syama Satri
Some of the most famous Carnatic Classical singers and instrumentalists are M.S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattamal, M.L. Vasanthakumari, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Ragunathan, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, K.J. Yesudas, Jayshri Ramnath, Ranjani and Gayathri, Lalgudi G. Jayaram, Kavalam Srikumar among others.
The legendary trio of Carnatic Music
From left - M.L. Vasanthkumari, M.S. Subbulakshmi and D.K. Pattamal
Hindustani Music is the form of Indian Classical Music prevalent in the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent, such as North India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Hindustani Music is influenced in a big way by the invaders and conquerors who settled in India. The ancient Vedic Music transformed with the influence of the Aryans, the Persians as well as the folk traditions. This gave way to the present Hindustani Classical Music.
The singing in Hindustani Classical Music follows the system of the Ragas. Ragas are combinations of notes that evoke a specific mood or emotion. In the Hindustani Music system, most of the ragas are categorized under 10 Thaats namely
Bhairav
Bhairavi
Bilawal
Asavari
Todi
Marwa
Purvi
Kalyan
Kafi
Khamaj
Some of the legendary singers of Hindustani Classical Music emerged over the medieval times. These included Swami Haridas, Mia Tansen and Baiju Bawra.
Mia Tansen paying respect to the great devotional singer
Swami Haridas with the Mughal Emporer Akbar.
Over time Hindustani Classical Music, has further specialised into different music styles. These are Khayal, Thumri and Dhrupad.
Khayal literally means 'thought'. In Khayal Gayaki, the singer has the freedom and flexibility to sing as he wishes to, while following the boundaries and limitations of the raga he is singing. The melodies are based on certain songs, known as Bandishes which generally express the mood of the raga.
Dhrupad Gayaki, is the oldest form of Hindustani Classical Music, traceable to the Vedic times. However, it is not as popular as Khayal Gayaki in todays times.
Thumri Gayaki is regarded as Semi-Classical Music. It has been developed with the Persian and Muslim influence in India and is widespread in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. It may be romantic or devotional in nature.
The various Khayal Gharanas that exist in the present times are
Gwalior Gharana
Kirana Gharana
Patiala Gharana
Agra Gharana
Jaipur - Atrauli Gharana
Rampur - Sahaswan Gharana
Delhi Gharana
Bhendi Bazaar Gharana
Indore Gharana
Benaras Gharana
Mewati Gharana
Sham Chaurasia Gharana
Qawwal Bachhe Gharana
In Dhrupad Gayaki, the various gharanas are generally differentiated on the basis of the main musical families who follow that tradition of music such as
Dagarvani Gharana
Bishnupur Gharana
Darbhanga Mallik Gharana
Bettiah Gharana
While on the other hand, Thumri Gayaki does not have any gharanas, but rather 2 'Angs' or parts. These are the 'Benaras Ang Thumri Gayaki' which has had legendary singers like Siddheshwari Devi, Rasoolan Bai, Smt. Girija Devi among others.
The other ang is the 'Punjab Ang Thumri Gayaki' which has been followed by singers such as Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Ali Baksh Khan and the great Ustad Badhe Ghulam Khan Sahib.
Here are some examples of singers of different gharanas singing the same Raga Malkauns, to illustrate the difference in their styles of singing.
Indian Classical Music has been around for over 3000 years. It has its origins in the Vedic times, in about 1000 BC. The Sam Veda talks about Classical Music at great length. This style of singing has evolved over the centuries. It incorporates inputs from the ancient chant system of the vedic times, the equally ancient Persian tradition of Mausiqi-e-Assil and the folk and native traditional music prevalent in the respective regions.
Indian Classical Music like Western Classical Music is based on the standard 7 notes
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
Indian Classical Music is further classified into to broad categories :
Hindustani Music
Carnatic Music
Indian Classical Music is based on the system of Ragas. A Raga is a combination of 5 or more notes to form a melody. These ragas generally evoke a mood or emotion, and are hence given a certain time of the day or season to categorize them. For example, Raga Yaman is sung in the early evening, just as the lamps are lit, for its pleasant and joyous mood.
In Hindustani Classical Music, the ragas are categorised into 10 thaats by Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. These thaats are :
Bhairav
Bhairavi
Bilawal
Aasavari
Todi
Marwa
Purvi
Kalyan
Kafi
Khamaj
On the other hand, in Carnatic Music, the ragams, as they are called there, are classifies more systematically in the malakarta system, where the ragas are classified under 72 parent (melakarta) ragas.
Here are a few examples to differentiate the singing styles of Hindustani Music and Carnatic Music.
This is Raga Charukeshi. Primarily a Carnatic Raga, it has been adopted into the Hindustani Music and is sung quite widely too.
Here are 2 renditions of this raga, one by the legendary Carnatic singer, Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi, and the other one by Ustad Rashid Khan.
