Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is a classical music tradition originating from regions in South Asia, extending east from Bangladesh through northern India into Pakistan and as far as Afghanistan in the west. In contrast to Carnatic music, another classical music tradition originating from South India, Hindustani music was influenced by, in addition to the Vedic philosophy and understanding of sound, by Afghan, Mughal and Persian performance practice.Outside India, Hindustani classical music is often associated with Indian music in general, as it is arguably the most popular stream of Indian music outside India.
A number of musical instruments are associated with Hindustani classical music. Some of the most famous instruments are sitar and tabla and the less well known instruments like sarod and sarangi.
The most famous modern performer is undoubtedly sitarist Ravi Shankar, who helped popularize Hindustani ragas outside of India. Alongside the sitar in popularity are the bansuri (a sort of flute) and sarod, known among fans for recordings of virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan.
Music has long been important to Hinduism, especially for many Vaishnavite sects. The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire over northern India caused the traditional musicians to seek patronage in the courts of the new rulers. These Islamic rulers had strong cultural and religious sentiments focussed outside of India; yet they lived in, and administered kingdoms which retained their traditional Hindu culture. This helped spur the fusion of Hindu and Muslim ideas to make qawwali and khayal. Perhaps the most legendary musician of this period is Amir Khusrau.
Later, the Mughal Empire intermarried with Indians, especially under Jar ad-Din Akbar. Music and dance flourished during this period, and the Hindu musician Tansen is still well-remembered. Indeed, his ragas (which are based on times of the day) were reputed to have been so powerful that according to legend, upon his playing a night-time raga in the morning, the entire city fell under a hush and clouds gathered in the sky.
In the 20th century, the power of the maharajahs and nawabs declined, and thus so did their patronage. The Indian Government-run All India Radio helped to stop this development and replaced the patronage system. The first star was Gauhar Jan, whose career was born out of Fred Gaisberg's first recordings of Indian music in 1902.
The major vocal forms associated with Hindustani classical music are the khyal, gazal, and thumri. Other styles include the dhrupad, dhammar, and tarana.
Hindustani music utilises a system of notation called sargam, a contraction for Sa Re Ga Ma. Re, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni may be flat (komal), or sharp (tivar). The designation komal or tivar is never sung with the note's syllable, however they are notated as a line under or an acute accent above, respectively, the note's letter, such as &Macute&; and N.
History
Types of Compositions
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a sacred style of singing traditionally performed by men with a tampura and pakhawaj accompanying. The lyrics are in a midieval form of Hindi and typically heroic in theme, or else praising a particular deity. A more ornamented form is called dhamar.Bhajan
Religious vocal music, bhajan is the most popular form in northern India. Famous performers include Kabir, Tulsidas and Mirabi. It arose out of the Alvar bhakti movement of the 9th and 10th century.Ghazal
Ghazals are an originally Persian form of vocal music that is popular with multiple variations across Iran, Central Asia, Turkey and India. Ghazal exists in multiple variations, including folk and pop forms. Notable performers include Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Mehdi Hasan and Pankaj Udhas.Khyal
An informal form of vocal music, khyal is partially improvised and very emotional in nature. Though its origins are shrouded in mystery, the 15th century rule of Hussain Shah Sharqi and was popular by the 18th century rule of Mohammed Shah. The best-known composer of the period was Sadarang, a pen name for Niamat Khan. Later performers include Faiyaz Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Shweta Jhaveri, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Amir Khan.Tarana
Tarana are songs that are used to convey a mood of elation and are usually performed towards the end of a concert. They have very few lyrics and are mostly composed of rythmic sounds. It can be compared to the Tillana of Carnatic music.Thumri
Thumri is an accessible and informal vocal form said to have begun with the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, 1847-1856. There are two types of thumri: Punjabi and Lucknavi. The lyrics are typically in a language called braj bhasha, and are usually romantic. Performers include Shobha Gurtu, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Girija Devi.Notes in Hindustani music
| Sanskrit name | Sung | Written |
|---|---|---|
| Ṣadj | Sa | S |
| Riṣabh | Re | R |
| Gāndhār | Ga | G |
| Madhyam | Ma | M |
| Pancham | Pa | P |
| Dhaivat | Dha | D |
| Niṣādh | Ni | N |
Pandit Pran Nath is an influential teacher of Hindustani vocal music whose students include Don Cherry, Terry Riley, and LaMonte Young.Other personalities