Indian Classical Music: Survival against the Western Noise!

Music is a fact of life that we take for granted. A child starts crooning tunes long before learning to speak. From the beginning to the end of our life, we come across, appreciate and listen attentively to the form of music that appeals to us most. And unless one has an extremely inquisitive disposition, one naturally ignores investigation into something that permeates our daily routine from start to finish. We are attempting here to explore the origin of Indian music, and delve into the complexities that various forms offer.

From evolution to contemporary times, the one sound that has pervaded our life is that of Music. Hindu Mythological texts declare that the first sound that reverberated in the Universe was that of the Naadbrahma, or Om. Not only was this the first sound to be ever heard, but was also the purest form of sound - because of divine association, and hence the most musical. In fact all of the recorded history of Hinduism is saturated with some or the other form of music - Vedic chants were the first form of melodies. These were set in three notes, with variation of tenor, and formed a soothing rhythm. But this is recorded history.

Investigation into the origins of Hindu scripts, and that of our civilization further corroborates the fact that chants go back prior to recorded history i.e. antecedent to 5000 BC. Notes and scale of svaras, which are the basis of Vedic chants, could not have emerged suddenly during Vedic period. Deductive logic suggests that since these chants were most likely handed down to generations aurally, there is ample proof that some form of music existed even before a script was invented.

Most of our Vedic texts had chants in three notes, but Sam Veda records more complex chants. The variation was in the notes - it had three to seven notes. Vedic scholars had developed a very strict scale of svaras, notes and rhythm, and the chants did not deviate from this. Hence Vedic poetry was rather definitive and rigid. Gradually, as Vedic chants gave way to more leisurely notes, svaras as we know them today were developed. These are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Thesvaras that preceded the more bourgeoisie Sa-Re-Ga-Ma were "Shadj, Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhwavait, and Nishad".

One discovers that language, chants and music were gradually adapted to a mold that could be followed by the masses, and the complexities gave way to lucidity.

The form of music developed by Vedic scholars withstood the passing of many centuries and civilizations, but naturally, there were changes. Many treatises were lost; some could not weather the ravages of time. But people held on to the primeval musical knowledge, enhanced it, and built upon it. It was the inherent purity of that pristine origin of music - the sound of Om, the Naadbrahma that inspired musicians to continue in their pursuit to perfect this art with their sadhana(practice).

Besides the devoted practice, musicians continued research into, and evolved a strict grammar of music - a theory that later composers referred to. Early composers established the three sapthaks (octaves): mandra, the lower octave, madhya, the middle octave, and taar sapthak, the higher octave as the top and bottom ranges within which musical compositions could be authored. Additionally, the musical treatises established other concepts like taal (beat), and jati (how to apply notes).

As our Vedic age drew to a close and India approached her medieval centuries, there was a sudden spurt in interest in music. One of India's learned sage Bharatawrote an authoritative treatise on the performing arts called Natyashastra. Just as prior Vedic texts like Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda and Sam Veda laid down societal structures and conventions which were to be followed by the people, similarly, Natyashastra laid down rules and structures for composers and performers to adhere to, in theater, dance and music.

Indian society had very rigid structures, especially as the Vedic ages drew to a close. There was rigid segregation between the pure (Arya Jan) and the impure (Shudra Jan), the rich and the poor, the Godly, and the mortals. Not only was there a restriction on the Shudras on singing, but a special embargo existed on their singing Gandharva music or ritualistic singing. All sections of society were permitted Dhruva Gana or music for theater. Bharata mentions in Natyashastrathat music was being researched into and had reached a very high level in terms of performance and theory as well. Later, scholars like Dattila, Matanga, Narad, andSarangadeva developed the field further.

It is interesting to note that some of the scholars who wrote musical treatises were not musicians themselves. Myths and folklore has it that the music created by religious philosophers came to them through divine revelation. This would explain why a contemporary musician bows down in front of his instruments, before playing them. Most musicians consider music their religion, and the instruments their Gods and Goddesses.

Bharata's treatise that gives us insight into the musical instruments used in ancient times. It also bridges the missing links between the undocumented periods in our ancient history like the epic periods (Ramayana & Mahabharata), the period of grammarian Panini, and the period of more prolific cataloguing by Matanga (8th century BC). While Natyashastra ruled the roost for nearly 800 years, gradually there was a shift in interest, and a preference for the more lucid, simplified and readable musical theorization by Matanga began. After Matanga, a ruler from theChola kingdom in the South of India, Sarangadeva wrote Sangeeta Ratnakarawhich came to be regarded and respected as the most exhaustive study on ancient Indian classical music.

Sangeeta Ratnakar has an extensive exploration of the system of notes - three to seven, and experimentation on which of these affects the audience greatly. A legend says that Akbar's favorite court poet, Tansen requested one of India's leading musical scholars to explain the raga system mentioned in Sangeeta Ratnakara for him. Even though Tansen is credited for inventing a few ragas, an alternative school of observation and thought in the field of music claims that he borrowed from theSangeeta Ratnakara and tweaked with it.

There is a general agreement that Sangeeta Ratnakar is "the" treatise which set the standards for Indian Classical music as we know it today. Any experimentation or development after Sangeeta Ratnakara, can be easily ascertained and analyzed minutely.

As we approach our Medieval period, its time to recount the evolution of our music vis-a-vis Persian and Muslim invasions. Indian music had already reached its zenith by the time the Muslims established their kingdom in the North of India. During this periods a musical grammar was already in existence, and at a rather evolved stage. India's medieval history has been much better documented than the ancient history. Hence we are aware that music continued as a core area of interest, and it changed form as it changed hands.

Muslim invaders destroyed land, property and culture. Scriptures, original treatises, temples, houses, and people were brutally massacred. To begin with, almost the entire span of India's northern kingdoms was grazed. The South of India remained intact till the Muslim rulers established themselves in the north, and gradually began to expand to the South. This is one primary reason why the culture in the South of India has remained more 'untarnished'.

By the time the Muslim rulers expanded into the South of India, the invasions from Europe had already begun. The Southern kingdoms were usurped for a little over a century and a half, while the North remained in foreign control for over five centuries. This is the reason why the North of India is more appreciative of Ghazals- a predominantly Persian form of music while the Southern states remain more committed to Classical Indian dance and music. Even though the Muslim invasions did enrich some aspects of Hindu culture, but by force of necessity Hindu culture had to assimilate values and the culture of the new rulers.

Next we will explore the effect of the Muslim kingdom on Indian Music.

An Unending Passion

Indian civilization has faced a lot of invasions. But credit goes to the sustentation of our indigenous culture that it survived all the onslaughts. The Persian and Muslim rulers brought with them their own culture - their music, their art, their theologists and scholars. One would have thought that with a huge entourage of singers and instrumentalists in the "durbar", indigenous Indian music would have suffered a decline, but that was not to be. Indian classical music survived this cultural onslaught and has managed to maintain its own identity fairly intact.

It is a fact that today, classical music is not the most favored form of music for the general populace which tends to listen to the more "easy to follow" folk, and lately the pop form. But yet, there are countless Indian classical musicians and singers who are well respected and heard even in "modern" times. There are many reasons for the survival of classical music despite the fact that it requires rigorous practice and devotion. One major reason was that the cult in India was to give a teacher the highest form of respect - like to a father or mother, and this was known as the guru -shishya parampara. This teacher-student tradition established a method of this tradition being passed down generations, with equal devotion from the teacher and the taught. Besides the other qualities that assisted Indian music in a fight for survival were a highly scientific structure within which a musician could operate with total freedom, the aesthetic appeal of the music, the melodies and the unmistakable spiritual aspect of the music.

With the Persian and Muslim invasions, many Hindus converted to Islam because of cultural coercion, but most grew up with Indian music as an inherent tradition and perhaps felt more comfortable with it than with Persian music. These were the most obvious and sociological factors, but Indian Classical music also survived, rather flourished in other parts of India that were not usurped by Muslim rulers like Rajputana, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Devagiri in the South. Soon Gwalior established itself as the stronghold of Indian classical music and won the acclaim for giving Indian history one of its most celebrated musicians - Tansen who sang in Akbar's court.

Aside from the regimented Classical music, another form was emerging with the general population could relate to - the Bhakti movement had started and various contributions by saint poets like Alvaras, Jayadeva, Vidyapati and Chandidas further enriched the tradition of Indian music.

The Muslim rulers brought their tradition of the court poetry and singing - the mehfilat the homes of noblemen and royalty. Royal patronage was gladly given to artists, musicians, singers and dancers. Many artists survived solely on this royal and noble patronage, hence the form of music practiced while Muslims ruled India ran the risk of ending up only as court music. But despite the fact that it was court patronage that helped musicians survive and thrive, the traditions gradually found their way into the very fabric of the society. And has survived through the centuries.

It is from the Muslim court tradition that the Khayal and later, the Ghazal emerged. Amir Khusrau was a prolific poet in the court of Sultan Jalal-ud-din-Khalji. It is rumored that Amir Khusrau wrote one new ghazal every day, and even to this day, his poetry is appreciated for its timeless lyricism. It is during Khusrau's time thatKhayal and Dhrupad as a distinct style of music emerged. However, the most popular forms of singing in the 13th and 14th centuries, were ghazals andqawwalis.

By the time Akbar's rule came about in the 16th century, there was a wide chasm between the music of the Muslim ruled North India and the Hindu ruled South. But the strict distinction between the two forms was kept only by Indian Classical music. The Persian style was gradually evolved and began to include a bit of the elements of ragas. It was during Akbar's reign that Abul Fazl's two works, Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari were written. In addition to describing the music of the day, the latter dealt a little with the classification of ragas as well.

Akbar was a ruler who passionately patronized the arts. His time is well known for the investigation into various forms of music, developing a technical lingo, research into instruments and a lot of experimentation in form and content. Gharanas were not referred to at all before Akbar's time, but during his rule, the tradition of schools of music began to evolve. While he was alive, Tansen was not classified as belonging to a particular Gharana, but after his death, his work was attributed to theSenia Gharana from the Gwalior school of music. However, musical analysts feel that during the development of Dhrupad, the vanis, (styles of singing Dhrupad), were akin to gharanas as we know them today.

With Akbar's death royal patronage to the arts reduced. It is said that a golden period in Indian classical music passed away. However, the patronage was not discontinued. Musicians from the various states were constantly researching, improving their gayaki, styles, and were continuously innovating and studying deeper aspects of music and were involved in royal competitions as well.

Around the 17th and early 18th centuries, a battle was on between Dhrupad andKhayal. By the 19th century, the Khyal had replaced Dhrupad. In the meanwhile,Thumri too, was coming up, especially in the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1847-56). But with the arrival of the Europeans, and the eventual settlement of British in India, the devoted attention to music waned. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor to rule North India. After the Revolution of 1857, the British deposed him, took control and did away with the independent princely states.

The rise of the British Empire spelt death for court arts. With their wealth usurped by the Britishers, the nawabs and noblemen could not patronize the arts and the artists. And it seemed like India's rich music tradition would be lost to imperialism. Yet, a few gharanas survived this second cultural onslaught and emerged strong after India's Independence.

After India got independence from British rule, there was a re-awakening in terms of a "going back to" Indian culture, roots and of course music. Even though the popular and grass roots appreciation of music was lost to a handful of intellectuals, there was a movement to re-popularize music with the entire population.

Gradually, the modern society began to take over and newer forms of media started to emerge that brought with them sounds from all over the world. Western influences crept into Indian music, and motion picture (cinema) changed it even further. Music was being converted to a form that everybody could understand, and participate in rather than a handful of court musicians and the royalty.

The gradually growing film industry began attracting professional musicians. The lure of fame and money was strong and his was a call not many could resist. Meanwhile, the government made consistent efforts to revive the classical arts that had suffered at the hands of the British. However, the trend set by the movies completely turned the face of Indian music around.

But Indian influences had started traveling across the world. In the 60s, Pandit Ravi Shankar took classical music to foreign realms and appreciative audiences. He was also the first to experiment with mixing western music with the Indian classical form to arrive at what is called fusion. But classical music had lost the race to popularity to film music. Then came the real Westernization of Indian music - Pop music, disco appeared on the canvas in the late 70s and early 80s with singers like Nazia Hasan and Runa Laila. However, the trend didn't quite catch on till early 90s when trendsetters like Alisha Chinai and Sharon Prabhakar came to the forefront. Today there is a new pop album released every month.

Just like Jazz, the popular perception of Indian classical music was that it was 'too cerebral' or 'too heavy'. Rock Music has captured the minds of younger generation these days who consider it to be a style statement.However, recent years have seen a resurging interest in the field. An increase in the number of artists indulging in fusion and a growing number of organizations dedicated to spreading the richness of the tradition has helped revive interest in classical music. Also, younger, media savvy artists have realized the potential of the 'Channel [V]-MTV' platform and are working more towards "getting them young".

The Indian classical music tradition is still there, having survived so many metamorphoses. There are still teachers and disciples all over the country who dedicate a major part of their lives to the pursuit of this art, the sadhana of shastriya sangeet.

Inputs: Shri Deepika Singh

Music Review: Khelein hum jee jaan se

There was a time when the launch of any music album from director perfectionist Ashutosh Gowariker was considered as an event of epic proportions and the reason behind the big demand for the albums was God's very own gift to music, Allah Rakha Rahman (A.R.Rahman), who used to be the constant factor in all Gowariker films. Be it LAGAAN, SWADES or JODHAA AKBAR; the Ashutosh-Rahman-Javed Akhtar team regaled music lovers with music and songs par excellence and till today those memorable numbers are sung in almost all reality shows and are popular even amongst the casual, common and occasional music fans!

Needless to add that when it comes to composing music for period films Rahman is the best in business but he got busy due to his international/Hollywood assignments and so Ashutosh turned to young composer, Sohail Sen, who had done a wonderful job earlier in Ashutosh's last release, WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? However, KHJJS is huge period film and the music required will be of a different mood, setting and flavour. Let us see whether Sohail's relatively inexperienced shoulders would be able to carry the huge expectations that always arise from any album from the house of Ashutosh Gowariker and it will also be interesting to see whether or not Sohail will be able to carry forward the excellent work done by the maestro A.R Rahman in Ashutosh's earlier films.

'Sitar' and 'Veena', just the right Hindustani musical instruments to get one into the patriotic mode, commence the first song of the album, "Yeh Des Hai Mera" superbly sung by Sohail himself. The 'raaga' based track has heavy Bengali Rabindra Sangeet influence that is so very heartwarming and absolutely necessary as the film itself is set in erstwhile Bengal. Sohail uses his contemporary knowledge of music as well and in the end we have a superbly composed inspirational number that will surely find use as a haunting background score amidst some pensive and thought provoking moments. Superb use of instruments like the 'rubab', 'veena' harmonium, 'sitar' etc lend the song that authentic period touch and transports one into the thirties. The Rahman type crescendo which comes as the main chorus is delightful and the USP of the song along with the instrumental 'Vande Mataram' . Javed Sahab's lyrics reflect the emotions and determination of the revolutionaries, simple, effective and elegant.

It was just a matter of time and the motivational anthem song that we were awaiting heralds itself in the form of the title track, "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey". Sung by the highly trained classical singers of Suresh Wadkar's reputed Ajivasan Music Academy, the composition has the right blend of classy music orchestrations, flowing tune, excellent chorus rendition and superbly crafted lyrics by the master of patriotic numbers, Javed Akhtar. "Aandhi uthe aage toofan aaye, Ab chahe koi bhi parwan aaye, Leke hatheli par hum jaan aaye". Patriotism, emotions and the grit and determination of the teenage revolutionaries are depicted through some highly energetic and exuberant singing. The 'josh' that was required is certainly there and it is helped by some lively orchestrations, scintillating flute display and whistling tune and also the 'tabla'. Music maestro A.R.Rahman has composed quite a number of patriotic songs and naturally Sohail uses the master's style as an inspiration but that's about all as overall the composition is uniquely Sohail Sen and no doubt with the right amount of promotion by music giants T-Series, this song should become an anthem like quite a few patriotic numbers before.

A stirring 'sitar' display commences "Sapney Salone", a beautiful love duet by Sohail and Pamela Jain, and it will not be an exaggeration to say that this romantic track stands in the league of Ashutosh-Rahman-Javed's "Jashn-E-Bahara" (JODHAA AKBAR). The reason being the absolutely haunting 'raaga' that Sohail uses along with some superb light classical singing by the lead singers, and last but not the least the refreshing Hindustani musical instruments that provide just the picture perfect setting for a highly romantic outing. Sohail conquers the crests and troughs with perfect ease and shows his mastery over his vocals and is equally well supported by Pamela, whose sugary sweet vocals are a delight. The 'antara' is the most beautiful part of the song and uniqueness of the song is that it never follows a similar route or a tune and there is surprise awaiting in every part.

And if "Yeh Des Hai Mera" and the title track were not enough to whip up the patriotic fervour, here's the number that will surely get one further into the nationalistic mode and the song is none other than, "Vande Mataram", the anthem that became the voice of the freedom fighters. Superbly translated from Sanskrit to Hindi (only the first line in Sanskrit is retained) for the convenience of all, the lyrics abound with love for mother India and it's natural bounties and are amazing. "He janani maa bharti, Tu nahin sahas harti, Jag karta teri aarti". Kudos to the lyricist Javed Akhtar ! As for the song what can one write when words just fall short of singing praises for this iconic number . Cine Singers Association Chorus Group rendition of this version of "Vande Mataram" is absolutely spellbinding. Energy oozes with patriotic zeal and their fervour matches those of the freedom fighters who used the phrase to pump up emotions, so very often during their freedom struggle. And all credit to the composer who has really worked hard in providing his own brilliant inputs into the iconic track so that it becomes all the more contemporary and universally appealing. A must hear for all.
The instrumental version of "Vande Mataram" is the theme piece complete with drill and march past sounds and superb piano and keyboards display along with chorus humming giving one the complete feel of the movie and freedom movement of the revolutionaries.

For those discerning audience that loves instrumental there are as many as seven (if we include "Vande Mataram" and "Naiyn Tere-Sad") full-fledged delightful pieces, programmed and arranged by Simaab Sen that are a collectors item all right!

Perhaps the best instrumental of all , with regards to massive orchestral arrangements is " The Escape" and as can be gauged from the title it's a heady, racy rhythm with simulated horse hoof sounds of the revolutionaries escaping from the clutches of the British troops. The hectic pace picks up even more dramatically as the full on orchestra comes into play and it's right here that the composer/arranger showcases his knowledge of western classical with just the right fusion of rhythm and orchestra to highlight the tense situation. It may well be used as a definite background score and add 'chaar chand' and drama to the action sequences.

Lastly we have the "Revolutionaries Comrades", a superb instrumental version of the first song, "Yeh Des Hai Mera", which starts with piano notes followed by chorus humming which forms major part. In between the pace picks up dramatically with a scintillating display of philharmonic orchestra, gushing stream and horns and the amalgamation of these with humming chorus is simply exhilarating.

Song Review-Aas paas khuda

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's refined classy singing has been a domineer figure in pensive-mood melancholic tracks and once again it regales out splendidly in "Aas Paas Khuda". For its potential melodic features, it can easily be termed as sentimental core element of the album. Soft guitar pricks in the prelude sets a meditative decorum and its gets complemented well with mellowed textures of soft-rock beat music. There is sense of divinity embroiled in Shekhar's motivational wordings ("Dhundhla jaayein jo manzilein, Ik pal ko tu nazar jhuka, Jhuk jaaye sar jahan wahi, Milta hai rab ka raasta...) that contorts this love-journey into self-realization thinking platform. This is another beautiful treat from Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's refined vocals and is likely to be one among finest sentimental numbers of this year with great success. Soft guitar riffs are at the helm of affairs, its "unplugged" version is added delight from the distinguished vocalists as it packs serenity in the air. It's beautiful, touching and invigorating for quality ears. Motivational!!!

Song review--Sajde

"Sajde" is the quintessential love ditty that has found acceptance by a large section of the die hard romantics who love and patronize these mushy numbers in whichever form they are offered. The slow drawl tune which has it's origin in the folk music of the hills is encapsulated in a beautiful traditional garb of lovely Hindustani musical arrangements like the flute, 'tabla', 'sitar' and the sounds of anklets/ 'payal' and beads. And the best of the best, K.K and Sunidhi have been assigned the task of delivering this romantic ballad and needless to add, they are excellent! However, it's once again the lyricist Irshad Kamil who needs maximum applause for penning easy to hum lyrics which are universally appealing and also convey the feelings of the protagonists very clearly. "Sajde kiye hain lakhon, Lakhon duayein maangi, Paya hai maine phir tujhe." Pritam has always composed some lovely romantic numbers for Akshay and this will go down as one such number, though it will not be path breaking like "Teri Ore".

Song Review--Pee loon

Mohit and Pritam have worked wonders whenever they have come together , be it 'Tum Se Hi'(JAB WE MET) or (LOVE AAJ KAL) and they once again manage to stir quite a few hearts with 'Pee Loon'. The very first strings of the guitar and the enchanting 'alaap' that commences this hauntingly beautiful love ditty is enough to convey that we have chanced upon another chartbuster from Pritam. The song is not a mere ode to love through some lovely simple melody but the main USP of the song is the absolutely mesmerizing sufi 'qawwali' that forms the chorus and is the mainstay, a jewel in the crown, the icing on the cake! The beautiful use of traditional instruments in the 'qawwali' like harmonium, 'tabla', sitar is scintillating. The last time that we had heard something as beautiful as this was in Rahman's 'Kehna Hi Kya'(BOMBAY) and lately it was 'Sajda'(MY NAME IS KHAN). Pritam's all time favourite lyricist Irshad Kamil handles the lyrical department and this is one of those rare songs where the lyrics of the 'mukhda' are simple 'tukbandi'(rhyming) while it's the 'antara' where Irshad's poetic brilliance comes to the fore.

http://www.raaga.com/player4/?id=230384&mode=100&rand=0.7719275411218405

Unreal Reality shows!!

Reality TV shows are no longer a sure-fire hit. The names of the expensive flops may not trip off the tongue, but there have been plenty. Many a times, a complete list of reality shows that have failed to grab enough viewers, despite the millions of pounds lavished on them, continues to grow. Little coverage is directed at the flops, but even reality-show producers accept that simply watching people in contrived situations has lost its novelty edge.

Innumerable testimonials and complaints have been lodged against the issue that popular reality TV shows being aired these days are either scripted or completely biased. Trampling over the hypes of media, reality TV shows dont exactly play fair.
It's not that the shows have line-for-line scripts; there are many ways of using footage to shape a story. But at this point it should be clear that the reality TV "fad" is in fact an intentionally-engineered ploy by show hosts and Channel owners together that could prove beneficial to increase the TRP of their program.
Success of reality shows in India can be attributed to a great extent to this weakness of ours. Apart from this, the relief that these shows provide from the saas-bahu soaps, which currently dominate television, is another reason for their immense popularity.

The craze for reality television hit India when channel V came up with Viva, a band of five young singers. When channel V announced the auditions, young dreamers gathered in huge numbers to give their luck a try. They cried when they failed, celebrated when they triumphed. The audience, on its part, lapped up this overdose of emotions thrown at them by the channel. The show was a big success and an inspiration for both the shrewd business minds and also for the young dreamers waiting for their share of fame.

Reality shows are extremely popular these days. However, there is no way to guarantee success. Just because these shows are popular with people it doesnt mean that anything and everything that will be served to the audience in the name of reality shows will be relished.
Reality shows have come under a lot of criticism. Questions have been raised over the authenticity of the voting system on the basis of which the contestants are voted out. Prominent names like Lata Mangeshkar have raised fingers over the very method of selection that is used on such shows.
Throwing contestants out on the basis of the votes cast by people sitting at home with hardly any knowledge about the technicalities involved in a contest like singing or dancing has been questioned.

Cons of Reality Shows:

1. Queues - Television auditions are popular and you can expect to wait several hours or even all day before getting through the doors, let alone being seen!

2. Contestants - May be eliminated on looks whilst waiting in line - all that time waiting and no opportunity to audition!

3. Audition - Contestants are usually screened by the shows producer, a representative from the management company or other personal and may NOT be called back for an audition with the celebrity judges (who you may not see at all until the night of the show).

4. Cameras - The advent of 'Reality TV' means that the contestant must be prepared to be filmed during the whole process.

5. Performance - Be prepared for criticism! Celebrity judges held no punches when it came to their opinion of the artists performance.

6. Contracts - Contestants must sign a contract with the show which may tie them into a label or management company that has little or no interest in promoting them and may include terms which are detrimental to the performer i.e., minimum royalties, low or nonexistent performance fees and deductions from earnings even when no longer with the company.

About those buddies who made a difference to my life!

Hitarth Parmar aka $€thji

Just one word for Sethji---Awesome!

Talking about him in detail,He is a champ! Total ROCK FREAK! Loves people with good looks,good english and good attitude. And for those who don't match his criteria,better stay away! A sweet friend who is very loyal in friendship and Down-to-earth guy!

Mind you well guys...he is EXTREMELY RICH!! :P Loves sports! He's a scholar! In short a perfect guy! Shy when it comes to girls. But i'm sure he's gonna get a beautiful Gf!

He's my Bestest Buddy and one of my biggest secret holder! I'm sure he would never spit out anything about me to anyone! I trust him a lot!

Purvam Parmar aka Rankee

One word for Rankee----Artist

This guy has so much potential.A very good Poet,Writer and Painter. Science is not his cup of tea just like me! A Ready-to-help guy! Any problem,any difficulties..just go to purvam and you will find a way out!He has helped me a lot in my tough times and i can never forget that! He's my second bro and a part of my family! Loves Flirting and he masters this art too! :P

Very Lazy! He's never on time.So i request all the girls out there to call him half an hour early than the preferred time! :P

Keep Rocking dude!

Rohan Shotriya aka Monu

Monu-my lookalike! haha

Rohan is the very first friend of my life! We are friends since we were in our "Langots". So he's my "Langotia yaar" in true sense!Very supportive and encouraging! A scholar in academics! Loves hangouts with friends!

There were a few elements who tried to create problems between us but fortunately they failed! Rohan is also like my bro! I call his mom "Masi" and he calls my mom "Masi".

A very good Soccer player.I'm sure he would do good in this field too! :D We both enjoy eyeing girls and giving them points on the basis of their face,figure and dressing (ryt monu?)! ;)

Hope this friendship stays as it is till eternity!

Mehul Surti aka A.R Rahman!

Mr.Rahman of gujarat!

Mehul Surti is one such name that will surely rule the hearts of thousands one day!Extremely talented being! Creates magic in music!Amazing personality! very very positive and Happy-go-lucky types!

I love working with him and talking with him about various aspects of music! I love his studio.It's the best i've seen till date!

Looking forward to many thousand songs from him!

Praher Vora aka The mimic

Mimicry expert Mr.Praher vora!

A very very good friend of mine! An awesome singer,composer,Music arranger and an Excellent mimic! ;)

I love going for long drives with him listening to some amazing creations and doing mimicries! We enjoy staying up late nights and making music!

Hoping for some great albums from him! Wishing him all the luck!

Himalee Vyas aka Ben

The Ben of gujarati Light music (I know u would kill me after reading this ;))

Himalee ben is an amazing person with a gifted voice! Melodious singer!Extremely talented and a very jolly person!Love her company! And Specially the Italian food! haha

Very humble and polite in-spite of her achievements.Once she starts laughing,she jus cant stop! :P Loves literature and books!

Be the same forever!

Wish you happiness forever! xoxo

Satvi Choksi aka Kareena kapoor

Satvi--Kareena lookalike!

Satvi is a great actor!My cutest friend and a great human being!very very innocent!Loves surprises and jokes! :)

Shes like my lil sister!I'm always there in her tough times and she stands by me in my tough times!A gem of a person!Just love her company!

Everybody around her becomes happy because of her nature!Very childish and very cute!

Always be like u are dear! :)

Vinit Parmar aka Mr. Technical

Vinit bhai--The guide!

Vinit bhai is one of the most genuine person I've ever met! He is a true friend and a great guide!Loves technical things! My maths tutor!

Loves Poetry and sufi music!Very honest and lovable bro! Germany is his second country! :P

Passionate about everything that is dear to him!

Bro! U rock!

Amrita aka Zindagi

Amrita is one such gem whom anyone on this planet would want. One should learn true meaning of friendship from her. She is a real sweetheart. Always there at any damn time.

She is multi-talented and can give complex to anyone. :) One thing i like about her is that she is not a typical girl of her age.Least interested in all those silly stuffs.She is a woman of substance.I love her nickname "Zindagi".

I'm lucky to have her in my life :) Love ya Amu :)

How Indian music is better than Western music?

The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and, developed over several eras, it remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression and pure entertainment.

What is american (of the United States) music ?
The relationship between music and race is perhaps the most potent determiner of musical meaning in the United States. Through the verbally passed on slave songs and learned church music, African American musical styles became an integral part of American popular music through blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and then rock and roll, soul and hip hop.
Whereas country music and upper class patronized symphonies etc are seen as typical white music. Present day popular american music is just an unplanned/unscientific amalgamation of notes.

Comparison of Indian music with its classical, folk and pop components with american music which is mostly just pop is therefore heavily one sided in favour of Indian music.


From purely listening pleasure point of view, I find that Indian music is deep, meaningful, spiritual, pleasurable to ears and stresses on vocal presentations. American music is more instrument oriented and repetitive. Take away the orchestrations and there is nothing left there. There isn't even any melody to sing it.
Occasionally, a Daniel Bedingfield, Dido or a Joey Macintyre comes along and proves to be a one song wonder.

As a person that has studied both Indian and western classical music, I can objectively say that Indian music is far superior.
1. It allows for creativity & flexibility instead of rigidity of written western music.
It encourages mastery over music whereas w c m encourages ability to adhere strictly to the written score.
2. Concept of ragas with assigned notes for ascending and descending scales (aaroh/avaroh) creates a permutation that creates infinite possibilities. It is thus, more scientific and structured while still allowing the freedom of creativity so important in music.
3. Ragas are assigned time of day, moods, locales, settings. These have a unique rendition effect.
Some baroque music can be tranquil.
4. Gradation of scale, notes, tones etc is scientific in both types of music, but more sophisticated in Indian style.
5.Beats - (tala) plays an integral role in music. In western, it is like a forced merger.

There are many differences that are very technical in nature. My western music teacher often comments on how Indian music spans all scales (low- Kharj to highest), is set in various speeds (vilamb to drut) and is beautifully set in minors. Most western music is set primarily in majors thereby restricting it. It takes a connoisseur of music to understand the subtleties.
An Indian classical singer can sing ANY type of music - western classical included. The same can not be said for a person trained in western form of music.

Although lyrics are becoming more and more mundane and pedestrian day by day everywhere.......yet Indian music (not necessarily bollywood) has still retained a semblance of poetry and depth in expressions.
American lyrics ("shake your booty/ I wanna F*** you ???") are just sad. Even the worst B grade Indian film songs are often an ode to love (not lust), beauty (- of eyes etc ) and deep emotions !
The poster that talks about exploring divinity is right. Music is seen as something that has the power to put you in a transcedental state and is an integral part of faith for that reason.

Difference between a Tanpura and a Sitar!

Today I’m going to write about Tanpuras (or Tamburas) as these instruments are often confused with each other. In my highly prejudiced opinion, every Indian who is able, i.e. has access to this knowledge, should know the difference between these instruments. The Tanpura is the backbone of Indian music, Sitars have brought it fame, and the Veena is one of the most ancient instruments in the world. After all we can recognise pianos, and will probably be able to tell that an organ is not a piano, though it may look similar and though we may not be able to name it.

I know that for those not interested in music this may be boring. On the other hand it is likely to be boring even for those who are interested in music, because this is very basic. But I hope those who are not interested, or vaguely interested, do read this post and forgive me for being a little obsessive about wanting us to at least recognise the different instruments if not to hear them. There may be concepts that are difficult to understand, if you want, you can explore them further by clicking on the hyperlinks, or just ignore them for the time being and simply get used to what the instruments look like and sound like so you can tell the difference. There are many video clips (hurrah for youtube!) and it’s not necessary to play them for their full length or to play them at all-they are for the purposes of illustration only.

It’s probably not your fault if you don’t know the difference between these instruments-all three look similar, they have many variations (particularly Veenas), and Indian classical music has often been inaccessible to various groups of people; Gender, caste, social status, language, religion, class and education have all acted in complicated ways to exclude people from learning it or knowing about it. Or it may simply be that one just doesn’t know about it, so let me evangelise (imperfectly).

Tanpura or Tambura:

All Indian classical vocalists, of the well-known styles of Indian classical music i.e. the North Indian style of Hindustani music (further subdivided into the quite distinct Dhrupad and Khayal styles) and the South Indian Carnatic style of music are accompanied by a Tanpura or Tambura (there are other less well-known forms of Indian art music that I shall not refer to here). The instrument is called Tanpura in the North and Tambura in the South. Instrumentalists are accompanied by Tanpuras too, though they often use a smaller version called a tanpuri or tamburi.

There are “male” and “female” Tanpuras-female ones can be smaller and they can be tuned to suit male and female voices (the tuning depends on the strings-so a female can use a “male” Tanpura, with strings suitable for her pitch)

Here is a picture of a North Indian Tanpura:

And here is a picture of a South Indian Tambura:

Though they might look big and heavy, they are actually quite light and quite fragile.

The North (Miraj) and South Indian (Tanjore) versions are constructed slightly differently and produce a slightly different sound though they perform the same function, that is to provide a “drone” to help the musician sing in pitch (sruti). Maintaining sruti, or singing in pitch is very important and therefore the Tanpura is absolutely essential in Indian classical music. Essentially, the Tanpura sings a recurring melody.

Everyone has a natural pitch. When learning Indian classical music, one chooses one’s “Sa,” called adhara shadja, the basic tonic note-every other note is sung relative to this note. Thus maintaining the basic “Sa,” the fixed reference point is very important, and that is what the Tanpura does (this is different to Western music).

Tanpuras usually have four or five strings. The first string is tuned to Pa (the natural fifth from the adhara shadja), the two middle ones are tuned to the higher Sa and the last, which is the bass string, to the tonic, Sa, an octave lower. The tuning of the first string may change, depending on the raga/ragam (e.g. there may be a raga/ragam without Pa) or an extra string that plays the seventh, i.e. Ni, is added, but we will not get into that here.

Nowadays one gets electronic sruti boxes and electronic tamburas that are much easier to carry around, that look like small radios. Though these are very good and have reached high standards, some people (including yours truly) feel that the traditional Tanpuras and Tamburas provide a richer sound and should not be done away with. Learning to tune a Tanpura is also considered essential in training one’s ear. For a technical view on why traditional Tanpuras sound better see this article.

Here is a link to a podcast by the Carnatic musician Vidya Subramaninan and Devesh Satyavolu that explains, very simply, the functions of the shruti box, the electronic tambura and the traditional Tambura. Vidya sings out the notes of the Tambura-this will help in understanding what’s been said above about how it is tuned.

Here is a video where you can see how Tanpuras are played and hear the rich sound of well tuned (North Indian) Tanpuras clearly. The singer is Ustad H. Sayeeduddin Dagar who sings in the Dhrupad style. He starts off here with a Sanskrit chant:

Here is a video of the Khayal singer Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, singing a bhajan. I’ve chosen this video because it has clear close-ups of her fingers on the Tanpura strings:

And finally, here is a link to a video of a South Indian Tambura being played, that I couldn’t embed here.

A Tanpura is usually held straight up in front of the singer or tanpura accompanist (people can tend to lean it towards their bodies or put it in their laps) or flat down on the floor, whereas a Sitar is usually held diagonally across the body. More on the sitar in the next post.

Here is a video I just found with an explanation of the function of the Tanpura:

Definition of a "RAAG"

There are a lot of people these days who have jumped on to the “great Indian culture” bandwagon, but sadly, there are not many, or not enough, who devote much time to this phenomenal idea, the idea of Raga. Ragas are based on those other phenomenal things-swaras (inadequately translated as notes).

Indian classical music is sometimes referred to as Raga Music.

There is no English word that properly explains the meaning the of Raga.

Raga is a Sanskrit word, that literally means “colour” or “passion.” Ragas are meant to colour the mind with emotion.

Ragas are referred to as Raag in the North and Ragam in the South. However, all three words, i.e. Raga, Raag and Ragam are understood both in the North and the South.

Ragas are made up of notes or swaras. As noted in the previous posts, there are seven basic notes (Sa, Re( or Ri), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) known as the saptak or the saptaswaras. Sa is repeated at the end of the scale and is higher in pitch, the exact double of the first Sa. [This higher Sa will be referred to with quotation marks in front of it like this: S"]

Remember there are also “in-between notes” known as semi-tones and microtones (srutis), which are varieties of the seven main notes/tones.

Shadja, or Sa for short, is the swara that is always present in every Raga. It is the fundamental note and all the other notes are relative to it.

Traditionally, it has been accepted that a Raga has to have a minimum of 5 swaras. However, Ragas with fewer notes have been invented/discovered. The contemporary singer and composer Dr. Balamuralikrishna is famous for his Raga creations that have only three or four notes.

The reason why Indian Raga music sounds the way it does is because of the special treatment that is given to the seven notes and the use of microtones. The microtones are touched upon by using various techniques to ornament the notes, known as “gamaka,” “meend” etc.

Learning where to stress a note, where to ornament it, which one to give importance to, and which one needs to be gently caressed with a feather, so as to just give a hint of it, are things that can only be learned from a teacher and through a lot of listening.

A demonstration of some of what has been discussed above is provided in some enjoyable videos by Rama Varma, who discusses the Raga Shankarabharnam, a major raga of Carnatic music. He uses the word “gamakam” which refers to note ornamentation in Carnatic music.

Though different types of gamakas/gamakams are used in Carnatic and Hindustani music, what Rama Varma says is useful in understanding how notes can be differently ornamented and stressed in Ragas in general. A gamakam is also sometimes said to be an “oscillation” of a note.

Pitch in Indian Classical Music

Here is a little more technical detail about pitch for those who are interested:

In practice, the human voice is limited to a certain range of keys (but this is quite a wide range).

With reference to Hindustani music, people tend to describe their pitch with reference to harmonium keys. So you may hear someone say, for example, that their pitch is “kaali chaar,” i.e. black four. That means that’s where they are comfortable singing their first Sa.

The word “safed” refers to white keys.

In the Carnatic system, a unit of measurement called “kattai” is used to refer to pitch. There are also half kattais. Half kattais indicate semi-tones (the black keys on a keyboard)

Below is a comparative pitch chart :

Carnatic Music	Hindustani Music	Western Music
Kattai 6	Mandra Safed 6 (Low)	A (Low)
Kattai 6 1/2	Mandra Kali 5	A#
Kattai 7	Mandra Safed 7	B
Kattai 1	Safed 1	C
Kattai 1.5	Kali 1	C#
Kattai 2	Safed 2	D
Kattai 2.5	Kali 2	D#
Kattai 3	Safed 3	E
Kattai 4	Safed 4	F
Kattai 4.5	Kali 3	F#
Kattai 5	Safed 5	G
Kattai 5.5	Kali 4	G#
Kattai 6	Safed 6	A
Kattai 6.5	Kali 5	A#
Kattai 7 (high)	Safed 7 (High)	B

Indo-Pak Talks--A futile effort?

A day after the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers agreed on more talks to rebuild a mutual trust fractured by the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the media on both sides of the border was abuzz with news of the dialogue having collapsed.

Neither Pakistan’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi nor India’s S.M. Krishna set a date for future talks or announced any concrete measures that might soothe tensions. The Mumbai attacks and recent imposition of curfew in Srinagar remained the stumbling blocks in a dialogue that went on for several hours.

Though Qureshi and Krishna agreed to meet again, the back-and-forth rhetoric both in media or out of it did little to assuage the tension between the nuclear-capable neighbors.

India insists further talks with Pakistan are only possible once Islamabad convinces New Delhi of its intention to prosecute the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

India and Pakistan are blaming each other for not achieving a major breakthrough. Both have taken closed-door diplomacy to an expectant media who waste no time in interpreting the hostile undercurrents from their grim faces.

In a press briefing on Friday, Qureshi said India was not mentally prepared for talks and that Krishna kept interrupting talks to take calls from New Delhi.

Former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh had once said “an accomplished diplomat thinks twice before saying nothing.”

The issues between the two neighbors – from Kashmir and Afghanistan to their checkered history – are too complicated and both sides have too much to lose at home if they seen to be compromising their stand. Diplomacy and dialogue are just means to keep tensions from escalating. Peace and normalcy are fanciful words for the region.

Has the goal of the India-Pakistan talks shifted to aggressive posturing and one-upmanship before the media, taking away from much-needed measures to bridge the trust gap?

Are peace-building measures while a hostile climate exists between New Delhi and Islamabad a futile effort at diplomacy?

Western instruments-A strict NO NO for Indian music!

For a long time i have been fiddling with keyboards, not in the western classical sense, but i used to try 'carnatic music' on the keyboard. I used to get highly frustrated because i couldnt express a majority of my musical ideas on the keyboard. Indian classical music thrives on "continuity", and with a discrete set of keys in the keyboard it is quite impossible to achieve continuity . Yup i have used the "pitch bender", well it is not possible to go more than one or two pitches using the pitch bender (they say with the latest MIDI keyboards the pitch bender is configurable). Well to me, the pitch bender inherently is not designed to go beyond 2-3 pitches and you need exceptional skills to control it even if it offered a high pitch range. Seriously I cant imagine playing the multifarious gamakams of Raaga Todi/Jog using that !!

So basically to me "Current 'purely' electronic instruments are not suitable for producing Indian Music at 'real time' " I emphasize real time 'cos i know a bunch of music editing softwares that can do anything with recorded music.