Introduction Chapter I

Chapter I Introduction Chapter I Introduction Indian classical music today, is the outcome of musical evolution over many centuries. Two major music systems co-exist in India, namely the Hindustani classical music in the north and Carnatic music in south India. The fact that two distinct music traditions have flourished within the realm of Indian art music is in itself, a testimony to the inherent vitality and diversity of the music of the region. Khayal is a popular form in Hindustani music today and has been so since the eighteenth century. The presence and establishment of varied musical ideologies, well defined by the gharana tradition within the broader framework of the khayal genre, has reinforced the importance of stylistic diversity for the vitality of our music system. Every gharana in Hindustani art music is differentiated by certain well- defined stylistic features. Thus within the larger framework of khayal vocalism, artistes formed affiliations to specific ideologies represented by differentgharana -s in accordance to their personal preferences. Once this affiliation is established, every artiste seeks to explore his/her own creative individuality, while adhering to the basic tenets of their respective gharana. The continuity and perpetuation of khayal vocalism is built up on this edifice. Performing arts and all traditional learning in India have largely been orally transmitted through what is better known as the guru-shishya parampara or the teacher-disciple mode of instruction. Even today, the one to one interaction between the guru and the disciple is considered the most effective way of learning all performing arts, more so in music and dance. It is commonly observed that the disciples of the same guru do not sound identical. This is because each practitioner essentially interprets the broader features of teaching in the 1 contemporary context. Hence the style as conceptualized by, say the founder of a gharana, has indeed undergone sufficient degree of change amongst each generation of practitioners and this has subsequently ensured continuity and greater aesthetic coherence. Within a gharana itself there are numerous possibilities of self-expression explored by the artists. There are many examples to illustrate this point. Mallikarjun Mansur1 and Kesarbai Kerkar are widely acknowledged as exponents of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. Both emphasized the core features of the gharana that they belonged to, evident in the complex badhat and phirat in tana-s and the penchant for singing rare raga-s. But each of the above vocalists achieved iconic status on account of having a distinctive gayaki. Kesarbai Kerkar had a low pitched and broad voice which lends a majestic quality to her music. She presented her musical ideas with great precision and clarity. Mallikarjun Mansur had a very tuneful, pin- pointed voice which was especially highlighted in his unique treatment of the taara shadja and which in many ways uplifted the overall emotional quotient of his performances. These are some examples illustrating the impact of voice quality on the gayaki. Other factors like temperament, training and tutelage from different musicians and individual aesthetic sense are instrumental in shaping up a gayaki. Gajananbua Joshi, although trained initially by his father Anant Manohar Joshi of the Gwalior gharana, sought additional tutelage with Vilayat Hussain Khan of the Agra gharana and Bhurji Khan of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. Apart from widening his raga repertoire, he gained proficiency in singing specific raga-s within the framework of a particular gharana for instance when he sang Bihagda, the 1 It may be noted that in this entire thesis, the names of all the artistes contemporary and otherwise have not been pre-fixed with any title like Pandit, Ustad, Mr. or Ms. This is the norm adopted for writing a dissertation and in no way means dis-respect to the artistes mentioned in this work. 2 distinct stamp of the Jaipur gharana was never lost ; similarly in his rendition of raga-s like Barwa , the accentuation on layakari as done in the Agra gharana gayaki , was duly inculcated. Yet while viewing his gayaki in totality, what comes forth most decisively is his ability to seamlessly integrate the different stylistic influences. My own experience as a student of Hindustani vocal music has provided me with ample occasions to understand this phenomenon from close quarters. Kashinath Shankar Bodas from whom I started my training, belonged to the lineage of Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, his father Shankar Shreepad Bodas being a direct disciple of Paluskar. But due to the influence and impact of Kumar Gandharva’s gayaki on him, evident in both his khayal-s and bhajan-s, Kashinath Bodas brought in newer dimensions to his rich vocalism. The gayaki while being steeped in the Gwalior idiom is also characterized by the simplicity in approach enhanced through a blemish-less voice. Veena Sahasrabuddhe, my second guru, brought in more refinement in terms of presentation with a well-defined architecture in her music. Ulhas Kashalkar from whom I learnt as a resident scholar of the Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata, is regarded as one of the finest vocalists of the twenty-first century. His gayaki exudes an intellectualism brought forth through the serious study of khayal vocalism and combines this with extreme sophistication in presentation. The presence of such distinctive styles within a single idiom aroused my curiosity to understand the reasons for such diversity both as a researcher and performer. With this background, I was keen to explore the occurrence of stylistic diversity within a gharana especially through an objective process in order that the differences can be 3 understood more clearly. While the notion of diversity is widespread in every gharana, the stylistic variations within the Gwalior gharana, is the primary focus of this work. The choice has been essentially governed by my own proximity to the gharana stylistics. 1.1 Rationale The main purpose of this work is to study the diversity within the Gwalior gharana especially through the detailed analysis of specific recordings. The Gwalior gharana, like all other gharana-s, is governed by a specific aesthetic viewpoint. This gets reflected through the various features pertaining to voice projection or swar lagaav, introductory aalap, treatment and role of the bandish, aalap or modes of improvisation, laya conception and variety of tana-s. The basic features of the gharana, as mentioned here, are taken as the main parameters for analysis. Comparative study on the gayaki of the chosen vocalists is carried out by examining each feature amongst the seven vocalists. This clearly shows the fact that the vocalists have followed a two pronged approach by adhering to certain facets of the features (of Gwalior gharana) and have also given an individual interpretation to all the features. This, in turn, has enriched the Gwalior gayaki and has also contributed to its perpetuity in succeeding generations. The lineage of the Gwalior gharana is very vast and extensive owing to the fact that it is acknowledged as the oldest gharana. Haddu Khan, Hassu Khan and Natthu Khan who were patronized by the ruler of Gwalior, are chiefly credited with the propagation of the gayaki. Balkrishnabua Icchalkaranjikar who essentially belonged to the Hassu Khan tradition, popularized the gayaki in Maharashtra. The lineage of Natthu Khan also 4 flourished in Gwalior through Nissar Hussain Khan and his disciples. A more detailed account of the lineage is given in chapter 3. Out of this large pool of artistes, I have chosen seven vocalists for this study namely Rehmat Khan, Ramkrishnabua Vaze, Anant Manohar Joshi, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, Omkarnath Thakur, Sharad Chandra Arolkar and D.V. Paluskar. A brief overview of the vocalists chosen for this study is given below. 1. Rehmat Khan (d.1922) was Haddu Khan’s son and one of the first Gwalior vocalists to be recorded. His swar lagaav was unique and influenced future generations of vocalists and this qualifies his selection for the current study. 2. Ramkrishnabua Vaze (1872-1943)2 was a trailblazing vocalist essentially trained in the Gwalior idiom. He made certain conscious choices in his music making that set him apart from the other practitioners of his parent gharana. 3. Anant Manohar Joshi (1881-1967) was a disciple of Balkrishnabua Icchalkaranjikar. While being well groomed by his first guru, he sought to assimilate nuances from Rehmat Khan’s gayaki. 4. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (1893-1989) was a popular representative of the Gwalior gharana with a performing career spanning more than seventy years. Display of virtuosity through a brisk paced gayaki was part of the strategy that he adopted in his music making. 5. Omkarnath Thakur (1897-1967) was an immensely influential performer of the Gwalior gayaki. His particular attention to the song text of the bandish and to extract 2 See Ranade 2011:43 for the year of birth and death. 5 the evocative meaning of the words, made him stand out from other vocalists of the Gwalior gharana. 6. Sharad Chandra Arolkar (1912-1994) had a contemplative approach to khayal singing and his gayaki was known for being expansive while adhering to the slow medium tempo prescribed for the Gwalior idiom. 7. D.V. Paluskar (1921-1955) carved a niche in the world of Hindustani music at a very young age. He was one of the most prolific performers of the Gwaliorgharana with many recordings to his credit. The quality of his voice had immense impact on his gayaki. His raga delineation was marked by a systematic and methodical approach. I have not involved contemporary exponents of the gharana mainly with the view that vocal styles are liable to undergo change at any stage and hence it would be pre-judgmental to comment on the gayaki of contemporary artistes.

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