ISSUE NO. 5 DECEMBER 1982 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1983
A bi·monthly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West. Editors: Huib Schippers, lane Harvey. Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Holland.
EDITORIAL
In winter there are very few concerts of Indian music in the West. Most artists are in India at this time performing in the winter concert season. It is for this reason that we decided to extend this issue over the "slow" three months. Or rather, to provide material for three months. This issue of the internation al edition has six pages. Usually there is a two page Dutch supplement, but this time we have used these pages in order to be able to present more material to all our rea ders. In the absence of concerts for which we can present concrete background informa tion, we take the opportunity to present two articles of a more philosophical nature. Philosophical articles on Indian music often tend to deviate too far from the rea sonable. Still, it is impossible to describe the whole of Indian music objectively. We do not present these essays as statements, but rather as food for thought. The other contents of this Newsletter are more practical. For many lovers of rec The vocalists Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan, more widely known as the Ali Brothers. Cover photo ords of Indian music the article on this sub from one of their albums. Photo by Dhiraj Chawda ject will hopefully give some useful guide lines, much needed if our impressions are RECORDS tists are presented in much the same way. not mistaken. The article on books is We need other selective criteria. meant to provide some directed stimula The names of the musical pieces on a tion for people inclined to read more. record do not give assurance as they do on We hope that the still insufficient num In most countries, winter is a hard time Western records. The melodic structure of ber of readers will enjoy this Newsletter. for lovers of Indian music. There are vir a raga may be fIxed, but every artist will tually no live concerts. Recorded music is treat the tonal material in a different way, our only comfort. according to his nature and his voice or SUBSCRIBE TO Recordings of Indian music can never be instrument. INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER more than two-dimensional representations In the quest for good Indian records the of live performances. Still, many records performing artist(s) remains as the only de SUBSCRIPTION Hfl. 15,- ($8, £3-50) are definitely worth listening to. pendable guideline. Leaving room for ex On the other hand, many are not. There ceptions, one can assume that a top artist Send an International Postal Money Order are a great number of records available with or a cheque (add transfer charges) will play all musical pieces better than absolutely inferior music. Especially in the or cash money (registered) others, because his tonal quality, his skill pop fad period of Indian music many un Extra donations warmly welcomed in improvising, his knowledge of raga and speakably bad artists got their records re his general insight into the music will be leased, mainly by ignorant Western record Indian Music Newsletter greater. companies. Post Box 10088 It is impossible to give a full list of ar The records of these artists are being Amsterdam, Holland tists that have made good records in this marketed under the most ridiculously pom limited space. Besides, there is the problem pous titles with sleeve notes that often Please support our cause! of difference in qUality of records by one practically claim that the artist could make (Within Holland: Postgiro nr. 5265123) artist. Keeping this in mind, we can tenta beautiful music before he could walk. tively say the following. Moreover, these artists all descend in a For sitar, the beginning buyer is best straight line from the legendary musician advised to limit himself to the three best Thanks to Ins & Outs Press for making it Tan Sen, a quite unlikely and futile claim sitar players of India: Ravi Shankar, possible for the Newsletter to survive the previous Vilayat Khan and Nikhil Banerjee. Each two issues, and thanks also to all those who are for most of them. helping in different ways. Unfortunately, the records of good ar- of them has a distinct style. Preference (continued on page 2) 2
(continued from page 1) depends largely upon individual taste. very enjoyable duets with Vilayat Khan behind the release. This gives more scope The other main plucked instrument, (sitar) and V.G. Jog (Violin). The most im than the limited number of names we men the sarod, knows one absolute master; portant duets, however, are those of Ravi tioned so far. Virtually all records of HMV Ali Akbar Khan is considered to be the Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. It was the are good. That is, the music on them is best instrumentalist of today by most. combination of these two master musicians good. As far as production is concerned, The other important sarodiya who de that formed the breakthrough for duets. hardly any of the records from the HMV serves to be mentioned is Amjad Ali There is still a small group of musicians Dum Dum factories are either flat or Khan. who practice the oldest and most noble round. As for the wind instruments, the style of Indian music still in existence, Good music and production quality are bansuri (a simple traverse bamboo flute) dhrupad (see issue no. 2). This style is char combined in two series by Western com has a warm sound, sympathetic to the acterised by great stress on the alap por panies, the American "Connoisseur Socie ears of many Westerners. The late Pannalal tion; slow improvisations with great melo ty" and the Paris-based SonoDisc with Ghosh has no equal in the art of playing this dic and tonal precision. "Prestige de la musique extraeuropeenne, instrument. He brought the instrument to At present there is only one family l'Inde" . its present status on the classical stage. worth mentioning with respect to dhrupad Finally, there is the problem of where G.S. Sachdev and Hariprasad Chaurasia recordings. On the vocal side we find the to get these records. Most specialised rec are two of the best flautists of today. The elder and the younger Dagar Brothers. The ord shops have a few, especially the ones latter has also been recorded in duets with most famous rudra vina player is Zia Mo produced in Europe. For HMV records it is Shiv Kumar Sharma, the best santur player. hiuddin Dagar, although we should also best to go to Southall, West London, where Like the flute and the santur, the sheh mention Asad Ali Khan. there are two well-stocked record shops on nai, the Indian oboe, found its way to the For those interested in the state of In the Broadway. The HMV shop in Oxford classical stage through folk and religious dian music one generation ago, there are Street usually has a few recent releases in music. Bismillah Khan is by far the greatest several re-releases of old 78 rpm records. In stock. For those who come to Amsterdam master of this instrument. this way we can hear recordings of Bade regularly, the bookshop Au Bout du Mon The sarangi, the most important bowed Ghulam Ali Khan and Ornkarnath Thakur de (Singel 313) has an interesting
ON INDIAN MUSIC enough to impose itself on the passage of gical subjects; they are often represented, time. in the plastic arts, as living beings. The following piece is actually a compilation of Asian man is unrelated to this art. Par All this can disconcert the musician or extracts from the essays 'On Indian Music' and ticularly for the Hindu, the melodic pro simply the accidental auditor. But he must 'Concerning Uday Shankar' by Rem! Daumal, blems have been resolved for centuries. The hear the Hindu musician if he wants to from the book entitled Rasa, or Knowledge of individualism of the Western artist, who comprehend the miraculous usage to which the Self published in 1982 by New Directions, wants to surpass himself, realising through these traditional theories are applied. He translated with an introduction by Louise Landes his creation the image of a god who is per will then understand that the musician uti Levi. sonal to the work, has no reality for the In 1929 and 1930 Daumal worked as Uday lises the raga somewhat as the poet utilises Shankar's secretary on Shankar's first perform· Hindu. An ancient tradition has limited the words, fixed in specific grammatical form ing tour of the West. Shankar was accompanied number of musical themes - we might bet but developing through the skilfulness of by his troupe of Indian dancers and musicians, ter say, to translate the untranslatable his expression infmite networks of corres and their performances provided one of Wes· word raga, musical colourings. The tech pondences. tern Europe's earliest exposures to Indian mu nique of the raga is meticulously governed And the raga has a much greater sup sic and dance. (See Newsletter no. 1 'Indian by very precise and complicated rules. Each pleness; with a single one of these themes Music and the West' and no. 4 'The Sarod,). raga is linked to an hour of the day, a sea that govern the ancient laws, the musician, The essays Daumal wrote are thus historic son of the year, a state of being; it is male by a subtly nuanced repetition, by an inter pieces, written pre-eminently to clarify these or female, it is this or that colour. The performances to a naive accidental audience, ra lacing of the raga with himself, arrives at a and to an inimical critical appraisal. gas are also connected to precise mytholo- realisation of the true object of his art -
'Spectacles', 'distractions', 'diversions' - shame! Watch passively, withdraw, forget, evade yourself; turn away from the great question - this is the immoderate collecti ve pleasure of millions of my contempora ries, every day, morning and evening. Neither the dance nor the music of In dia exist to distract. On the contrary, they exist to focus man's gaze incessantly on the intolerable centre of his solitude, on the problem, on the absurd but dazzling power - the only power; and on the need to refu se the sleep of the earth. Even when Hindu music is gay, tender, sweet, friendly, it is mercilessly so, it is truthfully so, it is al ways merciless and true; and if we barba rians understand it a little, we will bow our heads before these pure existences. In fact, Oriental music bores all purely accidental individuals. Instead of masking time, man's formidable devourer, beneath a beautiful sequence of sound, instead of dis tracting him, it incessantly recalls the gnawing obsession, it returns, it insists on intensifying the sorrowful consciousness of time. The accidental seeks, in his approach to musiC, a sonorous procession that will clothe and conceal duration. The musicians of India, if not of the entire Orient, require from sound only that it manifest silence. The Oriental muscian aspires, above all, to sculpt in the duration a sequence of silent momen ts, and the listener realises each of these moments as the substance of his own life, of his consciousness, grieved to be lim ited, to be enclosed in an individual skin. The 'word 'to listen' has two very dif ferent meanings, depending on whether it refers to one or the other of these musical expressions. The accidental savours, in listening to music, a double pleasure, melo dic and harmonic. At first, I will speak only of the melodic. Most often, I prefer to look coldly at the auditor, anxiously sus pended in the melodic theme, asking him self, at each instant, how will the musician remove himself from the difficulty of his situation, and he sighs with an admiring satisfaction when, at last, the sequence of sonorous equations resolves itself in the final silence. Time has been conquered. The reality which is hidden behind the mel ody, to which his admiration is addressed, is that of an individual will powerful 4
the expression of moments of silence, to man, if he listens to the dissonances of an VIEWS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE which the traditional themes give precise Oriental orchestra, or, even more, to an OF INDIAN MUSIC 'coloration', permitting each listener to orchestra of 'primitives', is disagreeably relish more concretely the savour of suffer troubled. He criticizes the concord as dis ing. And each theme is universally, hu pleasing. He does not realize that the ef Extracts from a longer article on the subject by manely simple: the night, the morning, the fect which troubles him, which disturbs Laurent Aubert. Originally published in the spring, the evening ... him, is not the acoustical phenomena French language and translated into English by I understand that a Western man, a truly which are indifferent in themselves to all the author. and purely Western man, cannot tolerate value judgement, to all affective apprecia the feeling that he is nude and alone in an tion. If he is stirred, it is by something Contrary to the classical and modern afternoon that is eternal, or in a first eve within himself - in the depth of his being, music of the West, the notions of harmony ning watch that will never end, that pitiless a profound movement of the animal in and polyphony are unknown to Indian mu ly returns, ten times a minute, in an eterni stinct, repressed for a long time by the sic in the sense that we understand them. ty of boredom. But if, by an act of love, he training of his social life, now perhaps Indian music is based on two fundamental identifies himself with the Hindu listener, awakened. He would prefer not to acknow components: the melody, expressed by the with the music, with the musician himself, ledge it, he has spent his entire life refusing raga, and the rhythm, determined by the if he has the courage to affront his own to acknowledge it. tala. solitude, he will hear, but with something Harmony, in the restricted meaning of The term 'raga', often improperly trans other than his ear of flesh, a new unsus agreeable accord given to it by the Occi lated as 'melodic type', has no exact equi pected music. dentals, plays a more or less nonexistent valent in our Western musical vocabulary. Each measure returns to each instant of role in the Hindu orchestra. The living har The word Raga derives from the Sanskrit silence. In each silence, man fmds himself mony of the music of India is the result of root 'ranj' , which includes meanings like once again alone, facing himself - and it is a simultaneity of rhythms, complex and 'colour', 'passion', 'emotion' and 'joy'. Each always the same moment. The duration, re precise in their interlacings, which mimic, raga possesses its own structure, consisting solved in identical instants, spreads out in a marvellously, the endless multiplicity of a of ascending and descending scales, a hier unique act of consciousness. The individual life; it triumphs when this wise diversity re archy between the degrees of the scale, comprehends himself, as he is, in the con solves itself suddenly in a fmal dissonance, specific ornaments, and certain rules con crete present of an instant. Another mel a unique cry of the grieving consciousness, cerning the time and way of execution. Of ody is born, no longer from the succession or in the positive silence that encloses a course, this only constitutes the framework of notes, but from the relations between whole universe. The music of the Occident of a raga, the mould in which the improvi these moments of silence. From this comes has lost this sense of primitive rhythms; it sations of the artist are elaborated. the feeling often noted by Occidentals of a has forgotten that these rhythms can in As for the tala, it is the determination music that develops according to a new di spire thought. It subordinates the rhythm, of time, or more precisely, its arrangement mension of time; a music that imposes its simplified, denuded of its richness and ef under the form of rhythmic cycles. The rule, no longer on the corporeal existence ficacy, to the principal goal, which is to repetitive nature of the tala makes it com but on a more intimate order, a more sub 'distract', to 'kill time'. parable to the cycles of nature. In imitating tle form of existence. It is also impossible The theme of the raga, in manipulating nature in its operating mode, Indian music to transcribe, with our system of notation, the thread of the duration of silent mo transforms our ordinary perception of time that which is the essence of the Hindu raga. ments, imposes on the individual the void into a pure consciousness of the continu And the musical tradition of India in form of his immediate consciousness. The ous present. sists that a given raga must allow the liste accords and the dissonance give content to This consciousness is accentuated by the ner to grasp the naked reality of his imme this form; the organic being of man, with permanent presence of a drone, emitted diate existence. The raga is thus a truth: it all its contrary and discordant tendencies, from beginning to end of a raga by an in attains its full significance only when play is fmally awakened and placed in the only strument reserved for this use, such as the ed in the hour for which it was conceived. light in which it can be free - in the lucid tambura. Symbolically, this drone mani Keyserling, an Occidental amateur interest consciousness of the instant. fests the presence of the Infinite in the ed in Orientalism, having visited Tagore's All primitive people knew how to uti ever-changing world of appearance. That is home to sample some Indian music re lise the irresistible powers of certain rhyth why tones are pet:ceived 'horizontally', as counts, 'When last night, on a desire that I mic alliances, certain dissonances. Some elements of the melody, and also 'vertical expressed, someone played, on a winter's times, by a very simple process, such as ly', with respect to the tonic, from which evening, a theme from the middle of sum frenetic acceleration, they can augment all musical phrases emerge, and to which mer, the musicians seemed at first, uneasy, still more this power to violate and domi they return. this seemed impossible to them'. And the nate the human synesthesia. Thus music In the Hindu cosmogony, this sound can suggestive power of the music is such that, became one of their principal instruments be identified with 'Nada-Bindu', the 'seed under its impulse, as under that of every of sorcery, magic or social communion. of sounds', the first perceptible determina source of living thought from India, the The Hindus, evolving from an extra tion of Nada-Brahman, the Supreme Origin count-traveller-philosopher wrote several ordinary racial mixture, knew better than of all sounds. Marius Schneider writes this well-stated truths on the subtle art of raga. any other people how to master the magi about Nada-Brahman: 'This indefinable Hindu music, through its relation to con cal power of music, disengaging it from rel sound is the first breath, and, in the last crete being, could accomplish that night, igious ritual and channelling it, by a rigour analysis, the singing primordial sun. This one more time, the real goal of the music, ous process of refinement, towards goals solar sound is supposed to be immortal and which is to provoke man to become con more precise and more detached than those inaudible. It is the first Brahman, placed scious of himself. of conjuring or propitiatory magic. Their out of time and space, luminous thunder Harmony, for the Occidental, is subjec rapid progress and soon their masterly fa forming the Absolute Truth'. tively defined by its agreeable character. brication of instruments permitted them The study of symbolism in Indian music Agreeable because it pleases the body, paci to fulfill the task. shows that it is in a certain way traceable fies the organisms, and permits the pas The emotional power of primitive music on a cosmic archetype, comparable to sionate impulses to repose in the sleep of is conserved in the Hindu system, but it is Pythagoras' Harmony of the Spheres. The their repression. Harmony, then, is agree subjected to the most elevated function conformity to this model is at the origin able, that is to say, void of meaning. It as which can be given to an an institution or of a musical ethics, which, even if less sures to the listener a calm or a moderate a human art; that of awakening the con strictly observed today, still remains ab and pleasing agitation of the instincts by sciousness, of provoking men to perceive solutely real. It is for instance at the basis giving, in a certain way, a body, a passion themselves as they are. of what is called the theory of rasa, com ate substance, to the melody. The same mon to all Hindu arts, which is masterly stated in the treatise of Bharata called the 5 BOOKS ON INDIAN MUSIC Strangway's "Music of Hindosthan" (1914) (continued from page 4) was an important book. Its publication formed part of a revived interest in the East. Natya Shastra, among others.* It is part of our philosophy that reading about (I t was at this time that Mata Hari and Ina Derived from the root 'ras', 'to taste', Indian music can enhance appreciation of it. yat Khan performed in the West). the term rasa designates the essence, the There are many books on Indian music. The fol Around the same time we fmd H.A. 'sap' or the savour of all aesthetic emotion. lowing article is based on an afternoon's conver Popley's "Music of India" (1921) and "In Traditionally, there are nine fundamental sation with Joep Bor, co-author of an excellent troduction to the study of Indian Music" rasas, which can be combined in various book on historical and present day aspects of Indian music, "De Roep van de Kokila" (So far by E. Clements (1913). The latter has a ways: Shringara, the loving, the erotic; foreword by the great art historian Ananda hasya, the comic, the humorous; kanma, only published in Dutch; an extended English version is under preparation). K. Coomaraswamy, whose thoughts on In the pathetic; raudra, the furious, the chole dian music are definitely worth reading. ric; vira, the brave or heroic; bhayanaka, From early times Indians have written In a survey like this the great Indian mu the terrible, the dreadful; bibhatsa, the extensively on their own arts. The Bharata sicologist V.N. Bhatkande cannot be left loathsome; adbhuta, the marvellous, the as Natya Shastra, dated between 200 BC and out, although little of his work has' been tonishing; and finally shanta, the peaceful, 200 AD, is an excellent treatise on the per published in English. At a time when a the meditative. forming arts, including several chapters on large part of the Indian musical tradition In the field of arts, one can say that the music. Many books of this kind have been was in danger of being forgotten, he rasa is the vehicle of the aesthetic substan written since that time. The great disadvan gathered old compositions and wrote them ce, of the 'nature' (in Sanskrit: bhava) of a tage of the learned 'shastras' is that they down, was involved in organising stimu cosmic tendency, which, while manifesting treat music as a science and are very diffi lating music conferences and theorised itself, suggests a particular mood among cult to read. Only a few have been trans about the music. the qualified audience. Therefore each raga lated from the Sanskrit. Since Bhatkande, books on Indian music has a latent bhava, which creates the cor The problem of writing about Indian have flooded the market. We will only responding rasa. music as a living art is that it is a living tra mention a few important ones. For those In opposition to what one can observe dition, and therefore cannot easily be cap interested in the 'sangit shastras' we refer in theatre, dance, poetry and in other arts, tured in words or notation. to the works of V. Ragavan, Premlata Shar this notion is not often applied consciously Still, some admirable attempts have ma, E. te Nijenhuis and M. Lath ("A study in music. This can be partly explained by been made. We will concentrate on those of Dattilam"). the fact that, of all arts, music is the one in the English language. The work by O.C. Gangoly: "Ragas and that is the most subjected to the subjectivi As early as the 18th century the first Raginis" (193548) is important for its his ty of the artist; it is the art of the 'here and appreciative writings on Indian music by torical approach. The Frenchman Alain now' par excellence. the English coloniaHsts were published. Danil~lou is important for his "Northern The practice of music, or at least of cer William Jones, a scholarly judge in Bengal, Indian Music" (two volumes) and his "An tain types of music, has always been con published his essay "On the Musical Modes Introduction to the Study of Musical sidered in India as a spiritual discipline. of the Hindus" in 1793. Its was followed Scales". The musicologist N.A. Jhairaz This explains why we fmd many references in the early 19th century by N.A. Willard's bhoy presents new thoughts on scales in his to music in sacred Hindu texts. For exam excellent "Treatise on the Music of Hin book "The Ragas of Northern Indian Mu ple: doostan" (1834). Reprints of these essays sic" . 'By continuous practice of the Saman are relatively easy to fmd. They are still of Another musicologist, Walter Kaufmann, chants, in the prescribed manner and with great value for the general reader. published an excellent study on "The concentration of mind, a man attains the A new impulse was given to Indian mu Ragas of North India". For a good study Supreme Brahman ... He who knows the sical literature by SM. Tagore around on raga one should also mention "Raga inner meaning of the sound of the vina, 1870, who republished the essays afore Nidhi" (four volumes) by B. Subba Rao. who is expert in intervals and in modal mentioned together with valuable work While the above mentioned books deal scales and knows the rhythms, travels with from his own hand. He stimulated later with Indian music in general, an interest out effort upon the way of liberation'. studies in Indian music, the most import in individual musicians and their gharanas This quotation from a Sanskrit ):ext also ant of which is Captain C.R. Day's "The (schools) has arisen since the sixties. Prob insists on the value attributed to music, Music and Musical Instruments of Southern ably the best book in this field is D.M. which for the Hindus is a sadhana, one of India and the Deccan" (1891) centred on Neuman's 'The Life of Music in North the ways of yoga, called shabda yoga, the practice of music at that time. 'union through sound'. Although somewhat outdated now, Fox (continued on back page) Similarly, in the Islamic tradition, to which so many Indian musicians belong, music plays an important role in spiritual life, in spite of the opposition posed by some puritan and moralistic circles. Ac cording to those people, music should be forbidden, since, as they only consider its sensual aspect, they see it as a source of im morality; whereas the supporters of music, particularly the Sufis, praise it for its 'al chemic' properties and its contemplative qualities.
*See the collection of essays by Rene Daumal 'Rasa' (from which the previous article 'On In dian Music' is extracted), including a rare trans lation from the Sanskrit of the first part of the Bharata Natya Shastra .
One of the illustrations from "Music of Hindo stan" by A.H. Fox Strangways (1914). The pic ture shows musicians with sitar, rudra vina, tam bura and tab la. 6 (continued from page 5) India'. Famous performing artists have BIBLIOGRAPHY also begun to write about their music. The two most interesting books in this Bhatkande, V.N.A short Historical Survey o/the Music a/Upper India, Bombay 1937. context are "My Music, My Life" by Ravi Clements, E. Introduction to the Study a/Indian Music, Kitab Mahal, Allahabad, 1967. Shankar and "Indian Music in Performan Dani610u, A. Northern Indian Music, vol. 1 C. Johnson, London, 1949; vol. 2 Nalayan ce" by Ram Narayan and Neil Sorrell. Press, London 1954. The tendency towards concentration Day, C.R. The Music and Musical Instruments a/Southern India and the Deccan, B.R. on music practice is continued in books Publishing, New Delhi, 1974. like Wim van der Meer's "Hindustani Mu Fox Strangways, A H. The Music 0/ Hindostan, University Press, Oxford, 1965. sic in the 20th Century". Also Bonnie Gangoly, O.C. Ragas and Raginis Bombay, 1935 and 1948. Wade's "Music in India", with appendices Jhairazbhoy, N.A. The Ragas of North Indian Music, Wesleyan University Press, 1971. on books and records 0), is definitely Jones, W. and Willard N.A.Music of India, Susil Gupta, Calcutta, 1962. worth reading. Kaufmann, W. The Ragas of North India, Indiana University Press, 1968. Although it is not possible to mention all Lath, M.A Study of Dattilam, Delhi, 1978. good books in an article of this size, we Meer, W. vd Hindusthani Music in the 20th Century, Martinus Nijhoff, Den Haag 1980, have to warn the reader that the majority Allied Publishers, New Delhi 1980. of books are a waste of time and money. Narayan, R. and Sorrell, N. Indian Music in Performance, Manchester University Press, Ranging from dangerously wrong personal 1980. interpretations via one-sided distorted Neumann, DM. The Lzfe of Music in North India, Manohar, New Delhi, 1980. views to silly parrotting, an enormous Popley, HA. Music of India YMCA, Calcutta, 1950. number of books have apparently only Shankar, R. My Music, My Life, J onathan Cape, London, 1969. been written for the glory of the author or Subba Rao, B. Raga Nidhi (4 vol.), Poona/Madras, 1956/1966. to fill a gap in the market. Tagore, M.T. Hindu Music from Various Authors, Chawkhmaba Sanskrit Series Office, Even in the best books there are still Calcutta, 1965. many mistakes and weaknesses. Reading Wade, B.C. Music in India, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1979. books on Indian music requires a strong critical faculty, but it can be inspiring. CONCERT DIARY
The only concert news we have for this period is that Sachdev is giving a number of concerts in Holland in December. Our Aus· tralian readers will be interested to hear that Ali Akbar Khan is going to give a con cert tour there, beginning in late February 1983. Apart from that, many of the con cert organisers that we know in the West will themselves be spending a large part of the winter in India, as well as the artists of course (see Editorial). G.S. Sachdev - flute (bansuri) Friday 10 December: Kosmos, Prins Hen drikkade 142, Amsterdam, tel. 267477. Saturday 11 December, 8.30 pm: Mozes en Aaronkerk, Waterlooplein 59, Amster dam. Sunday 12 December: 12 midday, Alk maar: Cultureel Centrum de Veste. 8 pm: Den Haag, Stiltepunt. Wednesday 15 December: Melkweg, Lijn baansgracht 234a, Amsterdam, tel. 241777.
Studio Concerts - Het Pand Brandaan, Vinkenstraat 29, Amsterdam. lamaluddin Bhartiya (sitar, vocals) and his students will be giving their regular monthly house con cert on the second Sunday of each month, at 3 pm. So the dates for the next three months are: 12 December (1982); 9 Jan uary & 13 Febmary (1983).
C.S. Sachdev
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Readers of the Newsletter will get a 1 0% discount on books purchased at these shops, on presentation of the above coupon( s). ISSUE NO. 6 MARCH - APRIL 1983
A bi-monthly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West. Editors: Huib Schippers, J ane Harvey. Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Holland.
THE SITAR the sitar anywhere, nor does anyone else these restrictions. It was relatively easy to in India over the next few hundred years play, everybody was allowed to play it The sitar is undoubtedly the most popular and well Scholars do mention the tunbur, a Pers and it was particularly suited to express known North Indian musical instrument. We take the the 'fanciful' movements of khayal. opportunity of the birthday celebration 0/ its best ian lute with a long thin neck, that known exponent. Ravi Shankar. to go il1lO tIle hi,tOIY probably is a direct ancestor of the sitar. In 1850, Mrs Fanny Parks very clearly and present state of thisfascinating instrument. The actual Indian sitar probably did describes a four-stringed sitar that was The historical part of the article draws heavily on a not evolve before the beginning of the . presented to her: chapter in 'De Roep van de Kokila' by Joep BO/'and 18th century. In an account of the music "I have received a present that pleases Wim van del' Mee!: The Instrument' is a condensation me greatly, a sitar, a musical instrument, ofan article called 'The Sitar- Timeless Instrument al life in Delhi in 1738 the great bin of India' by Ira Landgarten. player Niyamat Khan is mentioned as in general use all over India; it was made having composed many khayals (see at Lucknow from a hollow gourd, and it HISTORY issue no 3). His brother is described as a is very beautifully put together. It has four famous instrumentalist who played.a strings; the first is of steel wire, the two When asked about the origin of their wonderful three-stringed instrument. next are of brass wire, and the fourth and instrument, most sitarists will say Seh-tar (Persian) means three strings. smallest of steel. It is played with the first it was invented by Amir Khusru, a N.A. Willard, whose writings on finger of the right hand alone, on which scholar, poet and m usiciah, who lived in Indian music are still of great value, is placed a little steel wire frame, called a the 13th century. wrote about the sitar in 1834: "This is misrab, with which the strings are struck; Amir Khusru was a man of great gen likewise a modern instrument and was the left hand stops the notes on the frets, ius. His numerous works are very inform invented by Ameer Khosro of Delhi". but you only stop the notes on the first ative on the subject of music and certain Possibly this refers to the brother of string; the other three strings produce a ly not inhibited by false modesty when Niyamat Khan. In any case, it is very sort of pedal sound ... " he writes: likely that a confusion of names is the At the beginning of the 19th century, "Whatever my young imagination basis for the improbable date of origin of Masit Sen added a new dimension to produced, it was greatly loved. It was the sitar. sitar music. He developed a systematic appreciated by the scholars of that time The rise of the khayal-style at the solo style and improved the instrument. and cited from mouth to mouth; music beginning of the 18th century further Some of his beautiful compositions in ians sang (my compositions) to the supports this theory. The noble bin was slow tempo are still being played, but the sound of their harps and even old men strongly connected with the dhrupad termMasitkhani gat is now used to indic became ecstatic on hearing these melod style, and very few had the opportunity ate any slow composition. ies." to learn how to play this difficult Ghulam Raza Khan introduced fast Still, Amir Khusru does not mention instrument. The. sitar did not suffer from exciting compositions into the sitar
The del'l'lop men IO( rhe sita!: We see hon' the small sitar gradually de\'elops il1lo the large. broad-necked modem version. similar to the vina Fromlefrro right: SakirKhan De1l7l: 1827(Collrre.lyofJoepbor):Abdul QadirKhan. Sailana State. ca 1925: Vilayar Khan. one of the greatesr sitar-maestros of today repertoire. In 1856, a critic wrote: neck and the soundboard. The wood for and thigh support the weight, so that the "(His) style does not follow any trad these parts is chosen with the greatest neck is at about a 45-degree angle from ition and is unsystematic. The gats in care. the floor. This leaves the left arm tintala are composed in thumri style. A dried gourd serves as the sound completely free. With the right thumb Raginis and dhun are incomplete ... and chamber. This fragile tumba is selected resting on the edge of the neck under the the ragas are not expressed in them ... according to its uniformity of shape and last fret, the strings are plucked with a The masters will have nothing to do with size. About a third of its size is then wire plectrum (mizrab), worn on the right this style and the connaisseurs are removed and the inside is cleaned out. index finger. The index and middle ashamed of it." Then the major assembly work is fingers of the left hand, lubricated with In spite of the criticism of the tradition done; joinirig the gourd to the sound coconut oil and invariably deeply call alists, Razakhani gats gained popUlarity. board and the neck unit. After the holes oused from pulling strings, fret the notes. Nowadays, virtually every sitar player for the pegs for the first and second The first string, upon which most of will play an exciting, fast gat after the strings have been drilled, the instrument the playing is done, can be pulled side slow composition. is hung to dry and set for a period of time. ways enough to raise the pitch four of Towards the end of the 19th century Meanwhile the craftsmen carve the five notes. This is an essential embellish the small resonating strings were added pegs. With the aid of a temporary bridge ment technique known as mind. The to the sitar, increasing the resonance of and the first string, the curved frets are second string, tuned to the tonic, serves the instrument. Quite possibly this idea carefully placed one by one at the correct as a drone. The bass strings are almost was taken from thesarangi (see issue no. intervals and tightly bound to the neck. exclusively used during the alap portion 3). Generally, this addition is attributed All the remaining peg holes are then of the performance. During fast passages to Imdad Khan, the grandfather of drilled, positioned so that the pegs will many sitarists hold these strings down Vilayat Khan, but probably that is not not interfere with the movement of the on small hooks attached to a fret. The true. several frets that must be shifted to obtain three remaining strings (chikari) are Nevertheless, Imdad Khan must have flattened or sharpened notes. struck simultaneously to provide been a fabulous sitar-player. He was Holes are also drilled in the fret rhythmic accents. especially famous for hisjhala and his board for the sympathetic strings that Despite its immense popularity, the minds, the 'gliding notes' that are produc run onder the frets. Then all the tuning sitar is an extremely difficult instrument ed by laterally pulling the string along pegs are fitted in and the sitar is ready to to master. India, a country of well over the frets. His lyrical style -inspired by be strung. 600 million people, produces only a vocal music- is continued by his family. The 11 to 13 sympathetic strings are handful of accomplished virtuosos, most Even now, both the style of playing made of steel as are the first and the last of whom are carrying on an age-old and the instruments are still developing. three main strings. The second string is family tradition after many years of The full sitar concert, withalap,jor,jhala, made of copper and the bass strings (nos arduous training and practice that slow composition, fast composition and 3 & 4) are brass. Because the first four invariably began at an early age. jhala, is a fairly recent development, and strings are often deflected quite strongly Pandit Ravi Shankar is no doubt the new elements and influences are still while playing, they are fitted with tuning most celebrated sitarist. The combinat being added. The sitar is very much alive. beads so that minute adjustments can be ion of strict training and natural genius made in the course of playing. has made him an impressive artist, at THE INSTRUMENT The precise placement of both bridges once traditional and innovative. Besides, (one for the main strings, one for the his dancing background has provided Today, the sitar is in a way analogous to sympathetic strings) and the shaping of him with an amazing rhythmic virtuos the Western classical violin. It is suitable their graduated curves is a painstaking ity. for both the amateur, who can learn to task, that is unvariably left until the end. Ustad Vilayat Khan is no less play simple melodies upon it, and the It is crucial for the sound of the sitar, renowned, especially for his lyrical professional, who can demonstrate all giving it its unique timbre rich in gayaki style, in which the phrasing and the intricate subtleties and charm of harmonic overtones. ornamentation of the sitar emulates the Indian classical music within a wide The finished sitar, four feet long and human voice. In order to achieve this, scope of technique. A virtuoso can utilize weighting about seven-and-a-half Vilayat Khan has modified his tech a full four octaves. pounds, is played with the musician nique, his instrument and his tuning. More than just a 'long-necked pluck seated on the floor, the right leg crossed His style relies to a large extent on the ed lute with movable frets' (a common over the left so that the gourd rests on the sublime use of mind. dictionary definition), the sitar is unique sole of the left foot. The right forearm The next important sitar-player is in its capacity to fulfill several functions. Nikhil Banerjee. Like Ravi Shankar, he It not only carries the melody line, but spent seven years as a disciple of th~ also has special strings to supply its own legendary Ustad Allaudin Khan. His drone and rhytmic accents, as well as the superb technical virtuosity is balance~ sympathetic resonating strings that echo, by a meditative, poetic style and an creating the impression of an intense concentration. accompanying instrument. There are quite a few more gifted Sitars are manufactured in many sitarists. Unfortunately, technical large cities in India, but the workshops virtuosity often overshadows depth of of Calcutta produce the finest, best expression. In the delicate belance crafted instruments. between these two, the true master sitarist All work is done entirely by hand. shows his art to the greatest advantage. Construction of a sitar can take from three months to two years, depending The bridges 0/ fhe siwr - fhe hearf 0/ fhe insfrul17em. The sliglllly cun'ed su(face couses a sligllf change in upon the number of craftsmen involved. leng!ll o/fhe sfring.l· when I'ibraling. This produces fhe The instrumen t consists of three major c/wracferisfic sound of fhe vina}al17ily. rich in o\'er wooden pieces: the neck the base of the IOnes. PholO by Man/in! M Juniu.I: INTERVIEW WITH none," He told me, "you have a tremend have learned from Baba, who from the PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR ous talent, but you must channel it, do age of eight had learned from more than one thing! So come to me, leave every a 100 gurus. He himself was like an Palldit RCll'i Shankal' is IlIdia's leadillg musical thing, and I'll teach you properly." ocean; he had all the different styles, all al11bassado/: Apartji"ol11 bl'illgo/lI-'oj"rhl'bl'st musicialls It was a difficult decision. I was having the different forms. In him I found every inlnciia today, hl'also has a gl'l'at insight illthl! Wl'srl!rll all the fun you can think of - touring all thing! Therefore - I know it sounds high Indial1l17usic SCI!I7I', hCll'illg bl!l'n inl'oil'l!d ill irfol' 11'1'// 01'1'1"25 l'I'{/IX In rhis illll'l1'il'lI' wirh rhl' Aml'ricansiran'sr over the world, living in the best hotels. I handed, but the fact remains- I was the Ira La/;dgarll'lI hl'l'spl'ciallysrl'l'ssl's rlll!rl'adirionalisl11 was mainly a dancer at the time and I first to have all these things in one. (f1le/seriollSIlI'SS tliar al'l' I1I'Cl's.IIII:vfol' Il'al'lling, playing was very good, Baba was opposite to all I learnedsurbahar (bass sitar) for three alle/ lisrl'l1illg ro IlIdiall classical l17usic. this. He was a man of principle, of old years, which gave me an insight in alap values like our old sages, or rishis; a man andjor. This I used on my new sitar, with of extreme temperament, he couldn't the two bass strings added. So starting stand any nonsense, with a very old-fashioned, old-style, What was a typical day at your guru '5 traditional alap andjor, then coming to house in Maihar like? khayal -like vocal- style; and then the It was music, music and music! Al drut, thejhala; thumri. dhun - I was the most, I would say, anything from four to first one in sitar to combine all these five hours' sleep, and maybe one hour in elements on one 'canvas'. Then little by the afternoon and time for bath or food; little it was taken and accepted, and but the rest was music, ranging from 12 many other musicians started doing it. tot 16 hours' training and practice. In addition, my elder brother Uday Is there any prescribed period one must was a great influence on me in the way to spend in study to become proficient on the present something. I sort of started the sitar? idea of performing on a proper dais, with I woud say it's the same thing you take a proper carpet, proper lighting and into consideration with the Western proper way of sitting and now every classical violin or cello. A whole wrong body's following it. notion came about in the middle Sixties. In the Sixties you became immensely What first attracted you to the sitar? People thought they could take up the popular. What are your reflections on that When I was a child in Benares there sitar and learn a few chords like they do period? used to be a sitar that belonged to my on guitar, and they could be on their own I started my career in the West in 1956. elder brother, Rajendra. Whenever I had - "Do your own thing, man." They never During the next ten years little by little I the chance - I was so curious and I liked realised what sitar is. Sitar is like the became we 11- known in classical music the sound- I used to pluck it; and I was violin or the cello, where you don't just circles. I was playing in all the major caught once or twice and punished for it. take the instrument and move your halls. Then came my association with I was very young then, maybe five or six, hands but have to learn a music, a system George Harrison in 1966. All at once I Butlwas lucky, my eldest brother, Uday, of music that is very deep and very became a superstar and a cult guru. I was was a pioneer in bringing dance and scientific. That's Indian music! thrown into a situation without wanting music to the West from India. This was Just 'playing' is one thing. But my guru it in 1930, and I was just ten when I joined used to say, it takes mores than a lifetime I have some very good memories from his troupe and went to Paris. There I was to learn, not only for the sitar, but for happenings like the Monterey Pop absolutely in heaven because there were music in general. The ragas, the ta las, the Festival; an afternoon concert for 10,000 all the instruments - he had the largest whole music - it has to become one. But people. But I always reacted against the instrument collection and I could 'fiddle' technically, if one has the talent, the negative things. Coming from a classical with any instrument. But sitarwas always patience and the perseverance, and if music tradition, where respect is very my favourite. one works very hard and, above all, has a important, I founds these kids coming to Yourguru, UstadAllaudin Khan, prOVid proper guru and a proper training, one me, calling me 'Rav-eye', sipping beer, ed a tremendous force in your life. How did could achieve good standards in, say, ten being stoned and necking and even youfirst meet him? years. But, according to my guru and doing worse things sitting there. I The first time I met him was when he others, after that another ten years are especially fought the association with joined my brother's troupe for one year. necessary to become a really full-fledged drugs. You see, my brother wanted to have a artist/performer, It takes at least20 years. People should remember I am a trad topclass soloist in his troupe, so naturally I was with Baba for seven and a half itional musician, following the tradition he chose Baba - that's what I call him, years continuously. Forthe next 12 or 14 of my guru. Whatever I do as a sitarist is Baba, which means father. So Babajoin years I stayed in close contact with him. within the old framework. Besides that, ed the troupe in 1935 and came to Europe But during the time I was learning Baba I'm also a composer. In this field I've tried for ten of eleven months, and that is when already gave me permission to perform. really daring things and I've been critic he started teaching me. What are some of the changes in sitar ized for it. People confuse my two ident When did you decide to leave your dance playing that have evolved during your life ities and they think I am spoiling Indian career and join Ustad Allaudin Khan in time? music. Sometimes I've done stupid Maihar? the old days used to be the 'age of things; sometimes I've done beautiful It was after he left the troupe in 1936, specialisation'. Everyone would special things - I still feel quite happy with some but it took me another two years to decide. ize within a particular sphere and no one of them. In July 1938 I left my brother's troupe attempted to do everything. Some played On the whole, I think I have gone and went straight to Maihar. all their lives only alap andjor; some were through a great period with my music, While he was in the group he used to only famous for playing vi/ambit (slow) and I've been able to relate my music scold me a lot for doing too many things compositions, others were only good for principles, most of them coming from -playing flute, sarod, and tabla; dancing, fast gats, some were famous for playing my guru, to many who have heard me. I writing poetry. In fact, he called me a jhala. consider myself one of the luckiest men I "butterfly; jack-of-all-trades. master-of- I consider myself especially lucky to know of! CONCERT DIARY
Again. our dam arefarfl'Om complete. Plmse check SUBSCRIBE local sources/ort/mher information. TO INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER Ravi Shankar - sitar (see pp 1-3). Le Havre 17 March/Tours 19 March/ Paris 21, 23 March. This may be the one-but-last issue of Sanyukta Panigrihi - orissi dance (see Indian Music Newsletter. We below). Performances in several badly need financial support. Please countries, amongst which Amsterdam 9 help us find subscribers or donat April. ionss. Subscribe by sending Hfl 15. (or convertible international equiv Deepak Chaudhuri - sitar (Favourite alent) by means of International student of Ravi Shankar) Amsterdam 8 Postal Money Order ( or in a registered April, concerts in England after April 16. letter) to: DHRUPAD-MELA FESTIVAL Indian Music Newsletter, Post Box The Indian concert situation in the West Dhrupad-Mela Festival (see article). 10088, Amsterdam. has stabilized. Every year more or less Amsterdam 16, 17 April/ Munich 18,20, the same old artists come to perform in 22 April / Bonn 19,20,22 April/Berlin Please support our cause! Europe and America. In most respects, 21,22,24 April/Paris 25, 26,27 April / Geneva 27,28, 29 April/ London4, 5, 6, 7 this stability is positive; but it does not do May. full justice to the variety of styles and musicians that are present in Indian music. The dhrupad-mela festival offers a ORISSI DANCE - Bharat Natyam. One important diff unique opportunity to witness one ofthe Sanyukta Panigrihi erence, however, is the basic tribanghi purest forms of musical expression in position, creating a rounded and India, thedhrupad-style. This noble style Kathak from North India and Bharat volu ptuous image. The lasya or feminine is virtually extinct. To preserve what is Natyam from South India are the best aspect of the dance is predominant. still left. some conservative (in the posit known Indian dance styles. Presently The musical ensemble accompanying ive sense) Indians have started these orissi, with its lucid and lyrical body orissi consists of an Orissan-style dh rupad-melas, which are usually held in movements and its devotional themes, is pawaj, a bansuri (bamboo flute), a large tents in the sacred cities of the quickly gaining popularity. singer playing the harmonium and the Hindus, such as Benares and Vrinda Orissi dance originated from the manjira, two small brass cymbals. ban. central Eastern state of Odissa. The The music is more or less treated in the Issue no. 2 of the Newsletter is dedic dances were performed for the deity of North Indian style, but South Indian ated to the dhrupad=style and to the the temple. Because of lack of financial ragas are sometimes used. The tala or rudra-vina, the instrument that is most support they became extinct in the 60's. rhythmic system is thejati system used closely connected with it. Fortunately, orissi was partially pre by South Indian dancers. The articles on these subjects were served by a few dancers. Temple Sanyukta Panigrihi, originally a published for the occasion of concerts sculptures and old treatises also helped Bharat Natyam student, is probably the by Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and his the preservation and reconstruction of best known performer of orissi today. brother Zia Fariduddin Dagar, who will this ancient art form. represent the famous Dagar tradition In many ways, orissi dance resembles Nancy Sue Jacobs during this festival. They will be accompanied onpakhawaj by Chatrapati Singh. Vidur Malik and his two sons hail from another impressive dhrupad school; the dharbhanga tradition has a distinct style of its own with strong rhythmic accents. These musicians will be accompanied onpakhawaj by Ramji Upadhyaya and onsarangi by Inder La!. rnder Lal will also accompany Asgiri Bai, a singer who was rediscovered during adhrupad festival in 1982. She is a specialist in presenting dhrupad and dhamar compositions. Moreover, she is probably the only surviving musician that can still render the old court music styles. Finally, the festival brings Ras Lila performances; scenes from the life of Krishna are reenacted in song and dance. The leading parts are played by An orissi-dancer in the characteristic tribhangi position, surrounded by a musical ensemble. Sculpture/ram a Brahmin boys. medieval temple, Photo by Joep BOI: ISSUE NO. 7 MAY-JUNE 1983
A bi-monthly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West. Editors: Huib Schippers, J ane Harvey. Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Holland.
OLD MASTERS OF INDIAN and poetry went hand-in-hand. In as Abdul Karim Khan's. Yet Faiyaz MUSIC - I Lucknow, for example, even boys in the Khan's voice was also melodious, his streets could compose poetry. The Urdu tone was vibrant and rich, and he could
III {/Il\ serii's 11'1' illli'lId 101'IIiJli\hal'licli'SaiJoIlIS0li1i' tradition of poetry was one of the most produce a fine range of colorations in of'{//(' gl'('{[lli1usicialls who hm'i' /I'/i Ihi'il'mal'k olllhl' impressive in world literature, though it tone. He certainly had his public: some fil'illg Imdilioll o/'/lIdiall c/assica/music. times he performed for 100,000 people at a time, and brought them all to tears. A popular and frequent quote of Faiyaz Khan (circa 1886 - 1950) Faiyaz Khan was the following: HA raga is like a book, and the musicians have to explain and interpret it." Often he used In the first half of this century, North to say, "One must play with a Raga with Indian classical music was dominated a lover's passion and not render it a by almost a single figure, the great Faiyaz cripple by inflicting on it the hammer Khan. A vocalist, hewas the outstanding blows of a mechanical technique and representative of the Agra gharana, or also by a sorry exhibition of vocal school of music, until his death in 1950. acrobatics". He had no sympathy with His father and paternal grandfather mere acrobats and he always said: "One belonged to the Rangile gharana, but does not have to fight a duel with a Raga. from his early years he was trained by One does not have to treat it with a his maternal grandfather Ghulam wrestler's vanity and pride. One must Abbas Khan at Agra. learn to love it, to pay court to it like a Faiyaz Khan had his own unique cavalier and then alone a musician can style, which many after him have tried to tell the story of love and grief, of joy and imitate. He had a far-reaching influence, separation, of laughter and tears. This which can even be seen in the a lap of the passion, this love play, alone enables us Dagar brothers. He had a thorough to know the secrets of a Raga. Music training in traditional compositions, pleases and moves." and his innovations were within the On top of his musical exposition, bounds of the musical tradition. He Faiyaz Khan was a masterofpukara, the emphasised the tohic, sa, at the begin dramatic use of words and melody ning of many ragas which up to 1900 did together. Often he appeared to be speak not usually start on sa. In his perfor ing whilst singing. He was one of the very mances the whole raga expanded from few musicians who used the words of the the tonic. Faiyaz Khall khyal to enhance the theme of the For Faiyaz Khan, the beginning por compositon. When in a light mood, he tion of the raga, alap, was the most produced poetry often more suited for sometimes used physical gestures to important. He was known for economy ghazals. Faiyaz Khan was also a poet as interpret particularly suggestive texts in and compactness of style. A few simple, well as a singer. Sometimes he took the romantic mode. essential phrases were presented in diff traditional tunes to compositions and Faiyaz Khan was a sweet man, kind erent shades all the time bllt without put them in ajacket of his own words. In and generous. He was married four departing from the essence of the raga. thumris and semi-classical singing, he times. He taught many people and he He sang all the styles: dhrupad. composed on the stage, and sometimes taught freely. If students couldn't dhamQl~ khyal. thumri, ghazal. tappa and changed the words to known songs. For remember something they were trying to dadra. Sometimes he would take a instance, once a friend of his got up to learn, he made them write the songs known composition and sing it in double leave during a performance and Faiyaz down in a notebook (the teaching of or half tempo: connoisseurs appreciated Khan started singing ""Oh my lord, music was usually restricted to the aural this. As the Agragharana is particularly where are you goingT from the song tradition in those days). known for its highly developed rhythm ""Oh my lord, where have you goneT For ten years he practised every night, ical skill, he also devoted considerable about Krishna ... ""I searched in Brind much to the disturbance of his neigh attention to rhythm play. The famous aban, I searched in Mathura, and I will bours. When he was a rising star, at the tabla wizard, AhmedJan ""Thirakwa" of search in all the four directions." The age of20 or so, he developed a tremend Rampur, never tired of quoting anec man was very embarassed! ous reputation 'for his singing abilities. dotes about Faiyaz Khan's incalculable The majestic, stentorian voice of Music conferences in those days, 1905- and unpredictable handling of difficult Faiyaz Khan was not universally apprec 1910, were so competitive, yet Faiyaz rhythmic cycles like dhamar (14 beats). iated in India, because of the popular Khan could sing after anyone. Other In the 19th century, composing music appeal of high voices of that time, such (col1lil1ued 011 page 2) Advisory editor: Wim van der Meer (conrinuedji"Oln page 1) would set the mood of the raga, and he AIR (AlI- India Radio) archives, includ singers were all more or less measured kept up the mood the whole time. Per ing adhamar in Raga Desh and a khayal by him. During his career he won many formances were well planned, usually in Raga Bhankar, each about20 minutes awards.1 For instance, in 1925 he was with at least two tanpuras, a sarangi, in length. given the title of Aftab-i-mausiqi (Sun and/or a harmonium to assist him. Records by Faiyaz Khan: of music) at the court of Mysore. The The recordings made at this time were Raga Desh & Raga Bhankar, EALP same year, he represented Baroda at the brief, but through careful rehearsal he 1365. All India Music conference in Lucknow, managed to give a compact impression Ragas Lalit, Ramkeli, Todi, Deshi where he was honoured with the title of a complete performance. Of course, Dhamar-Hori, Thumri Bhairavi, Dadra Sangita cudamani. Faiyaz Khan was when listening, one has to keep in mind (side 1); ragas NatBehag, Darbari, Paraj, court musician of Baroda from 1912 to the limitations of recording technique Jaunpuri, Bhairavi-Dadra (side 2); 1950. before 1950. EALP 1292. Faiyaz Khan was a master of Most of the L.P.S available now are Ragas Puriya, J aijawanti, Purvi, Kafi, atmosphere. He had an intuitive under reprinted 78 rpm records and consist of Chaya (on side L with Bade G hulam Ali standing of raga and technique. From the very short pieces, apart from a record Khan on side 2): Hindustan Record first moment of his performance he produced from tape recordings in the 1411-0001.
rag a relate in a particular way. The vocalist's voice emerges outofthe sound of the tanpura and melts into it. In Newsletter no. 4 Wim van der Meer described the practice of mandra sadhana, which consists of singing the lowest note possible and trying to make the sound of the voice merge completely with the sound of the tanpura. It is no wonder that vocalists treasure their tanpuras as will a sitarist his sitar. Technically, the tanpura is a fairly simple instrument. Its basic construct ion resembles that of the sitar; a long PholUsholl'ing rhe rhrmd passing underol1eo{rhnrrings on rhe bridgeo{a lanpura (From rhe book ''De Roep l'an hollow neck ends in a big gourd that is de KokilcO covered with a convex piece of wood. THETANPURA other stringed instruments). Scholars The strings - usually four to six in num are still at odds on this subject. ber - run down the entire length of the During rhese monrhs. sl'l'I!rall'ocalisrs will be rouring the> Wesr. This anicil' is del'orl!(/ ro rhe l'ocalis(, insep Nowadays, the tanpura is always instrument. arable companion. 0/: as Faiyaz Khan is reporred ro present in concerts of Indian music. It The most characteristic feature of the h(ll'e said: "No. ir's nor a musical insrrumenr. ir's oniy may remain in the background, but its tanpura is its bridge. Like the jiwari of mr morher': importance can hardly be overstated. It the sitar, it consists of a raised ivory . Parrso{rhis arricieare based on Music in India.pp is the point of reference for every surface parallel to the strings, sloping 49-51. by Bonnie C Wade (EnglelVood Clii/i'. 1979) and De Roepvande Kokilapp 134-J37, by Wim l'an musician. down towards the end. Because of this, da Meer and Joep Bor (The Hague. J982). Instrumentalists (especially sitar and the strings lengthen and shorten slightly sarod players) often use small-sized when vibrating, so that many overtones For all its variety, Indian classical tanpuras; they are more practical to carry come out strongly. To increase this effect, music has one constant presence: the around; they don't outsound the delicate a piece ofthread is slid under each string drone, a continuous, unchanging sitar and big tanpuras have a pitch one to a position where the sound lasts long sound in the background, as we also find octave below the tonic of these instru est and contains most overtones. it in much Western medieval music. In ments. Sometimes, sitar and sarod The tanpura is usually tuned PA Sa virtually all cases this drone is provided players dispense with the tanpura entir Sa SA (fifth, tonic, tonic, one octave by the tanpura (or tamboura). ely, but then the drone is still present, as below tonic), but there are many variat The presence of a drone instrument in both instruments have strings that ions depending on the number of strings, musical ensembles has significant indicate the tonic ('sa' in Indian termin the raga to be played and individual implications. In old times, the intervals ology), which is the main function of the preference. between successive pitches were very drone. When played, the instrument is gener important. Later, with the constant Most other instrumentalists invari ally held in a vertical position. The first presence of the tonic in the drone, the ably use the tanpura in performance, string is played with the middle finger of relationship of each note with the drone with the exception of shehnai players, the right hand, the remaining strings was of greatest importance. who usually use another shehnai to with the forefinger. Playing the tanpura Probably the tanpura einerged around provide the drone. A third way to prod seems deceptively easy; although there the 17th century. The instrumenttunbur uce the drone is through the use of either is no formal training, it takes a long time or fanbura is mentioned in texts before the harmonium ortheshruti box. In both and a sensitive ear before one is able to that time, but this refers to the Persian instruments, a constant tone is made by bring out the sound of the tanpura to its thin-necked lute of that time, an ancestor pumping air past metal reeds with greatest advantage, even after the threads of the sitar. bellows. Their sound quality is extremely under the strings have been properly The early tanpuras did have a thin poor compared to the rich tone of the positioned and the instrument has been neck: this form can still be found in tanpura. tuned with the utmost accuracy. South India. The broad-necked tanpuras The tanpura is absolutely indispens Then and only then will the tanpura we know only developed in the 18th able for the vocalist. Usually it is played give its sound of a mystical beauty, a century. by the singer. so that the sound is always continuous pleasant buzzing with an It is difficult to say if the drone was in close to his/her ears. In this way the impressive ,?pectrum of overtones that use long before the development of the vocalist will never lose track of sa (the melt into one another; the beautiful basis tanpura (for example in drone strings on tonic), to which all the other notes of the from which Indian music arises. BASICS OF INDIAN MUSIC - III ing with a single melodic line, is richly ornamented with glides from one note to The Voice another and many kinds of shakes and As in many musical traditions, Indian vibratos. The throat is open and a full classical music is based on the most natural sound emerges. It also uses versatile producer of music, the human subtle differences in intonation, which voice. No instrument can even come have probably disappeared from close to the musical possibilities of Western music with the introduction of man's vocal organs. In Indian music, all notation and polyphony. All this makes instruments try to approximate its great demands on the voice control of sound. When we hear the sarangi (often the Indian musician. used to accompany vocalists) we can This voice control is the most import clearly recognise vocal characteristics. ant criterion injudging a vocalist's qual But even many sitar and sarod players ities in addition to knowledge of raga pride themselves on a vocally-inspired and musical ability. Judging from the sty le, called gayaki-ang. most respected singers of the last fifty Girija De\'i One obvious advantage of the voice years, there seems to be hardly any ideal records are sometimes available by that no instrument can imitate is the of what a vocalist should sound like. Kesarbai Kerkar, Kishore Amonkar, combination of music with words. Poetry There have been those with high voices Hirobai Barodekar, and Girija Devi, to adds an extra dimension to the music, (Abdul Karim Khan), with' low voices name but a few. although the words are unfortunately (Bade Ghulam Ali Khan), with rough Technically, vocal music is probably not understood by most Westerners, voices (Faiyaz Khan) and with smooth the most difficult form ofIndian music since the texts are generally in dialects of ones (Amir Khan). The only thing all to master. As with other musicians, the Hindi. these voices seem to have in common is vocalist must know all the fine points of The compositions sung in classical that they are highly expressive. In the intonation and ornamentation in every vocal music are generally songs of love past, power in a voice was of absolute individual raga, but most instruments or devotion, and the same texts can importance, but nowadays with the rise have points of reference for certain notes appear in two contrasting styles, espec of microphones it is not as essentiaL (frets, sympathetic strings, holes of a ially dhrupad and thumri. However, the There is nothing to distinguish female flute). Most important is to sing in tune, interpretation of the text depends upon vocalists from male vocalists except and the vocalist must be able to strike the particular style being sung and this singing pitch, which is usually around exactly the right note without any interpretation is an all-important five notes higher than the male voice. support but that of his tanpura. distinguishing feature. In dhrupad the High female voices are not common in When a vocalist has gone. through the presentation is quite serious and usually classical singing, and certainly not the long process of classical vocal training of a devotional character, though erotic falsetto so often heard in popular Indian he does have the satisfaction of ism can be combined too. The poetry film songs. A powerful rendering of the commanding the most subtle and sung in khyal is frequently of a romantic lower tones is much more important emotionally expressive vehicle for and sensuous nature, but the meaning of than the ability to reach high notes. In Indian music, as is borne out by its the words is subordinate to the musical the West we are not treated to concerts of popularity in India, where more than presentation; often words are used just Indian female vocalists very often but half the concerts feature vocalists. for their sound. Thumri singing on the other hand is extrem~ly emotive, and the EDITORIAL the financial ones. Publishing the News music is used to bring out the signific letter every two months (all voluntary ance of the words. This is not the last issue of the Indian work) consumes a great deal of time and In contemporary concerts of classical Music Newsletter, although in issue no.6 energy. The editors would like to pre vocal music, the programme will usually we had expressed our fears that it would serve their physical and mental health. start off with a raga presented in khyal be, based on the difficult financial situ Three months between issues will give style, and then progress to thumris. It is ation and the low number of subscribers. us some more breathing space, even ifit not possible to draw such definite lines Now, two months later, the situation is means that concert information will be between thumri and khyal as it was somewhat better. We have a few more less up-to-date. previously, as each takes elements from subscribers and we have received some We feel that the change from four to the other nowadays. donations that make it possible to con six page5 is quite a positive one. In the Apart from the words of the compos tinue publishing for some time. A third past we have been forced to cut articles ition, a performance consists of sounds and very important consideration in our in length more than we liked to, due to without verbal meaning. Alap is sung decision to go on was the moral support lack of space. Now we will be able to do using the open a sound or other simple from readers. Quite a few notes of more justice to the authors. syllables. Jor andjhala (in dhrupad) are encouragement have reached us. We In addition to the authors, we would sung to sounds that imitate the plucking thank the writers. like to thank all individuals and organ of the rudra-vina, an interesting example To keep the Newsletter going, we have isations that have helped us over the past of instrumental music influencing vocal . to introduce some reorganisation. In year. music. future, the Newsletter will be published Looking back over one year of the During rhythmic passages, frequent on a quarterly basis, starting with issue Indian Music Newsletter we feel quite use is made of the syllables indicating no. 8 (July, August & September 1983). pleased, in spite of all the problems we the notes of the scale: sa re ga ma pa dha Every issue will have two extra pages (as have had. From the indications of ni sa. In this way the vocalist demon did issue no. 5, an exception last year), so supportwe have been getting we feel that strates that he knows exactly what he is that in principle the total number of we are doing valuable work and that the doing. At other times, he will sing his pages per year will remain the same, as Newsletter has grown into a mature and tanas (fast note patterns) to the a sound will the subscription rate (Hfl. 15.-). We unique infQfmation paper. or some of the words of the composition. want the Newsletter to be accessible to We hope that you, the readers, feel the In Western music, only the twelve all lovers of Indian music. same and that you will continue to semitones of the octave are sung, and the We have decided on these particular support us in our work towards greater voice is trained to cut out microtones changes for several reasons, aside from understanding ofIndian classical music. around the notes. Indian music, work- Issue no. 8 July - August - September 1983 INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER A quarterly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West
After articles on dhrupad (issue no. 2) and accompaniment to classical dance and khayal (issue no. 3) we continue our series on drama. The word thumri itself seems to musical styles with thefollowingpieceon thumri be of fairly recent origin, as references the next in importance. cannot be found dating back more than a couple of centuries. THUMRI As a vocal composition, thumri is shorter than khyal ~ both in having fewer Thumri is a light classical form of lines of poetry and in the performance music based on the same roots as khyal, time for improvisation around the theme. but with much more emphasis on poetic The composition includes the two expression. There is also some influ movements sthayi and antara. The ence from folk music. It is quite a difficult improvisation of at least one known form form of music to perform, as it contains of thumri, the bolbant, is similar to the elaborate ornamentations and frequent middle portion ofkhyal where the whole melodic changes, such as from major to octave is used. This form is dying out minor and back again. Singing is the now, but there are many other ways of main field for thumri, although most presenting thumri. Its constantly chang classical musicians these days, instru ing nature seems to be one of its features. mentalists as well as singers, will round It is difficult to find a precise definition, off a khyal performance with thumri or as it depends on whether one is consider another light classical variety. ing an historical form or one of the In India, th umri is also performed as a currently popular varieties. genre in itself. The songs have a greater A book of songs collected by S.M. popular appeal than the more classical Tagore (1879) gives the following simple Kesarbai Kerkar, who continued the baiji tradi styles, both because of the lightness and definition: 'The Thungri (thumri) is in tion ofthumri singing into the second halfofthis delicacy of the melody and because it is tended for female singers and is set to centu/y. an emotive form of music. The music is light ragas and simple talas. The singing used to bring out the feelings behind the is invariably accompanied with appro and dance. The majority of the partici words. It is quite difficult for Western priate gestures". Yet NA Willard, writ pants were usually young women, and audiences to fully appreciate vocal ing in 1834, feels that "It is useless to thumri came to be known as a feminine thumri as most of us are not familiar waste words in description, which must style. with the common dialects ofHindi used after all prove inadequate, of a subject Nowadays Birju Maharaj, the famous in the compositions. which will impress the mind more sens Kathak dancer and singer from Luck Thumri has a strong association with ibly when attention is bestowed on a few now, is well-known in addition for his Kathak dance, and indeed this style of songs." M.R. Gautam (The Musical thumri singing. Sometimes he will sing a singing probably originated as an Heritage of India, 1980) writes that composition and then demonstrate it in thumri is "suggestive of a song which is dance, and sometimes he dances and small in size and is associated with dance sings at the same time. The gender of the and all its delicate movements." Ka thak dancer. male or female, is not of In one of its aspects thumri is de importance as he or she has to be able to scended from dhamar (a style close to present both the masculine and the dhrupad), which has the threefold mean feminine elements of the dance. How ing of dance steps, the rhythm, and the ever, the point is that thumri is still very song associated with it. One of the talas much associated with dance today, as of thumri, dipchandi, is almost the same well as existing as an independent musi pattern as the rhythmic cycle dhamar. cal form. The history of thumri goes hand in During the last century, thumri hand with Kathak dance. Kathak means became especially popularised through story-telling, and the dance as we know the singing of the courtesans. who were it today still contains quite a large trained in dance and classical music as element of drama through verbal part of their education. Many of these presentation (speech or song) and gest women, known as baijis. received musi ures, as well as the complex rhythmic cal training from master musicians of compositions and improvisations. the time and continued in their own Around the middle of the last century, right as top-class vocalists. Amongst their the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of teachers were many excellent sarangi Avadh was famous for its patronage of players who often had trouble finding thumri and Kathak dance. The Nawab employment in the royal courts as solo organised a big festival every year on the musicians; due to the low status of their The great vocalist Bade G/1Ulam AIi Khan, who theme of Lord Krishna and his love instrument at the time (see issue no. 3). was both admiredfor his khayal and lovedfor play with the gopis. Any talented artist The baijis were so popular that they his thumri. could perform in this concert of song were among the first Indian musicians gem-engraver, a blowing away of the last certain way. Yet some instrumentalists, (conrinued/rom previous page) particle of invisible dust'. In the words of for instnce Vilayat Khan (sitar) and to be recorded at the beginning of the Schiller, 'the artist may be known rather Ram Narayan (sarangi), use the whole 1900's. Rasoolanbai. Siddeshwari Devi, by what he omits'." chromatic scale in Bhairavi thumri, and Goharjan and Zorabai were amongst In the quest for the precise musical - they take much more freedom with the famous baijis of the times, to mention expression of emotions in thumri sing music than simply redesigning the only a few. In the middle part of this ing, a great deal offreedom is nonetheless structure of the raga. Ali Akbar Khan century, Kesarbai Kerkar (who died in allowed with regard to the musical struc (sa rod) and Ravi Shankar(sitar) go even 1977) was a highly respected singer who ture of the classical raga. Forthe musical further, and quite clearly exceed the carried on the tradition. Like her prede aspect of the thumri there is, theref?re, limits of Indian classical music in their cessors, she mastered the major vocal freedom within restraints. The restramts individual presentation of Sindhi genres and was admired all over India. keep it within the realm of classical Bhairavi thumri. Yet because of their The poetry sung in thumri is generally music. In the content of the poetry used genius, they always manage to bring of a romantic and erotic nature, relating for the songs, however, it seems that no whatever they are playing back to the to human love in its various phases of taboos or restraints are respected in traditional framework before the end of separation and union. Sometimes a dual depicting the love theme. M.R Gautam the piece, even into the (by this point significance is implied, spiritual and describes the literary content: " ... Eroti highly strained!) rhythmic structure. mundane. The music is very lyrical, and cism and love release(d) themselves in Thumri singing has no "gharanas" or only a limited number of ragas are suit feminine sense and sensibility, in femi schools of music, unlike khyal. However, able for thumri. Until forty years ago, nine delicacy and fury, with all the atten there are three different styles ofthumri thumris were being sung (mostly in the dant spasmodic twists of the wrist, ofthe based on regional variations. The two bolbam form referred to earlier) in ragas waist, jinglings of the ghungharu, crack basic styles are the Poorbi ang, centred like Bhimpalasi, Danashri, Ti1ak ing of the bangles and the jerky pulling around Benares, and thePachachin ang, Kamod, Jaunpuri, Sahana, Yaman, of the garments. There are charges and around Lucknow. These are the "east Bihag and Bahar. Other ragas which are counter-charges; the darts of Cupid are ern" and "western" styles respectively, most commonly suited to thumri-sing hurled mercilessly. Glances are veritable Benares being in the eastern part of the ing in the current era are Bhairavi, Jhin arrows or razor-edged daggers; the heart Indian state of Ut tar Pradesh and Luck jhoti, Khamaj, Pilu, Desh, Kafi, Jogia, is wounded and bleeds; jealousies and now in the western part. In the last thirty Ti1ang, Gara and Bihari. laments and all the sallies and fitful years a third style has arisen, thePunjabi As M.R Gautam (see above) says, whims and caprices of love stalk the ang. This last uses the extremely fast " ... In this form of music there is a deliber scene. There is no rule, regulation or law tan as, or quick succession of notes, ofthe ate avoidance of all the sophistications, in rendering except unrestricted wooing. lappa form of music (another light classi mannerisms, restraints, grandeur, and The... attractive maiden is seldom .... cal variety). Tanas had no place in thumri certain vocal gymnastics that are the contented with her own lover." in the past, but now every thumri singer main features of the khyal. The thumri Thumri singing requires a special uses them to some extent. singer goes straight to the emotional quality of voice, natural or cultivated, for Famous and well-respected singers of kernel of the song and portrays it from proper rendering. The voice must be thumri are not generally known for their the heart. But this portrayal has in it an extremely pliable and capable of ex singing of thumri in isolation. Often integration not only of the heart with the pressing several colorations of tone. their fame is due to their initial success song but also of the head with aesthetics. Rhythm is an important part ofthumri as khyal singers. Bade GulamAli Khan In other words, thumri singing, if done in performance, and there are particular was well-known for his rendering of both the right way, is the expression of the talas (rhythmic cycles) which form an thumri and khyal. In thumri he was an quintessence of the ideal integration of element of the composition. The talas exponent of the newer Punjabi style, but emotion, intellect and aesthetics. It is most commonly employed are dip also included elements from both Bena therefore one of the most difficult forms chandi, chachar, tintal, sitar-khani, res and Lucknow. Girja Devi (Benares) ofHindustani music. WaIter Pater, while Punjabi theka and addha. is a khyal singer and is also very well discussing art, states that one of its chief In instrumental music, thumri has to known for her thumri and other light functions consists 'in the removal of be performed in a different way, since classical and folk genres, especially surplus age, from the last finish of the the poetic element is missing. Other feat from the region surrounding Benares. ures take its place. Instrumentalists will Faiyaz Khan and Abdul Karim Khan often start with a full-fledged alap used to sing the whole range of classical movement, whereas singers move and light classical forms. Indeed, Faiyaz straight into the composition after a few Khan would often take the rhythmic notes of introduction. In thumri singing, element from khyal and put it together as mentioned before, a great deal of with the melodic structure ofthumri, or latitude is allowed with the basic struc vice-versa. ture of a raga. But instrumentalists go There is no longer any clear demarca much further, taking freedom in the tion line between the khyal and thumri, melodic and tonal structures as well. as there was up to thirty years ago. Each And another feature is that often a form is influencing the other to some thumri becomes the basis for a "raga extent, as can be seen in contemporary mala", or garland of rag as, where several concert performances. In this way khyal different ragas are played in fairly quick tends towards the light classical and succession, then returning to the original thumri takes on a more classical air. But raga, without stopping in between. there are no clear indications as to how Take raga Bhairavi, for example, one far this development will go. Since Indian of the most popular ragas for thumri indepence from the British in 1947, the exposition. It has a basic scale of7 notes whole environment around Indian but the other 5 semi-tones of theoctavt classical music has been changed can be used in certain instances. The fundamentally, and the changes in singer Kesarbai uses the other notes in thumri itself are just one of the many Wajid Ali Shah her thumri performance, but only in a reflections on the whole music scene. Amongst the many artists ofIndia onlya handful stand out because oftheir singular mastelY ofthe instrument. knowledge of the music and power of expression. In past issues. we have published interviews with AIi Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankm: On the next two pages. we turn our attention to Ram Narayan. the unequalled sarangi player. We publish these interviews with great pleasure. because they give an interesting insight into the lives and thoughts ofthe great musicians. which helped form their musical genius.
INTERVIEW WITH RAMNARAYAN
How did you learn to play the sarangi? My first teacher was my father. He taught me a particular way to play scales on the sarangi. Many sarangi players told me that I had to change this, but my father insisted that I keep on playing in this way. This particular technique has been the greatest help in my musical career. After my father I learned from Uday Lal, another sarangi player, then from Mahadev Prasad, a singer and finally from the famous vocalist Wahid Khan; so I have had four gurus, but my technique all comes from my father.
Do you think it is an advantage to learn from several gurus? Well, if you are aware, you learn every day, from everybody. There is no fixed program for learning music: one day this, next day that. You are learning all the time. As a sarangi player I have never been afraid to learn from the singers I was accompanying. I have remembered much from when I was young; I had a keen memory and I accompanied some of the greatest masters. Anyway, you cannot say that I follow anyone exactly; I do not think that is good. One has to take the essence of Ram Narayan what the old masters say. I have an independent style. due to your efforts that the sarangi has style, it was a long struggle to get it achieved solo status. accepted. Very few people did at first. I Does this mean that your approach to the Yes, this was very hard work. was about to starve after I had decided to music as a whole is independent as well? First I had to develop my own solo give up accompanying vocalists. M'y No, I am very strictly traditional. I always style for the sarangi. I had to decide how income dropped to zero and I had a follow the old masters: in the orderofthe to play a lap , how to playjor, what kind of family to feed! At that time. I even played raga, ascending and descending, micro tanas to play... It had to be a style charac for films, which is a disgraceful thing to tonal notes and everything. teristic for the instrument and most suited do for a classical musician. But my I also always use traditional composi for its technical capabilities, not derived friends kept saying that I had to continue tions. I really feel we are not qualified to from sitar or sarod or even the voice, and very slowly it was accepted. Now I compose our own. Even less do I under although of course all Indian music is am the leading school of sarangi play stand the present fashion for creating based upon vocal music. ing. "newragas". There are so many beautiful A few things I worked on are the diffe ragas, so many beautiful compositions; rence between the up and down stroke, Are there many young promising sarangi there is no need for that at all. smooth transitions from one string to players? another and making every note clear, Well, definitely there is one. That is my You have introduced something new into staccato, especially in tanas. daughter Aruna. She will be the second Then, when I had developed this solo Indian music, though. It has been mainly (continued on next page) (continued from previous page) fantastic experiences and now it also row. But when I play for myself or for the best sarangi player (laughs) if you seems that Western listeners begin to sake of the music, I can usually continue consider me as the first. She has all the understand the music in greater detail. for hours. Otherwise, I cannot play five qualities and facilities. minutes. You see, all the sarangi players in Are there many differences between playing India and Pakistan are following me, in India and playing in the West? What do you think of the present state of but they do not come to me to learn. As The places, the atmosphere and the way Indian music? we say, you cannot learn Indian music of appreciation are different in India. Well, you know, I knowa hundred years' from records or tapes or books. They You see, there people shout sometimes: music. I am fifty-five now and when I should come and sit with me and listen "wah-wah" or "achha" and things like was young, I heard the old masters who to me and see my approach to the instru that to show that they enjoy the music. were sixty or seventy at the time. I ment and also how one should be men Western audiences are very quiet. But remember their music very well and-I tally. otherwise, everything is the same. am sorry to say-I think that music has I am teaching, at the the National It is not true that in India everybody declined. Centre for the Performing Arts (in understands music. There are only a few You can still hear the purity and the Bombay); they asked me to teach who places where people understand every beauty of this music on the old 78 rpm ever comes, so I am teaching quite a few thing in detail. Usually, concerts in big records. In a few minutes these artists people, but I have to see how many of make more music than most present them are really good enough. artists do in two hours. You know, it is not a job of one or two When I was working at All India years. They have to continue, and they Radio in Lahore, there were at least ten should live long (laughs). Music is so fabulous singers in their own right difficult to learn. Butlam trying my best. employed there. Now, everybody is just Probably a few good players will be superficially copying two old masters, there. Amir Khan and Bade GhulamAli Khan. Also I personally do not appreciate Do you think that Westerners can learn to many modern trends in Indian music. play Indian music? In the past, it was respected if one could For both Indian and Western students play with rhythm. Now everybody uses there are many problems at this time. complicated tihais, but they are usually They have to take care of an income and fixed, not improvised. their living conditions. This is working Then there is the fashion for sawal very much against them. jawab, the question and answer between Then some Western students need a soloist and tabla player. This was taken change of mind in order to surrender to from South Indian music, but there it the guru. They have to learn that you was something very powerful, an exci cannot say "I don't like this" when he is ting testing of experience and capabilities teaching something. They have to accept. between the soloist and the mrindan But then, if one is very determined, gam-player. In North India it is just a spends all of one's time with the guru, childish game. I could say almost the intelligently learning and also hearing same for jugalbandi, the duets between other people play, it is possible. different instruments so popular now.
You have been playing for Western Do you think that Indian music has a audiencesfor many years now; whatdo you future? think of them? The situation all over the world is so When Indian music was first introdu tense and difficult. I don't blame any ced to Western ears, in the fifties, fortun one, but circumstances have changed ately it was very good music. The first Concentration whilst playing afast tana much for the worse. record to be released featured Ali Akbar In India, we used to have rajas and Khan on sarod and my brother Chatur maharajas who had many musicians at Lal on tabla, with an introduction by halls are quite good, because the tickets their court. That was a fantastic thing in Yehudi Menuhin. are cheap and then the real music lovers a way. Sometimes a musician from a After that there was a period during and other musicians can come. Delhi, neighbouring court would come to visit which people seemed to be a little bit Bombay and Calcutta are good cities for and that would create a stimulating kind lost. When I first came to the West with concerts, but my favourite place is of competition. A musician's life was my brother Chatur Lal, in 1964, he said Poona. When I play there for 2000 more peaceful then; now everybody is to me: "O.K, I will play for you and you people, I have the feeling they are all running... (laughs) after many things. will play for me, but let's have good musicians. That makes me very happy. I But let us hope for the best. music; don't bother about anything." accept concerts in Poona on any condi And this is what happened. tion. I always make sure that I am enjoying Sometimes it is difficult to play good the music myself and when I am enjoy concerts, though. It happens that you ing it, the audience will enjoy it as well, don't get response from the audience, or whether this is for the sake of the raga, that I don't have my regular tabla-player the sound of my instrument or my (Suresh Talwalkar, who plays in the technical abilities. tradition of my late brother) or when I On the whole I think I have had am tired from too many concerts in a Most articles in the Newsletter up to now have by storing them as dead objects in Birju Maharaj (kathak dance) and been aimed at making Indian classical music museums and quite another thing to Chaturpati Singh(pakhawaj). He will more accessible to Western ears by presenting continue the spirit and impetus of the try to determine the rules for improvisa useful background information. line of research represented by the tradi tions in drumming, so that his computer From nowon we will regularly publish articles tion by accepting the challenge of the can produce patterns that are accep that deal with otheraspects of"Indian music and change of the milieu." table to musicians. the West" as well. There are many individuals. In spite of the economic difficulties all Peter Muller, a German musicologist schools and other institutions doing valuable over the world, 1ST AR has managed to with an impressive record of publica work on Indian classical music, both in India find impressive funds to support their tions and projects, is involved in do and abroad Wefeel that articles on their projects work. cumentation of old dhrupad masters will dojustice to their efforts and prove interesting Bernard Bel has developed two elec before much knowledge is lost. to our readers. tronic devices to carry out the research, The most important project ofISTAR We start the series with an article on ISTAR The shruti harmonium is an extended at this moment is the transcription of the the International Society for Traditional Arts Research in Delhi. form of the harmonium, and it is capable music of D. e. Vedi. This vocalist is now of producing subtle intonations, which in his eighties and he is a storehouse of ISTAR - Technology and can be used to check exact scales of traditional knowledge. Moreover, he tradition ragas, has developed a particular way of The greatest technical achievement of teaching, which consists of composing ISTAR so far is the creation of the MMA short pieces in ragas that elucidate the "The 1STAR is an organization created (Melodic Movement Analyser), which personality of each. These composed by a group of traditional musicians, can precisely trace the dynamics of a pieces will be collected in a "raga-book" scientists, and musicologists, drawn musical piece on a screen, It can also be in an effort to preserve the core of a from several nations, in orderto open an used to analyse complete performances, tradition otherwise completely lost. This international centre for scientific for example to determine which notes project is going to be led by Joep Bor, a research in musicology and musical and which variations in intonation Dutch scholar and a student of D.e. acoustics, situated in New Delhi, occur, and what their frequency is. Vedi. 'The traditional forms bf music which ISTAR is currently working on five are yet existing represent one ofthe great projects. J ames Arnold is scientifically ISTAR is still looking for contacts and cultural heritages of mankind. The fact studying several aspect of raga music organisations for possible collaboration that they are generally threatened with with the help of the vocalist R. Fahi in the future. Sympathisers are invited to extinction is indisputable. muddin Dagar, notably the sound ofthe become associate members for US $20, "What they represent is the fruit of tanpura, microtonal intonations (shrutis) per year. These members will automati generations of research in the practice and the possibility of a mathematical cally receive the 1STAR bulletin when and the theory of music, each tradition linguistic approach to rag a grammar, ever it appears, containing reports on having its own particular focus and Bernard Bel is leading the project that the progress and results of research. ideals, Tradition means continuity. But aims at a linguistic analysis of the Subscription to the bulletin alone costs continuity is a dynamic process: forms language of drumming used in North US $10,- a year. All correspondence and change, and media in which forms are Indian rhythm under the artistic guid money to: ISTAR, clo Bernard Bel, 113 presented also change. ance of Afaq Hussein Khan (tabla), Jor Bagh, New Delhi 110 003, India, "Just as the inventions of writing and later of printing changed the way in which knowledge was preserved and expressed, these inventions themselves being related to changes in the socio cultural milieu, so today the explosion of modern technology is radically alter ing the environment in which the earlier cultural achievements of man are to be retained." These are quotations from the bro ch ure published by 1ST AR at the time of its foundation, in April 1982. Founders were E. James Arnold, an American musicologist and Bernard Bel, a French engineer, The two worked together on a research project funded by the International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (UNESCO) in 1980: "A scientific study of the modal music of North India." From the work on this project arose the idea for ISTAR. 1ST AR is doing scientific research in close association with traditional musi cians. They are aware of the danger of "science for science's sake". Another quotation from their brochure will illustrate this: "One often hears that we should "preserve" our heritages; but it is one DC Vedi (Ie/t), one o/rhe great traditional mllsicians lI'ho 11'0rk lI'irh lSTAR. her!:' in all old phoTO thing to preserve records of a tradition wirh one o/his teachers, rhe lare Fai]'Qz Khan Issue no. 9 October - November - December 1983 I DIA MUSIC EWSLETTER A quarterly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West.
MUSIC OF THE TEMPLES OR interest in worldly affairs. way, Indian music originated in the tem The emperor then asked Tan Sen if he ples and indeed, it has always remained MUSIC OF THE COURTS? would be willing to accompany him to strongly associated with them, in thOUght as well as in practice. A question that puzzles many Westerners is Brindaban, because he was determined to whether Indian classical music is religious or secu hear this musical miracle. Tan Sen agreed Many Hindu ceremonies could not do lar. There are numerous misunderstandings on and Akbar dressed as a servant in order not without music, and sound plays an impor the subject, created in part by naive writers and to offend Haridas. In this way they arrived tant part in philosophy as well. "Om" is incompetent musicians, who try to veil their mu on the spot where the swami lived. the all-embracing sound. It is even said that sical weaknesses with spiritual mumbo-jumbo. Tan Sen requested his guru to sing, but the world originated (materialised) from The truth of the matter is extremely complex, Haridas did not respond. Upon insistence this sound. so with some reservations we present this tenta the master still refused to sing. Then Tan Then there is the concept of nada brah tive article in which we try to shed some light on Sen thought of a trick. He himself started ma, or divine sound, which can be com the position of Indian music. For much of the factual information this ar singing, deliberately making mistakes. This pared to the "harmony of the spheres". ticle is indebted to "De Roep van de Kokila': im offended the ears of his guru so much, that This sound is not audible to most people; excellent book on the background of Indian mu he could not resist singing the tunes cor only yogis in the highest stage of perfec sic by Wim van der Meer and Joep Bor. rectly and in this way he continued for tion can perceive it_ hours, enchanting his two listeners. When Audible music is said to be a reflection In the heyday of Moghul rule in India, the Haridas fmally stopped singing, Akbar of nada brahma. Samgadeva (13th century) legendary Tan Sen was court musician to asked Tan Sen why he could not sing like writes in his important musical treatise emperor Akbar the Great. Tan Sen was an that. Tan Sen replied: "When I am singing, Sangitaratnakara: extraordinarily gifted musician and he oc I am singing for my king (i.e. a worldly rn " ... The life force rises from the navel cupied a high position at the court thanks ler), but when my guru is singing, he is and reveals nada (sound) in the navel, the to his musical abilities. singing for his king (i.e. god)". heart, the throat, the brains and the mouth. One day, Akbar asked Tan Sen if there This famous legend gives us some idea From these five places nada assumes five were any musicians in India greater than of how the Indians regard their music; a aspects: very subtle, subtle, rather loud, himself. Without hesitation, Tan Sen re music that is usually played for aesthetic loud and artificial. However, in practice plied that his guru, Swami Haridas, was enjoyment, as an art form, but which has there are three variations: mandra in the such a musician. strong connections with the spiritual and heart, madhya in the throat and tara in the Akbar was a great lover of the arts, so the religious. head. Each stage is an octave higher than the words of Ten Sen aroused his desire to Traditionally, Indian music is consider the previous one. Nada is differentiated' in hear this musician who could surpass the ed to have originated from the Sama- Veda, twenty-two gradations, which, because art of even the most brilliant vocalist at his one of the Hindu sacred texts, composed they are audible, are called srnti (srn = to court. Tan Sen warned him that his guru some three thousand years ago. The verses hear). From the mitis the swaras (tones) would never come to the court; that he was of the Sama- Veda are sung to seven notes emerge, which are seven in number". living a hermit's life in Brindaban with no in a meticuously prescribed way. In this Many musicians still say that music is like yoga and indeed, some of the exercises resemble those of a yogi. In issue no 4 we described the practice of mandra sadhana, during which the vocalist sings the lowest tone possible, merging the sound of the voice with that of the tanpura. Next, we can mention the association of music with gods_ We can read that many celestial occasions were accompanied by music. One of the aspects of Siva is as the patron of music and dance. The invention of several instruments is attributed to him (see issue no. 2, "The Rudra Vina"). Sara swati, the wife of Brahma, is the goddess of learning and music. She is worshipped as the mother of music, as in this dhrupad composition by Tan Sen: "Praised be the Goddess Saraswati, giver of all knowledge .. ./ Tan Sen may praise you, but is that ever enough/ Swara, tala, laya, raga, meter and the art of poetry, for this I pray". Now focusing on the actual temples, we come across the devadasis, literally 'ser vants of god'. The devadasis were the dan cers of the temples in the South. They were also skilled in many other arts and were generally held in high esteem. The de vadasis have undoubtedly played an impor tant part in the development and preserva-
Akbar and Tan Sen visit Swami Haridas (continued on page 2) important artists, Tan Sen amongst them. gives a distorted view of the reality. Many Literature, painting and music flourished philosophical, religious and worldly factors INDIAN MUSIC in this worldly atmosphere. have influenced music simultaneously. Ol The music of that time was the strictly der musicians of this generation have NEWSLETTER classical dhrupad (see issue no. 2). In the known patronage by the courts, but at the Editors: Huib Schippers, J ane Harvey. 18th century we find the emergence of the same time there have always been musi Postbox 10088, Amsterdam, Holland. khyal style (see issue no. 3). The develop cians who lived a secluded life, like Haridas. Subscriptions: Hfl 15,- (or interna ment from the austere dhrupad to the Most musicians of today are essentially tional equivalent) per year. Send by more fanciful khyal is easy to understand worldly individuals; not infallible spiritual International Postal Money Order, if we place it in the courts, where music gurus, but normal people, full of human V.S. bank check, cash in registered weaknesses. The stories told amongst mu letter or pay to Postgiro account no. was played mainly for aesthetic enjoy 5265123 (Indian MusiC Newsletter, ment. sicians about the masters of the past illu Amsterdam). Likewise, when the atmosphere at the strate this point, and many present-day musicians try to follow their example. On Thanks to J oep Bor for editorial advice. Moghul courts became increasingly deca dent, the thumri style developed (see issue the other hand, we know the history of (continued from page 1J. no. 8). In this style strictness is sacrificed musicians - past and present - who have spent 25 years at the feet of their guru or tion of music and dance in Hindu India. for the sake of direct emotional appeal. Over the centuries, these fascinating, con With this, we have arrived in the second wh? would practice all night long, tying half of the 19th century. This period saw therr hair to the ceiling in order not to troversial courtesans have fulfilled both fall asleep! their temple duties and their worldly ones, Practically every musician has to live ranging from rituals of dedication to god to and work in the worldly world of today. cheap prostitution. In Hindu culture the A contemporary performance of Indian sensual and the religious are not necessarily music or dance is essentially intended to divided. We fmd the blending of the two even create aesthetic enjoyment, which sep more strongly in the bhakti-movement, arates it clearly from, for example, whirling which has left clear marks on Indian music. dervishes or Tibetan temple music, where Bhakti is opposed to the path of know the spiritual or religious aspects are domi ledge and propagates an open and direct nant. relationship with god, comparable to that But every musician - or listener - who of lovers. When the famous bhakti Mirabai has gone deeply into this art has surely felt had left her family to devote her life to the spiritual value of Indian music. How ever, a truly profound approach to the spi Krisna, her father-in-law tried to poison her. But in vain, so she sang: ritual or religious depth of Indian music "My heart is in blossom, it flowers/ like can only be realised through discipline, up a garden in summer/ I tear the veil from rightness, humility and dedication. It is a the fruit of my mouth/ I offer my breasts long and difficult path. Nonetheless, there without resisting/ Dizzily, I dance to Kris have been and still are some musicians - na's light/ Rana, I will drink your cup/ Muslim and Hindu - who have lived with Your cup of poisoned wine, without harm/ their music in this way, but they are gen Did I bring disgrace over the house of my erally not the ones who talk about it most. Lord/ While Girdhar (Krisna) loves me?" Spirituality is strongly present in Indian Many compositions that are sung today music, but loses its value when it is used are bhakti-poems; these compositions range as a commercial trade mark. from mostly introverted dhrupad to ro Paradoxically, Indian music has com mantic compositions for khyal and thumri, bined ascetism and sensuality, religion and which stress the longing, the expectation entertainment. It is this very paradox that and the grief, as in this famous thumri in gives Indian music its great richness of ex Bhairavi: pression, ranging over the full scope of "Please tell me friend, through which Saraswati, the goddess of learning and music human experience. alley Syama (Krisna) has disappeared. I have searched in Gokula and Brindaban, a decline of the private patronage for mu and I will keep searching in all the direc sic. Wajid All Shah, one of the most impor BACK ISSUES tions". tant patrons of thumri, lost his kingdom to Sufism is in a way akin to bhakti. It re the British in 1856. Back issues of the Newsletter are still jects dogma and strives for a mystical unity The increase of British power also available. Past issues have featured ar with god. In this search music has always meant the greater influence of Victorian ticles on Indian Music in the West played an important part, although ortho morals in India, which put a stop to the ac performance practice (no. 1); the ru: dox Islam rejects music. We should remem tivities of the professional female perfor dra-vina, dhrupad (issue no.2);khyal, ber, however, that some of the world'sgrea mers. Because of the close association of the sarangi (issue no. 3); interview test musical cultures have developed in Is music and dance, music fell into disrepute with All Akbar Khan, the sarod (no. lamic countries, such as Persia and Iraq. for a long period of time amongst respec 4); books and records, philosophy In fact the same kind of thing happened table people. (no. 5); the sitar, interview with Ra in India. Under the Muslim rulers at the To regain respect, the spiritual aspects vi Shankar (no. 6); Faiyaz Khan Moghul courts, Indian arts flowered like of Indian music were greatly stressed at the voice, the tanpura (no. 7); thumri' never before. Rulers had been keeping mu beginning of this century, so that Indian interview with Ram Narayan (issu~ sicians at their courts for centuries, but es music slowly recovered its status. no.8). pecially in the Moghul period (16th-18th With Independence (1947) All India These can be ordered by sending century) there was a fruitful interaction be Radio became the most important patron f 2,50 (or international equivalent) tween Hindu and Muslim art and it is prob-· for Indian music, and this - together with per issue to Indian Music Newsletter ably at this time that Indian music more or the rise of the public concert in India and Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Hol: less assumed its present form. the West - has provided a living for many land (postgiro no. 5265123). At the court of the first Moghul empe Indian musicians up to the present day. ror, Akbar (1556-1605), there were many A historical sketch like this unavoidably OLD MASTERS OF INDIAN ning the four-stringed tanpura was to the MUSIC - 2 filth, tonic, tOnic, and one octave below tonic, according to the pitch of the perfor mer. However, some ragas omit the fifth note of the scale, and Abdul Karim started Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937) to tune the first string to the seventh or the fourth note of the scale, if it was appro Musical magician, genius, unique tone pro priate to the raga. It was important in his ducer; such was the reputation of Abdul approach to the music to maintain a melo Karim Khan, one of the greatest and most dic concord between the singer and the ac legendary vocalists. He dedicated his life to companying instrument. Other musicians the art of music, and by his thorough know often objected to this practice on grounds ledge and exact rendering of the tones and that he was breaking with tradition, but notes of the ragas, he was able to convey then Abdul Karim would offer a demon some divine element inherent in the art it stration. He would take a composition in self. His approach to music emphasised the one of the ragas omitting pancham (the beauty of melody, and thus his singing had fifth note of the basic scale) and sing it an emotional appeal and a sweetness which twice; first with the traditional tuning and was appreciated by all types of audiences, then with the new tuning. Then he asked even those with no knowledge of music in his listeners to judge which was sweeter, general or of the North Indian khyal style and usually he made his point. in particular. Another change he made was in the alap As it was, Abdul Karim knew all the portion of the slow composition (in khyal forms of North Indian classical music. Al style). He slowed down the rhythm to so, he learned something of Carnatic music around 211z seconds per beat, thus giving from eminent musicians of the South, and more freedom for slow, meditative exposi worked hard for mutual understanding be tion of the raga. In this way, the raga is en tween the two systems. He performed tirely developed as an a/ap with tabla-ac many vocal styles: usually the demand was companiment, rather than starting the per for a khyal performance, but now and formance by a long section without the then, for instance, he would agree to sing rhythm. Most singers in India today follow Abdul Karim Khan bhajans for a non-specialised audience. He this system. was also famous for his exquisite rendering Abdul Karim Khan was often able to of thumris, which depend on emotional ap move his listeners to tears, with the com sion. For instance, the reverse judgement peal and melodic omamentation (see issue bination of slow music and his usual choice has been made of the Agra gharana (to no. 8). A few recordings exist of his thumn· of karuna rasa (the sad sentiment) in his which Faiyaz Khan belonged). In Agra the and other performances; for instance the singing. rhythmic element is certainly highly devel thumri in raga Bhairavi on the EMI long He was known as belonging to the Kira oped. However, all the great masters, what playing record 33 ECX 3251 (see discogra na gharana, or school of music, and the ever their gharana, had the right balance of phy). He would often make the point that work he did is accepted as the basis of the melody and rhythm for the particular style the most important features of the music, Kirana style today. Actually, the relation they chose. Faiyaz Khan defmitely did not melody and rhythm, are present in all the ship of any musician to a particular ghara neglect melody and Abdul Karim Khan did forms, not merely the most classical. na is often a debatable point. Abdul Karim. not neglect rhythm. (During his years in The great masters of Indian music were was born in Kirana but spent most of his Baroda, Abdul Karim and his brother Ab usually all-round musicians, and Abdul Ka professional life in south-west Maharashtra, duI Haque, both young men then, were rim was no exception. He could play sev together with extensive tours and an early well-known for their dexterity in tanas as eral instruments, including sitar and vina. period as a court musician in Baroda. He well as for their rendering of a/ap. Whilst His vocal performances were to the accom was in contact (and sometimes in competi one brother improvised a tana, a fast note paniment of tabla and tanpura, and he of tion) with a great many professional musi pattern in strict rhythm in the raga, the ten dispensed with the traditional sarangi cians of different styles. His early teachers, other would sing the same tana in sargam, backing for vocalists. (This was remarkable, mostly family members or close connec the sol-fa of Indian music). as he came from a sarangi tradition). Later tions, were artists of the Kirana gharana, The famous musician Wahid Khan was in his life he reluctantly agreed to accom many of whom had received their training also in the Kirana gharana. Wahin Khan (re- paniment by a specially made harmonium from a line of sarangi players. Baroda, 1ated to Abdul Karim through the latter's *(see below), but with great reservations. where he worked for some years, was one first wife) was more classic, with a sober, This would be on occasions when there of the most important centres and meeting but nonetheless fascinating style. He in were large audiences but no amplification, places for Indian classical music, including fluenced the singer Amir Khan, (who, how and the concert organizers felt that addi Carnatic (South Indian) music. ever, placed himself in the 'Indore' ghara tional volume was necessary. The founder of the Kirana gharana was na), and he was sarangi wizard Ram Nara Abdul Karim Khan was known as an in said to be Bande All Khan, the famous and yan's teacher. novator in Indian music. One of his contri revered bin player. He was a distant relative Abdul Karim himself used to say that butions was the introduction of alternative of Abdul Karim, but the latter never met gharana was of no importance in compari tanpura tuning. The traditional way of tu- his 'uncle'. In his musical interpretation son with the art of music. "Wherever there Abdul Katim Khan was influenced by Reh is art, the head bows. Art knows no ghara met Khan, perhaps the greatest singer of na. It is no monopoly of any individual or * The harmonium used by Abdul Karim Khan his time, the son of Haddu Khan (Gwalior class. It is his who devotes himself to it". was specially constructed to suit his voice and its gharana). He was also strongly influenced Through his traditional training, Abdul notes were natural and not tempered. Normally by Bhaskar Rao Bakhle. In his turn, Abdul Karim was a fmu adherent to the view that the harmonium (as the piano) is tempered, to equalise the divisions between the twelve semi Karim influenced Omkarnath Thakur, there was a scientific basis to the produc tones (which are naturally uneven), and to enable amongst others. tion of notes in Indian vocal music. He be it to be played with any note taken as the tonic The Kirana gharana is often said to put lieved that practice was more important to suit different voices. This is the reason why more emphasis on melody but at the ex than theory, but he was willing to work the use of the harmonium (a Western instrument) to accompany Indian vocal music in modern pense of rhythm. It is probably comparison with those who were attempting to recon times is often heavily criticised. with other gharanas that gives this impres- cile the two in a scholarly way. Rao Baha- dur Deval worked with him on this subject, dian music, with its system of oral learning, na advised him that he should marry her or with Abdul Karim singing, and Deval theo should be modernised, and a standard nota send her off to her relatives, because she rising. Abdul Karim was open about his tion (which it lacked) be worked out, so would not be respected in the community views; he said, "I shall be very happy to that Indian music could gain more respect as an unmarried woman living alone in her help you, ... but I must take it clear at the in other parts of the world. A music school teacher's household. Realising the problem, outset that I am no scholar. We have not syllabus and a new system of notation were they decided they were fond enough of learnt music from books. We have learnt it prepared, by the musician Maulabaksh and each other to get married. They had several according to the traditions of our gharana. others, and the music institutions of Baro children, including Sureshbabu Mane and Practice is prior to the theory, even as lan da State were all required to follow them. Hirabai Barodekar, who became famous vo guage is prior to the grammar. To regard (Maulabaksh was the teacher of Hazrat Ina calists in adulthood. However, after many the theory as earlier is to put the cart be yat Khan, the founder of Western Sufism). years of living and working together, Tara fore the horse. It is not that practice fol The new system met with some resistance left home, taking some of the children with lows to suit some fancied theory but that from Abdul Karim Khan and several of the her, and leaving Abdul Karim in total des theory is abstracted from the practice pre other traditionally-trained musicians, be pair. After a while he recovered from the ceding. The rules of music are implicit in cause they had never learned to write mu shock and continued his life in total dedi the singing. I can therefore show you the sic down; everything was in their memory. cation to music. Sureshbabu and Hirabai, practice. But is for you to deduce the Eventually Abdul Karim decided to test living with their mother, were eventually theory there from and compare it with out its validity for himself. He would sing able to have Wahid Khan as their teacher what your Pundits have to say". a composition, get researchers to listen and and they became stalwarts of the Kirana In 1910 Deval published their findings notate it, and then try to see if it could be tradition. in book form as "Hindu Musical Scale and performed by somebody else reading from For the last ten years of his life Abdul twenty-two Shrutis". Through this book, the notation. It was realised that many ele Karim settled down in Miraj, but he con they met E. elements, a scholar and critic ments of musical interpretation were mis tinued to tour other parts of the country of Western music. With AbduIKarim'shelp, sing from the notation system, but Abdul when invited to perform. elements published his book "Introduction Karim expressed himself as always willing There is a strange story concerning Ab to the study ofIndian Music" in 1913. to help in research if somebody thought duI Karim Khan and his musical dog. It Srutis are a theoretical system of dividing they could improve it. Even today, there is seems that he once purchased a young dog, the scale into very small divisions. Accor still no sophisticated system of notation which then appeared to insist on being ding to ancient texts, the Indian octave has for Hindustani music, compared to Western present at Abdul Karim's teaching sessions twenty-two srutis, from which the notes of musical notation. with his students. After six months the each raga are selected (see article on p. 1). As regards his personal life and charac dog, Tipu, could 'recite' all the notes of the In practice, students are not taught by ter, Abdul Karim Khan was a kind, gene octave. Abdul Karim arranged a public per means of srutis. The traditional method of rous man, who looked after and supported formance. He sang raga Malkauns, and TipJ.l learning is by listening to the guru (teacher), his students as a part of his family. He was was able to follow him. Later, in Bombay, trying to imitate the exact pitch of each honest and sincere, and was ready to sacri Tipu wowed the audience by the recitation note, and being corrected by the guru until fice his own interests if it meant rescuing (continued on page 5) the intonation is perfect. In live music, somebody close to him from trouble. His family married him off at an early age, but there seems to be no theoretically fixed Discography place for the twenty-two srutis. he did not accept this marriage in practice, The following L.P. records of Abdul Karim Khan Yet elements went to Paris to manufac since he felt very strongly that choosing a have recently been available from EMI (India): ture a special organ or harmonium for illu partner was a matter for the individual on EMI 33ECX 3251: ragas Bilawal/Tilang thumri/ ly. Later he married Tarabai, daughter of Basant/Shudh Pilu/Sarparda/Gara thumri/Mal strating the srutis. It was on this point that kauns/Bhairavi th umri. he and Abdul Karim Khan parted ways. Hirabai of Baroda. Tara was a student of EMI 33 ECX 3253: ragas Basant/J ogia/Bhim Palas/ elements thought that the srutis had an in Abdul Karim Khan's, but when her mother Sankara/Dev Gandhar/Shudh Kalyan/ Anad Bhai dependent existence, and Abdul Karim did died, her father started beating her. Abdul ravi/Jhinjhoti (in thumri style). Karim decided to leave Baroda with Tara, EMI 33ECX 3304: ragas Lalit/Gujiri Todi/Mar not agree. He was not satisfied with the wa/Mishra Zangula/Patdeep/Mishra Kafi/ Abhogi sruti harmonium that elements brought his brother Abdul Haque, and his cook, in Kanhra/Darbari Kanhra. back to India. He told elements and Deval order to save Tara. Acquaintainces in Poo- that that was not his idea of the srutis, and therefore the harmonium was useless. elements and Deval continued to pursue their work with the help of the musicolo gist Bhatkande, who laid the foundations for the present theoretical system of North Indian classical music. Eventually, Abdul Karim Khan met Bhatkande for a series of discussions and explained his point of view. "The srutis cannot be sung apart from the swaras (notes) in which they inhere. It is the swaras, not the srutis, which form the unit of our singing. The srutis play a dif ferent role. They help to join the swaras and thereby to keep up their continuity through the raga so that the raga may ap pear as one homogeneous whole instead of as a heterogeneous mass of disjointed, un articulated notes". In the 1890's, whilst working in Baroda, Abdul Karim had come up against the problem of notation. The Maharaja of Ba roda had been to England and encountered Western musical notation. He felt that In- Abdul Karim Khan in performance in 1898 (continued from page 4) ways. But he did not play to the gallery or tamper with tradition in his quest for new of tanas in ragas Shankara, Sham-Kalyan, ness. His thorough musical knowledge and Multani, Puriya and Puriya-Danashri. his gift for melody contributed to his repu In 1936, a year before his death, Abdul tation as a genius, and his ability to melt Karim was invited to attend the all-India the hearts of his listeners lent an immortal Bengal Music Conference in Calcutta in touch to his music. augurated by Rabindranath Tagore. At the very ftrst recital, Abdul Karim's raga Todi made people's hair stand on end (literally). A1lauddin Khan - the famous sarod mae stro - who was present, told the audience "This is the result of notes sung to the ~or rect sruti measure". Abdul Karim was no blind stickler for orthodoxy; he never hesitated to change a All the quotations used in this article are taken practice where he found it to be wrong, from the book "Abdul Karim - The Man of the and was always ready to try new and better Times" by Jayantilal S. IariwaIla (Bombay, 1973). Abdul Karim Khan playing the sitar
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS either form of teental according to the ar in Europe. As regards particularly Belgium tist that I am accompanying. It does seem I mean for example Jaspar Singh, an Indian logical that when, for instance, a vocal sitar player living in Gent or prof. Mukun composition begins on khali (the 9th beat) da Rath (?) teaching in the Louvian Uni From the moment that we started the Indian Mu that the tabla should accompany with a versity and singer of "thumri" . sic Newsletter, we have received reactions from defmite 9th beat khali, by which I mean Moreover, you omit to mention in your readers all over the world and we have decided it that na. seems more appropriate than dha. last editorial Pandit Nikhil BaneIjee's parti is worthwhile to publish these letters (or ex This is what I have noted in my experience. cipation at the "Festival de Wallonie", who cerpts) from time to time. We appreciate com ments and suggestions from readers and hope If any reader has any comment on this is giving a concert in Brussels in September. they will be interesting and stimulating to others. point, I would appreciate a reply. You often complained that you have few members or subscribers; maybe if you put Russell Levy more attention to the Indian musical activi ties in Belgium - a small but welcoming Dear Editors, Dear Editors, country, you may increase the number of your subscribers. I am glad that you are working on this Thank you for an excellent publication I am naturally renewing my subscrip long awaited work. There are a good num on Indian music. I am happy that you had tion, for one year only, with the hope that ber of people interested in Indian music the spunk to start it, and I wish you the your future editorials and especially your and they badly need such a Newsletter. I best for the time to come. It has certainly "concert diary" will be more complete. am sure it will meet their requirements and been very helpful to me, a novice in Indian will serve to make other people also inte music, and I delight in each issue. Pauly Bernard rested in this art ... Your approach strikes me as right-head (Mustafa Ali Khan) ed and balanced. Thank you. My only Indu Srivastava word of criticism must be that Rene Dau Dear Mr Bernard, mal (from whose book you include some (We have received similar letters from The excerpts in issue no, 5) praises Indian mu As regards our concert diary, we only Indian Music Foundation, Florida; The Al sic by depreciating Western music - a prac publish information on concerts which we ternative Museum, New York; The Interna tice you of course generally avoid, for it is think have international - or at least more tional Society for Traditional Arts Re certainly silly. Not merely because of the than local - signiftcance. That means that search, New Delhi; The Ravi Shankar Music obvious merits of Western music, but be we exclusively publish information on ar Circle, Los Angeles; The All Akbar College cause Indian music does not need the com tists that we know are very good, either by of Music, San Rafael and the Indian Em parison. reputation or -preferably - by listening bassy in The Hague. We thank all thosewe to their music. This forms more of less a have not previously thanked for their sup Frode <;Dstberg guarantee of quality to our readers. port). As for the Nikhil Banerjee concert you Dear Editors, Dear Editors, mention, we would certainly have pu blished information on it if only we had . .. I am disappointed to notice that known in time. Our information net is still On a recent visit to India I came across you still omit to announce my concerts far from perfect. We partly depend on ir another form of teental than the one men although I always send you in due time a tioned in issue no. 3. That was, according regular information sent to us by readers, documentation on their program. In order organisations or the artists themselves, to you, for the sixteen beats respectively: that you may see that I am not pursuing dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dha dha apart from our regular telephone contacts amateur activities I am herewith enclosing in several countries. tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha and then coming a documentation on same, among which to the flfst dha of the next cycle, whereas you will frod my article on classical Pakis The Editors according to many books and teaching in tani music; any person desirous to translate stitutions the following is correct: dha dhin or reproduce same should flfst contact me. dhin dha dha dhin dhin dha na tin tin ta I have not recorded to date; however the tete dhin dhin dha. By further inquiries I Belgian Radio Television possesses in its ar discovered that both are commonly in use Letters, articles, photos and other material for chives a video tape (20 min.) of my perfor publication in the next issue will be greatly ap and that traditionally dha for the thir mance ... preciated, but must be in our possession by mid teenth beat is correct, but by a recent I must therefore say that, although you December. The deadline for concert dates over "trend" na seems to be more appropriate.. do not have to announce my own concerts, the period January-March 1984 is December 23, As a tabla student I have come to the con I notice you omit to announce concerts of 1983. The editors reserve the right to reject or clusion that I should be able to adjust to Indian music given by valid musicians living shorten material submitted. Issue no. 10 January-February-March 1984 INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER A quarterly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West.
HAUlS: FEMALE artists who received their training from Less known, however, is that the men PERFORMERS OF THE PAST this background. who visited these cultured women in their In ancient India the courtesans were beautiful salons came there primarily to Until quite recently, there were a large respected citizens and always present at listen to poetry and music or to watch number of women artists in India who festivals and cultural gatherings. They them dance. Both the courtesans, gani played an important part in the cultural were accomplished and wealthy women, kas, and civilised men, nagarikas, were a life of the cities. These women were and received a thorough education in symbol of wealth and artistic refinement generally addressed as bai or baiji, a term 'singing ... reading, dancing, acting, wri of the cities during the first centuries of ofrespect which was then appended to the ting, painting, playing on (musical) the Christian era. end of their name; as in Zohrabai or instruments like vina, flute (venu) and The music and dance of North India Kesarbai. In India, female dancers, drum (mrdanga). .. '*. The courtesans could not possibly have developed to such singers and actresses used to belong to the were entertainers per se and a lot has been a height without the influence and class of courtesans, and the baijis of written about their expertise in the art of inspiration of these female artists. They recent timesform the end of a long line of love in the Kama Sutra and other works. were also an integral part of the cultural assemblies (majlis) at the courts of the Muslim sultans, who ruled large areas of northern India from the 13th century onwards. The historian Barani writes about the women performers: 'The sweetness and melody of their voices induced birds to descend from the air, but the conscious ness of their human hearers flew away, so that bereft of their senses, their very life seemed to ebb and flow. Mahr Afroz and the accomplished daughters of Nusrat Bibi, whose excessive beauty and charms captivated whichever part of the audience they chose to look at, danced to the music. Their motions were so graceful that the onlooker felt like sacrificing his life for them and never raised his eyes from the captivating movements of their feet.' One century later the Moroccan traveller, Ibn Battuta, relates about the ostentatious colonies in which the courte sans and musicians lived: 'In Daulatabad there is a market-place for male and female singers which is known as Tarabad (abode of pleasure) and is one of the greatest and most beautiful bazaars.' Like many other arts and sciences, music flourished during the reign of the great Mughal emperor, Akbar. The best musicians of the country were attracted to the courts and the aristocratic kalavants, the traditional Hindu dhrupad singers and vina players, dominated the music scene. Nevertheless, hundreds of courte sans were appointed at the court, performing the lighter, more emotional and sensual musical genres, which apparently made a good accompaniment for their dances. Abu'l-Fazl, the court chronicler of Akbar, writes: 'The men of this class play the pakhavaj, the rabab and the tala, while the women sing and dance. His Majesty calls them kanchanis. ' The 'dancing girls' were in fact such a characteristic aspect of the Mughal cities that many travellers left fascinating accounts about them. In a narrative Female singer and sarangi player (Jaipur 18th century) (continued on page 2) (continued from page 1) about Delhi at the time of emperor Muhammed Shah Rangile (1739) we read:** Nur Rai: 'She is a famous domini (caste singer) of Delhi. Great noblemen long for a meeting with her and consider going to her house cause for boasting. Nur Bai's house, like a grand court is bejewelled and highly decorated ... Usually she rides by elephant and a protective contingent of servants and heralds surround her. Wherever she goes she is welcomed with precious jewels, and she carries countless wealth with her. And the state of the noblemen is such that when they give her an invitation, they send her expensive presents beforehand, and at the time of departure also send a pile of money with her. It has been seen up to now that whoever becomes intimate with Nur Bai became a great ruined fool. A great many noblemen's homes have been ruined; thousands of estates have been lost. She is Jankibai in a recording session in Calcutta. From 'The Music Goes Round' by F. W. Gaisberg a strange tyrant of a domini. Like a dangerous snake she consumes money bazaar prostitutes to dedicated and writes: and riches ... talented songstresses. Francisco Pelsaert 'F orty years ago, circa 1896, a 'The thing is that without her cruelty (1627), for instance, explains that: celebrated courtesan, Munsarim Wa1i she is beautiful, bold and magical of ' ... there are many classes of dancers, Gohar (Goharjan), went to Calcutta and speech. She is thoroughly acquainted among them /olonis, who are descended achieved fame. At one performance I with party etiquette, is highly intelligent, from courtesans who have come from witnessed her skill in batana (recitation) quick, discerning and pleasing of speech. Persia to India, and sing only in Persian; on the same theme for a full three hours. Her discourse is brimful of eloquence and and a second class, 'dominis', who sing in All those present at the gathering, rhetoric. And she uses idioms in so Hindustani ... , they dance, too, to the including the most expert dancers and correct a manner as even writers do not. rhythm of the songs with a kind of distinguished people of Matiya Burj An illiterate and poorly-spoken man, swaying of the body which is not (Calcutta), were spellbound. There was after only a short time in her company, lascivious, but rather modest.' not even a child who was not impressed becomes acquainted with wit and proper When large num bers of Englis h officers by the performance. Courtesans, Zohra discourse ... And it is amazing that Nur and civil servants of the East India and Mushtari, were not only poetesses Bai is also expert at music; she is very Company started migrating to India in and accomplished vocalists, but were also adept at singing Jang1a. Whenever she the latter part of the 18th century, the incomparable dancers .. .' goes anywhere to sing she takes a few native dance or 'nautch', as it was called, The first commercial recordings were women with her whose names are Begum, became a popular form of entertainment made in India as early as 1902 and F.W. Khanum and Gera, and taking advantage for the lonely young Western man. Yet Gais berg, the first representative of the of her opportunity she says to the hardly any of the English or other Gramophone Company to reach India, noblemen, 'give this much money to so Europeans appreciated the art of the so left an account of his experiences in the and-so and this much to so-and-so', and called dancing girls and even less their entertainment district of Calcutta ('The everybody complies with her. She is an cultural role in Indian society. In fact, Music Goes Round'; New York 1942). He expert in the art of collecting rupees. Her most of them experienced Indian music writes about Goharjan, one of the first character is indescribable and should be and dance as rather boring and put the singers he recorded, that she was 'an seen in person.' girls on the same level as common Armenian-Jewess who could sing in Pana Rai: 'She is among Niamat Khan the prostitutes. twenty languages and dialects ... Her fee bin player's distinguished disciples. She The real role of the baijis can only be was 300 rupees per evening and she used sings like a bubul. When she sings tanas understood when we see which changes to make a brave show when she drove at or produces sounds from her chest, eyes took place in the music during the 18th sundown on the Maidan in a fine carriage cannot look at the spectacle, and the and 19th centuries. Under the influence of and pair. Hers were among the six power of hearing does not remain with courtesans, the appreciation of classical hundred records which proved a firm the ears. She is not only expert at music, dhrupad music started to decrease. The foundation for our new enterprise ... but she also invents new ragas, raginis people wanted to listen to something Every time she came to record she amazed and instruments ... She is well-mannered, more emotional to which they .cou1d us by appearing in a new gown, each one polite, eloquent, sensible and acquainted relate in their daily lives. The khayal style, more elaborate than the last. She never with party etiquette. For everything she which flourished during this period, wore the same jewels twice. Strikingly has a witticism and she keeps strewing provided this need. As a vocal genre, the effective were her delicate black gauze them like linked flowers. And then the khayal had retained a lot of the dhrupad. draperies embroidered with real gold injustice is that she is also good-looking. The raga was treated with the same lace, arranged so as to present a tempting But the truth is this, that Pana Bai is not respect, but the compositions had become view of a bare leg and a naked navel. She for enjoyment; she is for this, that her shorter and tone ornamentations were was always bien soignee. Addis, our melodies be listened to and delight be had not as restricted as before. Much more sales-manager and I made guesses at her from her amazing art, and that her furtive freedom of expression was allowed in the age. I thought she was twenty-two, he put smile be seen, her sweet words heard. She thumri, the favourite genre of the baijis, her down at twenty-five, but we were both is invited to every party in Delhi.' which originated, as it were, in the wrong. Though she looked like a young The term 'dancing girl', as these women dancing houses and is still closely girl, she was forty-five.' were usually referred to by Europeans, associated with the kathak dance. (see Goharjan of Calcutta was born in 1857 naturally included all kinds of professio issue no. 8) and adopted by the celebrated songstress nal entertainers, ranging from vulgar The journalist Abdul Halim Sharar (continued on next page) Husnabai, from whom she learned her baijis is that they were only specialists of famous mUSICIans; first Abdul Karim main repertoire. She also received thumri and the related light classical Khan, next Vazebuwa, then Bhaskar Rao training from the great thumri exponent genres, tappa, dadra and ghazal. In Bakhle and the sitar player Barkatullah Pyara Sahib of Rampur, a descendant of general their early training was given to Khan. Finally she became a disciple of the Wajid Ali Shah. She was the most famous them by sarangi players. The girls also great Alladiya Khan, who spent many and one of the best-paid vocalists. She learned poetry and dance. Those who had years teaching her, sometimes nine hours performed all over India and served in the an independent nature and showed a a day, and first only one raga, Todi. Thus, courts of Rampur, Jaipur, and finally in particular musical talent attached them Kesarbai, studying over a period of thirty Mysore, where she died around 1928. selves to known masters who taught them years, evolved into a remarkable singer Gaisberg also recorded lankibai of classical music. A notable example is with unrivalled breath control, especially Allahabad, who died around 1918. She Zohrabai of Agra, who learned first from audible in her lengthy, complex but received a fee of three thousand rupees for Ahmad Khan, a famous sarangi player extraordinarily beautiful tanas, which one recording session. 'To attend a and singer, and himself a disciple of the were so characteristic of the style of her wedding celebration her fee varied with great composer Miyan Mehboob Khan of celebrated master, Alladiya Khan. the standing of the parties; from a wealthy Atrauli. Besides, she received some With the recent deaths of Kesarbai family she would get five thousand training from other musicians, including Kerkar, Rasoolanbai, Begum Akhtar and rupees, and the festival on such an· Kale Khan and Bande Ali Khan, the many others, this age-old tradition of occasion would last several days', acc greatest vina player of the 19th century. courtesans has come to an end, and ording to Gaisberg. Apparently, Jankibai Thus Zohra became one of the most Indian music has lost a vital limb. was a very famous singer, but it is difficult proficient women singers of her age. to find any information about her life and Nevertheless, Zohra has been forgotten career. Indian literature dealing with the by the younger musicians and her name Joep Bor genealogies of musicians and their has not been included in the annals of the schools is purely patriarchal; the women Agra gharana to which she really performers are excluded and the impres belonged. sion is created that their musical role was Kesarbai Kerkar, 1892-1977, came * According to the Arthasastra, the fan;lOus insignificant. Yet the contrary is true; lawbook of Kautilya, the influential minister from a traditional baiji family, but of the emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya. dozens of women singers were so popular through her determination, talent and in the early 1900's that they were the first dedication to music, she became a highly ** We are grateful to Dr. A. Miner who made Indian musicians to be recorded. respected classical singer, admired all the translations. Another misconception about the over India. She learned from a series of
GOKUL NAG
This coming 25 March will be the first anniversary of the death of Gokul Nag. The following obituary was sent to us last year by one of the Newsletters regular contributors, Ira Landgarten, but it arrivedjust too latefor inclusion in the May-June issue. We should like to take this occasion both to pay our respects to the memory of Gokul Nag and also to publish some information about one of India s contemporary music masters, who, however, was hardly known in the West. On the morning of March 25, 1983 the eminent sitarist and teacher Sangeetacha rya Gokul Nag passed away in Calcutta at the age of 76. A leading exponent of pure, traditional Sangeet in this century, he came from a family of musicians who helped evolve the Vishnupur Gharana, a style of music that originated 300 years ago in Bengal. He began his musical training at four under the guidance of his father, Govinda Nag, a distinguished sitariya, and after ten years became the disciple of Rampras sana Banerjee, the great inheritor of the Vishnupur tradition who played in a style developed by Sajjad Mohammed - greatly saturated with the Masitkhani as well as the Rasakhani instrumental techniques. Gokul Nag thus acquired a deep knowledge of dhrupad and khayal, and with his emphasis on alap his sitar playing retained the depth, resonance and sensitivity of the surbahar. Gokul Nag Il'ith his son Manila! Nag Photo by Ira Landgarten When he toured with the renowned Uday Shankar Dance Troupe he became troupe for a short time and very much listeners and students his music has an inspiration for young Ravi Shankar, impressed me with his artistry. He was touched and especially in his son, who wrote in 'My Music, My Life': another who did much to reinforce my Manilal, who while inheriting the Nag 'Toward the end of 1934, a wonderful growing interest in the sitar. ..' tradition has become one of today's most sitar player, Gokul Nag, joined our Gokul Nag's spirit lives on in the many talented and serious sitarists. Thefollowing article consists of extractsfrom conversational art with all its pleasantries accompaniment is the art of adjustment the book 'Musicians J Have Met' by S.K. and subtle thrusts, I remember the late - the art of the sacrifice of the personal Chaubey (Lucknow), first published in 1958. Abdul Aziz Khan of Patiala (the greatest ego. Many less imaginative tabla-players Ahmed fan Thirakwa, who died around ten master of the vichitra vina in recent times) lack this discipline and show a want of a years ago, was generally considered to be the telling me one day in his own inimitable sense of proportion. Ordinarily, a tabla greatest tabla player of this century. manner of the truly innocent and great: player treats the vocalist or instrumenta 'We gave him this name because when he list as his natural enemy and thus reacts AHMAD JAN 'THIRAKWA' played the tabla, it seemed as ifhis fingers violently to all artistic rendering of music. danced on it. So we called him Thirakwa'. By some stretch of imagination, we may The pair of Indian drums called the tab la INTERVIEW WITH LATIF has always puzzled the Western mind, not call it a picturesque name describing the because it is the rarest of the world's authentic person, Ustad Ahmad Jan. AHMED KHAN musical instruments, but on account of When he got the award, a doubting the amazing range of its varieties of Thomas asked, 'Why'? The answer was We present an interview with Latif Ahmed Indian time-measure reproduced by just a and is that he is our greatest tabla-player Khan, the well-known tabla player from the few fingers of both hands. Time-measure today. His reputation rests on the Delhi gharana, or school of tabla playing. We in Western music is an infinitely simpler bedrock of reality and facts, on the interviewed Latif during his visit to Amster affair, something which can be apprecia foundations of traditional art. Under the dam last autumn, where he comes as often as ted and mastered by our musicians guidance of M1.J.nir Khan he mastered the time permits, both to play in concerts and give without much difficulty. But the conju fundamentals of the science of time further instruction to his tabla students. Latif rer's tricks of our intractable tabla having measure and acquired the various recog begins the session by describing his initial training. something esoteric and oriental about it, nized styles prevalent in the country. is a riddle to the average Western While he can play the Ajrala and the My guru was Ustad Gami Khan; he was a musician. It is all mathematics gone Farrukhabad styles with infinite grace, he very great master. I became his student crazy, a veritable chaos of beats, a witch's renders the Delhi style superbly and when I was nine years old. I learned from sabbath of rhythm and time. One cannot reminds us of the art of the late Nathu him for five years, from 1952-55, and then lay hands on time when it slips through Khan of Delhi, the greatest exponent of he died. He was a descendant of Ustad the pulse-beats of a tala, either slow with this style. Again, he can render the Siddhar Khan, the person who started its rhythmic langour or fast with its white Lucknow style also with all its important playing tabla for the first time 700* years heat of passion. This whole mathematics artistic niceties of a distinct style. He is ago, in the time of Amir Khusru. of time-measure is music, paradoxically our only all-rounder among tabla experts I used to practise the whole day. My enough. Our system of time-measure is and can play almost all styles with an guru lived very nearby. I was so interested not a man-made, mechanical invention artlessness of his own ... in tabla that I never went to school; I went outside the emotional context of our The listener has to hear and decipher to Ustad. So he used to get very angry: music. On the contrary, it is part of the this strange spiritual code of sound, word, 'Oh my son, you must go to school first, emotional interpretation of music. I symbol and rhythm all fused into a then come to me'. But I said: 'I don't like would go further and say that it is part of strange alchemy of rhythmic beats. And to go to school; I can't concentrate there, I a whole emotional experience for a he would go on reciting the rhythmic just want to play tabla'. So I would play musician who treats composition and intricacies of a particular time-measure every day from morning to evening, and time-measure as the two indivisible parts for hours, whetting our appetite for more. when I had learned something, he taught of a whole concept. A tala is not only Who would not envy him for this magic me how to practise. Then I started learned and practised but also felt and eloquence of sounds and meanings? It is practising at night from ten or 11 o'clock experienced like every pulse of music ... mathematics frozen into the poetry of until four in the morning, just sitting with the tabla - then I would sleep for a few The late Munir Khan of Meerut was symbolic sounds ... hours, and afterwards go to U stad - and not only a master of the art but an The incomparable Ustad Thirakwa then he used to teach me. excellent teacher. In the early twenties, he beats everyone of his contemporaries in played with almost all notable musicians The Delhi gharana is very strict. This the art of accompaniment. He is a superb style of tabla playing follows the same and was held in high esteem by them. His accompanist, one ofthe best we have had sequence as a vocal recital. First comes most outstanding pupil is Ustad Ahmad during the last two or three decades. The peshkar, which is slow, as in the alap, then Jan 'Thirakwa', the recipient of the late Ustad Faiyaz Khan paid him a tribute Academy Award. He is popularly known kaida, the same speed as gamak or jor, when he said: 'As an accompanist he is my then rela, which is like tanas or jhala - as 'Thirakwa' or 'Thirku' all over India. first choice. There is none like him now .. .' He acquired this name when he had mostly tanas. It is the same thing with His aim in accompaniment is to serve a sitar and sarod. Very systematic. More started shaping as a brilliant master of the common emotional objective in the art. Listening to the anecdotal chatter of systematic than in other schools. There is rendering of music for the sake of music. a development. In the Delhi school they the musicians who are masters of the In the ultimate analysis, the art of (continued on page 5)
LETTER TO THE EDITORS Daumal under rather stressed circum closely related to a personal research into stances, in which he was specifically metaphysics and yoga, in general. For Dear Editors, defending the presentation of Indian him, the Indian aesthetic experience Music and Dance in Paris, following the reflected a transcendent system, which' The following is a short response to rather critical and limited appraisal which had for centuries been denied popular, Mr. Frode 0stberg whose letter you it had received at that time (1931). public exposure in the West. published in your issue no. 9 Oct.-Dec. Elsewhere in the original essays, and in In the excerpted material, Daumal's 1983. other pieces in Rasa, particularly the view may appear to be rather dualistic, essay on the Bharatya Natya Sastra, you but this is not a true reflection of his work, Dear Mr. 0stberg, can find a more objective elucidation of nor of his deeply felt motivation. If you In reference to your letter to the editors Daumal's aesthetic sensibility and his are interested, please refer to these printed in issue no. 9 of the Indian Music motivation, which was not to 'defend', chapters in their entirety. Newsletter, with regard to Rent Daumal, but rather to develop, to clarify and to I would like to state that the articles, from present a real investigation (his own) into Yours sincerely , which the extracted material was taken, Indian aesthetic experience and its by the editors of the Newsletter from the theoretical background. L. L. Levi (translator) original publication, were written by Daumal's work in aesthetics was Amsterdam (continued{rom page 4) interviewed recently by a newspaper in India. And I said openly that the tabla INDIAN MUSIC start very slowly and then gradually speed player is more important! up till they are going faster and faster. Is tabla still underestimated in India? NEWSLETTER Are there still many tabla players from Editors: Huib Schippers, Jane Harvey. the Delhi gharana? By some people who can't play; they Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Holland. exist. But many people in the audience Contributing editor: Joep Bor. Yes. There is one person, Ustad Gami just come for the tabla player in a concert, Khansahib's son, Ustad Inam Ali Khan. if he is well-known. He plays solo. But there are many more. Is it important for musicians to come play with dance. The reason it's so Do you enjoy teaching? from a traditional family? difficult is that the dancer speaks the syllables (of the rhythm) at the same time, I enjoy it very much. I like to teach No, I don't agree with that. For everything to my students, so they can and the tabla player has to follow on the instance, Ravi Shankar doesn't belong to spot. With sitar and sarod it's easy; they enjoy themselves playing and enjoy other a traditional family. And there are many people listening. improvise themselves, and then you others. As I said before, it's God's gift improvise something else. But with What is the most important thing for a that's important. dance, you have to improvise the same good tabla player? Has the position of tabla changed much thing that they speak. We have to play The first necessity is God's gift, talent. in the last few years? with thousands of dances; we don't have And then the most important thing is to learn so many, but we just have to be In the old days, I think the tabla was very sharp, very quick to pick everything [aya; if you don't have this feeling for more important - in the festivals, and in rhythm, then you can't play tabla. You up, so that we can play the same pattern have to do at least two to three hours of with the long pieces, and this is very practice a day. difficult. Not many people can do that. Only three people. And in India, I think Have you ever done chilla, 40 days' the only tabla players who have risen to practice? the top are the ones who can play with Yes, I have done this very much: 40 dance as well as with everything else. You days, or three months, or six months at a need a great deal of brain work for it. In time. With chilla, you do the same the old days you used to get a lot of money practice every day at the same time of day. from the maharajahs just for one thing That was what I was doing from ten to that they liked; for instance, the dancer four at night. But this is nothing; I have spoke, you played the same thing, and done nothing compared to all the great this made the maharajah very happy. masters before. They used to do this for six years, or even ten or 12 years. Do you play differently in the West than in India? Which of the old masters you heard did you enjoy most? You see, the style of listening is different here. In India, you can't express Only two masters. First of all Ustad yourself very much because people Habibuddin Khansahib. And Ustad disturb you in the middle of a concert; Thirakwa Khansahib. they clap, they shout their appreciation - And your guru? it doesn't matter, because it makes the musician happy. But he is disturbed in He was very old when I learned from one way, because when people shout, his him, and I did not hear his tabla playing. concentration is cut off, and then you But he was a great teacher, very well forget. If everyone is quiet, you can really known, and very much respected by all Latif Ahmed Khan do your work ... continuously. You can do these people like Habibuddin Khansahib that here in the West, because people are and Thirakwa. the courts of the rajahs and maharajahs. At that time, the accompaniment was very quiet during the concert, and then Habibuddin Khan was known as they show their appreciation at the end. belonging to the Ajrala gharana, which very different. You could not show yourself very much in tabla. So that's why So I think that in the future you'll have became famous because of him. How the best music in the West. ever, he learned from the main Delhi they used to have many tabla solos, in gharana man, Nathu Khansahib. Nathu both the festivals and the courts. But now, We are getting good· audiences in Khan was the brother of my Ustad, Gami since the style has changed, you can hear a Europe and America now. When I first Khansahib. Gami Khan's sister was great deal of tabla with sitar, and very came to the West, in 1967, it was very married to Nathu Khan. Nathu Khan much with dance. So tabla solo perfor different; Indian music was just the sahib was a great player and Gami mances have become less frequent in the fashion, because of the Beatles and Ravi Khansahib was a great teacher. festivals. Shankar. But now we have some very One point I would like to make about Do you like playing with vocalists? serious listeners and some fixed audien tabla is that I think the tabla player's ces, who come regularly no matter who is work is more difficult than any other Yes, I like to play with vocalists, but the playing. musician. This is because the main problem is, when you are a well-known performer is free to do whatever he tabla player people want to listen to you. knows, but the other person has to follow. This is difficult in a vocal concert, because * There is a common discrepancy between the· The tabla player has to have a brain that vocalists want very simple accompani spoken tradition and recent research about the can adapt to everyone. He has to know ment. history of tabla. Like the sitar, the tabla appeared in the classical music scene some how to play with dance, how to play with Do you prefer to play with dance? sitar, how to play with sarod, and how to where in the first half of the 18th century. I enjoy playing with everything, play with vocalists. And how to play solo. Latif Ahmed Khan will be in Amsterdamfor With sarod and sitar, for instance, you whether dance, instrumental <;>r vocal the India Festival weekend at the Mozes and have to use different sounds, and different music; I don't have a preference, except that my concert with anyone should go Aaronkerk, 5-6 April 1984. talas too. See Concert Diary, back page. So I made this point when I was very well. Actually, it's very difficult to Issue no. 11 April-May-June 1984 INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER A quarterly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West.
DANCES OF INDIA 1- KATHAK
In Indian culture, music and dance have always been closely affiliated; and those who like music usually enjoy dance as well. Moreover, Indian dances can easily be appreciated much more if one has been given a little information as to their meaning and content. There are three styles of Indian dance which are quite popular today, both in India and in the West: kathak from North India, bharat natyam from the South, and odissi from the State of Orissa, on the East coast of India. Our first article on Indian dances deals with kathak, a style characterized by virtuoso rhythmic footwork, while still retaining the· qualities of grace and courtliness in all its movements. A short historical introduction will be follo wed by an interview on the present state of kathak with Durga Lal, one ofthe best kathak dancers of today.
Durga Lal ... kathak performance. Many dancers pre ... in typical kathak poses sent a Krishna-story during their perfor Historical Introduction mance, in which they play both Krishna phere. and other characters: miming personali For example, I can start rhythmic. The precursors of the present kathak ties, emotions and deeds. improvisations from different beats of the dancers, the kathakas, demonstrated the When the moghul patronage of kathak rhythmic cycle, always returning to sam, close alliance of music and dance in India. came to an end, the art declined. At the the first beat and main stress of the cycle. Through these media they instructed the beginning of the 20th century it seldom After that I dance thaat, which demon people of India in the myths and epics of consisted of more than voluptuous move strates particular movements. Then I do· the ruling Aryans, in a way that can be ments, which served as a thin cover for some kathak in slow rhythm. A perfor compared to the medieval mystery plays cheap prostitution. The British - then in mance always starts in a slow tempo, and in the West. power - condemned it severely, and so it gradually increases, building up to a Since that time kathak has changed did most respectable Indians. climax. enormously, both in content and in form. In spite of this, kathak in its pure form So far, the performance has been pure From the 8th century onwards, the survived. It was preserved mainly by high dance; expression only starts playing an muslims slowly gained power in India. caste girls in Rajasthan and Bengal, for important role in the next item, bhajan, They introduced influences from Arabic whom it was considered an essential part which expresses religious feelings. countries, but they also promoted the arts of their education. Following the bhajan I dance fast of India. Since the 1940s, kathak has slowly kathak, with exciting rhythmic patterns, At the courts· of the great moghul regained respect. It is now quite popular which are very powerful. emperor Akbar and his sussessors (16- all over North India, with the interest Sometimes we first speak the rhythmic 17th century), all of the arts flourished. spreading to other parts of the world. patterns we are going to dance. For this Being muslims, however, these rulers we use the langquage of a drum, syllables were not particulary interested in the Interview with Durga Lal, kathak like dha, tu, dhige etc. Then we reproduce Hindu themes of kathak dance. Most dancer the same pattern with our feet and the attention was given to the aspect of sound of the bells around our ankles, entertainment. It was probably at this while the tabla player plays it on his time that the virtuoso footwork of kathak How does a typical kathak performance develop? drums. At other times I just improvise, developed, which continues to be one of and the tabla player has to immediately its most attractive features to the present Usually, I start with a danced invocation. follow the pattern, my movements and day. There are many kinds of invocational my feelings as I go along. This can be very Another important influence on ka dances; to the guru, to Ganesh, to exciting. thak was the bhakti movement. Bhakti Krishna, to many gods. I like to dance a When I have finished the second pure stresses unconditional love for god, which Shiva invocation; that gives me much dance portion, I do some more expres is often expressed in emotional terms. energy. After that I can dance for hours. sion: gath nikas, which shows different The relationship between the searching There is also a mu slim variation of this ways of walking, for example, of a girl human soul and god is frequently dance, which is called salami, meaning fetching water; gath bhava, in which I will represented by the love between Radha greeting. tell some story by my movements, for and Krishna. The invocation is followed by some example about the deeds of Krishna. This devotional movement greatly typical pure kathak, only rhythmic pat I may conclude a performance with a influenced the expressive part of the terns, in order to create a good atmos- thumri, which is based on the poetry of 2
the music form thumri. The dancer has to perform at the court, in front of the by sudden turns of the head or particular express a line of poetry in many subtle maharaja. Later we moved to Delhi, movements of the arms. In all these variations. This type of dance is especially where we started giving public perfor movements the most important thing is to suited for women, so I do not dance mances. And since 1967, I am also retain grace of line, however fast you thumri very often. dancing in the West. The latest develop dance. ment is an interest in kathak in South After I had explained all this, people Is this order of performance fixed? India; I recently danced in Madras and it could appreciate the performance much was greatly appreciated. more. They could follow things they These are the composite parts of a kathak would otherwise have missed. performance, but dancers may choose a Do you feel that there is much difference different order, as long as they respect the between Western and Indian audiences? rule. that a performance should go from What do you think of the state ofkathak slow to fast tempo. Basically, no. I enjoy performing for now? Sometimes I perform all the parts, at every audience. People in India as well as others I leave some out. Recently, I in the West can appreciate dance. At the beginning of this century dance had a very bad reputation. In the moghul performed in Bombay and there I only Of course, when I am performing in the danced in slow rhythm for three hours. West and I express some mythological period kathak had lost much of its story, I have to explain something about spiritual and religious meaning, and later Both the audience and the critics appre it became associated with prostitution. ciated it. Krishna, something about Radha, but then they can understand. Maybe they There is a very strong interest now. I I am very sensitive to the mood of the have many serious students in my school audience. If they like a particular part of miss some details. I think there has been a change in in Delhi. My relationship with my my dance, I continue, making new students is very clear. I give them two variations all the time. If I feel their understanding here. When I first came to the West, people liked my dance, but they introductory courses of three months; interest is slipping, I go on to the next one for the basic movements, and another part. This is the advantage of a dance did not understand. Now it is much one for rhythm. When they prove based on improvisation. better. On a recent tour in England, I gave themselves capable, I give them a longer lecture-demonstrations before the actual period, otherwise I have to say 'sorry, but Are there different schools of kathak I can not teach you.' There are too many dancing? performances. That was very useful. I explained about the rhythmic cycles, misunderstandings between guru and Traditionally, we recognize two schools, how a sixteen beat cycle is played, how a disciple in India; I don't like this. Jaipur and Lucknow. Lucknow is well ten beat cycle is played, etc. I showed how Performance practice of kathak is known for its graceful aspects; Jaipur is the singer or instrumentalist is indicating better than ever before. We have proper generally more vigorous. this rhythmic cycle over and over again; stages now, with good technical equip I belong to the J aipur gharana (school), how the tabla is playing the cycle, and ment. Before, when I wanted to speak but my brother and I have made many how the dancer indicates the rhythm with some rhythmic patterns, I had to shout at new developments in kathak. We com the bells around his ankles. the top of my voice; now there are bine the strong, masculine aspect with the Starting from this basis rhythm, I microphones. Spotlights are a great help graceful, feminine. Of course we can say slowly introduced some more complex too; with proper lighting everybody in the that we have developed a new school, but patterns, showing how we make varia hall can see our subtle movements and I don't like this. We should remain tions and improvisations. facial expressions. faithful to our background, to our guru's, I also explained the basic movements Besides, there are many new develop however famous we become. Otherwise of kathak; how they al start from a central ments in kathak now, like experiments our art is spoiled. point in the body, and how we indicate with more music and several dancers. I sam, the first beat of the rhythmic cycle, think kathak is doing very well these days. How did you start your dancing career? The arts are traditionally the occupation of my family. My father, pandit Omkar nath, was a famous singer from Raja sthan. He taught me. But I have learnt most from my brother, Devi La!. He is responsible for everything that I am now. He was teaching me since I was seven years old. My brother was really a guru to me in the first place, and only in the second place a brother. He was very strict with me. I had to do very hard practice, but that is the only way to learn, I realise now. I remember that one day he promised to take me to the cinema if I practised hard all day long. So thinking of the reward, I did my work. Then, when we arrived at the cinema hall, my brother said to me: 'You go home and do some more practice'. I was so disappointed! But when I got home, I did start my practice, and I became quite inspired; I really felt that the most imortant thing for me was to become a good dancer. When my brother returned a few hours later, he saw me dancing like this, not for a reward, but for the dance itself. He started to cry and said: 'Now you have understood!' A dancing party in a European mansion at the beginning of the 19th century. The tabla and My brother gave me the opportunity to the two sarangis are played standing up. 3
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BASICS OF INDIAN MUSIC IV - TALA2
The Rhythm of Indian Music
The concept rhythm being confined to ever repeating circles seems to be a source of difficulty for the lay listener. However, it is essential for a full appreciation of Indian classical music to understand its principle of cyclical rhythm. . The Sanskrit term for rhythm IS tala. While the concept has been the subject of marvelous flights of metaphysical fancy, the definition of the word is quite exact. All forms of rhythm share a common basis; a pulse, a beat. The Hindusthani (N orth Indian) term for the maintenan~e of pulse is laya (tempo). The three baSIC laya are called vi/ambit (slow),. madhya (medium) and drut(fast). Sometimes t~ey are modified by the word ati, meamng 'very'. The break-neck speed finale of a sitar, sarod or santur recital, known asjhala, is played in ati-drut laya. On the other end The tabla is the most important rhythmic instrument in North India. The left hand drum (right of the scale we have the ati-vilambit on the photo) produces the bass sound, while the smaller drum makes the treble notes. compositions of the khyal-singers, in which it sometimes takes more than a cyle into several groups of beats. absence of the bass sound, produced by minute to complete a 12 or 14 beat cycle. In the example of tint aI, the most the left hand drum. There have been many attempts to common tala, the cycle is divided into This does not only occur when the define the exact speed of the different four groups of four beats each. The first tabla-player is rendering the basic cycle, laya, but they are of little value in .actual beat (sam) is most heavily stressed, beats but also when he is playing improvisa practice. Some scholars have trIed to 5 and 13 carry minor stress and the 9th tions or fixed compositions. These are relate laya to the beat of human heart: one beat is not clapped at all, but indicated by usually repeated twice in each full cycle, even defined the smallest unit of time as a wave of the hand. This point of the cyle dropping the bass sound in the middle, 'the time needed to pierce a hundred lotus is knows as kali, 'empty of sound'. and picking it up approaching sam. leaves with a pin'. But in the end, ~hes.e The kali 'wave-of-the-hand' normally durational values remain purely subJectI occurs midpoint in the cycle. Amidst the Different talas ve; a laya can not be defined ?y the repeated sequence of stressed claps the Each Hindusthani tala is a discrete entity. number of beats per minute, unlIke the complete absence of stress on kali The best way to form a picture of anyone Western andante or moderato. becomes very apparent. Its great contrast tala is to give its theka. The word theka to the heavily stressed sam makes kali, in literally means 'support'. It is a one cycle From laya to tala its very silence, an accent on another long composition characteristic of a level. This tension between sound and particular tala. We can represent these The ticking of a clock presents us ~ith a silence plays an important part in all compositions in writing by using the serial arrangement of temporal umts of aspects of Indian music. equal duration. If we vary the sequence by mnemonic language of the tabla. Each We can now imagine the cyle of tintal stroke on the drums has its own name; placing the stress on one beat, and thIS rising form sam to kali, then descending, stress recurs at regular intervals, we have these names are collectively referred to as back to sam. With each sam, the cycle bols (from a word meaning 'to speak'). a rhythm. . . . begins anew; with each kali, it returns to The rhythm that is created m thIS way IS Knowledge of the theka immediately its starting point once again. reveals the complete structure of any linear, not cyclical. There is no re~son to Instrumentalist and vocalists have assume that at any given po1Ot the particular tala. Returning to the exam~le always insisted on a clear rendition of kali of tintal once more, we can represent ItS beginning will ever be reached again, by the tabla-player; it is considered as which is a basic requirement for tala. sixteen beats as: important as sam in marking one's DHA DHIN DHIN DHA Tala is derived from the word tah, position in the rhythmic cycle. which means 'clap'. The Hindusthani DHA DHIN DHIN DHA From the listeners' point of 'view' as DHA TIN TIN TA system records stresses by clappi.n~ the well, kali is the best point of reference hands on particular beats, subdIvIdmg a TA DHIN DHIN DHA because it is clearly marked by the Beats I, 5 and 13 are stressed; beat 9 is 4
'unstressed', as the beats following it singing. In the khyal style, jhaptal is most kali itself in the middle of the cycle, it does indicate (bols that begin with a consonant commonly rendered in medium tempo place the kali section of four silent beats followed by an 'H' have bass sound, all (approx. 1-2 sec. for each beat). Now in that position. others do not). adays, instrumentalists are using this tala The one tala that seems to defy all With this system, we will examine some quite frequently as well. generalisations is rupak, a seven beat of the most commonly heard talas. There are two talas that are commonly cycle that goes Theoretically there are 360 talas ranging used by vocalists in ati-vilambit (very TIN TIN NA DHIN NA DHIN NA from 3 to 108 beats, but only about 30 are slow). One of these isjhumratal, a cycle of The subdivision of 3, 2, 2 (secondary in general use. Of these 30, four are the 14 beats, the other ektal, a twelve beat stresses on 4 and 6) is quite clear and most common. They are used in more cycle. In ektal, there are sometimes logical. But sam and kali share the same than half of all performances. These are several strokes per beat, as the bols will position, contrary to all logic. Many tint aI, jhaptal, ektal and rupak(tal). demonstrate: artists play in rupak, but nobody seems to Jhaptal is a cycle of ten beats, divided DHIN DHIN DHAGHE TIREKITE know why it exhibits this strange structu into four sections of unequal length, 2 + TU NANA KAT TA re. 3,2 + 3. Sam comes on the first beat, kali DHAGE TIREKITE DHIN DHA The lack of clarity in the division of on the sixth. It is interesting to note that There is some disagreement amongst ektal, the strange structure of rupak or, the kali section is a reproduction of the musicians about the division of this tala. for that matter, the presence of the bass sam section, only without the bass sound: Some say that kali is exactly in the middle sound on the kali beat in tintal are all DHI NA DHI DHI NA ( on KAT), but others claim it should be aspects of tala that can not be rationally TI NA DHIDHINA on the fifth beat, with secondary stresses explained. The only thing that one can Ten beat talas, like jhaptal, have come on 9 and I I. It must be noted that say is that they 'work'; they form an down to us from the dhrupad style of although the latter theory does not put integral part of Indian classical music.
TRADITION AND INDIAN this: 'Today you hear me play raga MUSIC Yaman; if you come back tomorrow, or in a year, you will hear that I play exactly the same. That is tradition.' Few of his fellow-artists will demon Indian classical music is always presented as strate an adherence to tradition that traditional music. Indeed, traditionalism is strict. Most Indian musicians today pride one of the keys to the beauty of Indian music. themselves on the fact that they play each In this article we will go into some aspects of raga differently every time, continually traditionalism and its importance to the Indian musical heritage. searching for new variations and impro visations. Still, most artists will take care When an Indian musician wants to to stay within the traditional framework draw special attention to something he is of the raga, playing some fixed parts; and playing, he may mention that a particular respecting the rules and limitations when composition or even raga is his own improvising. creation. He may also claim the contrary, These limitations do not hinder the namely that a composition is very old and capable artist; they rather serve to direct rare, and that he has learnt it from his his musicality. Because the artist has to father, who learnt it from his father, and move in the relatively restricted area of a so on. raga structure, his genius will be concen This paradox is the result of two trated on a small part of all melodic opposing forces; on the one hand the possibilities. In other words, the traditio universal desire in man to distinguish According to tradition, the god Shiva passed nal framework forces the artist to forsake himself from others by presenting some on the art of music to the sage Narada, who width for depth. thing that is entirely new; on the other was the first in a line of traditional musicians Thus the famous raga Darbari (or hand is the force that has helped Indian that continues to the present day. Here he is Darbari Kanada) will always be very music develop and survive for many presented as the lord of dance, the origin of impressive when played by a great artist, which is attributed to Shiva as well. centuries: tradition. although it leaves very little scope for new The basic idea of tradition is quite ideas and improvisations. simple: if one wants to become a good As for the other extreme, we can artist, one begins by carefully studying for innovation's sake. mention the modern thurmi-cum-raga and learning the achievements of past Throughout the history of Indian mala, a mixture of melodies with which artists, before developing a style of one's music, new compositions have been many artists conclude their concerts. own. This will provide the 'new' artist created, stresses on notes have shifted, Often these nieces have too little concen . with a firm foundation, which will help scales been changed, new ragas developed tration of power, simply because the artist him to express his artistry to the greatest and old ones discarded. Ideally, however, moves over too wide a field. The impact advantage. the most valuable, time-tested material of the sustained atmosphere of raga is The repetition of this process over has always been preserved, creating a lost, and the attention of the audience many generation has been one of the richness and refinement of expression easily slips away. major influences in making Indian music that we can still hear in the music of the Tradition in Indian music is as essential what it is now. Melodic structures that comtemporary masters. as are the scores in Western classical proved valuable were copied by the next There are many different degrees of music. It does not only preserve valuable generation and improved upon, so that tradition. All good Indian artists have material from the past, but a conservative the ragas developed and were handed thoroughly learnt their art from a attitude also helps the musician to find down from generation to generation. knowledgeable guru, but few stay exactly the right balance between his personal Tradition is often associated with within the strict limits that the guru has genius and that of his predecessors, the hostility to change. This is a misconcep pointed out for each raga. harmonious union of which makes Indian tion. A living tradition always leaves There are a few extremists like Mustaq music worth listening to. room for development, provided the Ali Khan, an old sitar player in Calcutta, change is valuable, not merely innovation who explains his ideas on tradition like 5
INTERVIEW WITH SHIV santur for classical purposes and had almost three octaves now. KUMAR SHARMA (santur) developed the technique; but he did not There is another important change perform on the stage. So I had to search made. I noticed that I was getting too The santur is one of the most important my own path. much vibration, expecially in the fast classical instruments in Persian classical music. and it has spread asfar as China in the I was the first person to bring the santur passages, I was not getting clarity. I East and Europe in the West. The principle of to the stage. Since my father had taught wanted the tone to be clear and sweet. So the santur - striking the strings with a small me voice as well as tabla, I tried to I tried and experimented, and finally I hammer - even lies at the basis ofour modern synthesize both things - melody and removed one string from each note. I now day piano. rhythm - with whatever music I had in have three strings per bridge instead of Until recently. Kashmir was the only part of me and whatever music I was listening to. four. India where the santur could be heard. Born in I always concentrate on trying to keep a As a result, when I recorderd, I found this area in the very North of India. Shiv proper balance between melody and that I achieved greater clarity. It saves me Kumar Sharma has spent most ofhis musical rhythm. time in tuning as well. Perhaps the most career to gain acceptance for the santur as an instrument of North Indian classical music. difficult part of the instrument is to tune Ira Landgarten interviewed' the greatest In Indian classical music, instruments its 87 strings correctly! master of the 'instrument of 100 strings'. imitate vocal music, yet the santur seems poorly suited to capture the subtleties of Does the santur have to be retuned for What is the exact position ofthe santur in the voice. each raga? Kashmir? That was a problem I had to solve. I tried No, not exactly. But because I use this' The santur is a traditional instrument in to reproduce on the santur what I was special technique of gliding the strikers Kashmir. It is not really a folk instru singing, and I found many difficulties, of across the strings, it is sometimes better ment, but it is used with the music native course, because it is a staccato instru for the continuity of the sound that I tune to that area, called sufiana musuqi, a ment; you strike the string, you can not all the strings on one side in the scale of spiritual type of poetry sung in Persian. It pull it. that raga. It is difficult to move smoothly is interesting that only the Kashmiri I developed a technique where I glide from the left side to the right side of the santur has retained the original 100 the strikers, keeping them loose on the instrument, and as I have said, these strings; the Persian santur has only 72. strings, so I can hold the note with a little smooth transitions are very important in vibration. That gives the effect that the alap. How did you get involved with this note is not broken, although technically, instrument? meend is when you pass from one note to Do you feel that interest in the santur is That is a long story. My father was a great another and there is absolute continuity. increasing? man who had many different talents. He All the intermediate notes are sounded as Yes. At one time, the santur was rare, but was a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian, he well. it is popular now because I have been was interested in tantra (scriptures), he There are two techniques for producing performing on the stage for 25 years. studied medicine, and he was a great meend on a string instrument. One is by I gave my first concert in Bombay in musician, although he never performed pulling the string to the side, as we do on 1955, during a ten-day festival. That was before an audience. He was the kind of the sitar. The other way is by gliding the the first time that people saw this man who did not go on the stage to play fingers along the string, as we do on instrument on the classical stage! It was for people. sarangi and sarod. difficult to get this instrument known to My father learned tabla from a great Obviously, I cannot use these techni the people, getting it accepted by the master, Harnam Singhji, who was in the ques, because I am playing an instrument audience and the critics. Since '68 I have court of the maharaja of Kashmir. Later with strings of fixed length. Each string been playing abroad as well. on he went to Benares to study singing. can only produce one note when I strike Today the santur has its own following I started learning vocal music from my it. But the gliding technique that I have and I am also teaching. I have a few father when I was six or seven, and he also developed allows me to play even alap, students and my aim is to have this taught me some rhythm - tabla. Later I the slow improvisations at the beginning carried on to the next generation. started devoting much more time to that of the performance. instrument. Meanwhile, I kept trying I have tried to create a style and to give different instruments - violin, sarod - expression with this instrument and the until my father decided that I should take process is still going on; I am still up santur seriously. searching and trying. It was my father's idea to use the santur classically. He thought it was a beautiful What changes or improvements did you instrument. Actually, I was not very make on the original santur? interested in the beginning, because of the I changed the material of the strings, way I had heard this instrument, the way added more bridges, and increased the it was played, its tonal quality and all number of strings. On the Kashmiri that. In fact, when my father' asked me to santur there are 25 bridges, with four start learning it, I was reluctant. strings per bridge, a hundred strings in But then he told me, 'You don't know total. the capability of this instrument.' He was When I first started playing, I found a my guru so he knew better; in our few things that were not right for playing tradition we totally surrender to the guru. classical music. For instance, I was So I started. And time has certainly unable to get a full chromatic scale; I proven my father right. either got shuddha (natural) or komal (flat) notes. And some ragas require both How did you develop your style? variations. My case is rather exceptional. With For this reason I removed the brass popular instruments, a beginner is always strings, which were superfluous, and influenced by veteran players. I had added steel strings, so that I can get all the nobody to follow. There were no other twelve notes of the octave. santur players to be inspired by. I also increased the number of strings in order to get a better range; I can play My father had thought of using the Shiv Kumar Sharma