Pramith Ganguly

The word `gharana` has its roots in the Hindi word ghar (rooted in the Sanskrit word griha) which means house or rather specifically `of the house`. The tradition of arts in India, be they performing arts or crafts, were basically passed on from father to son, thus assuring an unbroken chain of continuity. The diffusion of traditions in music included vital components like voice training, use of particular ornaments, the inculcation of pedagogic and performative subtleties and importantly, characteristic styles of aesthetic thinking. The nature and foundation of the princely courts of North India, their impressive geographical seclusion, their enshrinement of music and related arts as a vital part of their ethos, were possibly a few external factors that contributed to the origin and perpetuation of the gharana system.
Initially gharanas were exceedingly closed groups either reinforced by marriage or bonded by blood ties. All musical secrets were then jealously guarded. Outsiders were not permitted to watch or even audit a music training session. It was till the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century many gharandeer musicians refused to take or teach students with whom they don`t share a blood tie.
The gharana tradition, as one understands today, evolved in Hindustani classical music during the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, primarily in the ambience of certain royal courts of the native states in Central and North India. A gharana represents a distinctive musical style or idiom, founded and perpetuated by an outstanding artist or an assemblage of great artists.
The differences between the varied types of gharanas lie in the way each exponent of distinct gharanas emphasize on specific musical aspects. The aspects like emotional expression, voice production and the aesthetic stress given to the use of swara, , tala and laya in their rendition offers a specific contour in representing each distinct gharanas.
Without a doubt therefore it can be said that the proliferation of gharanas happened with the growth of Dhrupad and khayal as two distinctive art form which later gave birth to a number of Dhrupad Gharanas and Khayal Gharanas.
Dhrupad Gharanas, Indian Music : Dhrupad is one of the ancient existing forms of North Indian classical music, still mirroring its historic origin amidst its aesthetic qualities. The continuity of dhrupad as a contemplative and meditative form therefore has been sustained by traditions and by the various dhrupad gharanas.
Khayal Gharana, Indian Music : The history of Indian music reckons khayal as a flowery form of vocal singing assumed to be the creation of Amir Khusro. Khayal gharanas strictly followed the "Guru Shishya parampara" system in which direct and personal supervision offered a rather creative understanding. Every Khayal Gharana has a few distinct features, a novel facet of their own which allows one to discriminate between the different schools while enabling one to identify the varied approach.
Khayal, the classical Indian music is represented by a number of stylistically different schools called the Gharanas. Every Khayal Gharana has a few distinct features, a novel facet of their own which allows one to discriminate between the different schools while enabling one to identify the varied approach. The élan of the presentation, the dash in the approach and the stylistic features of the employing of the tans, bandish and alaap makes each of the khayal gharanas matchless and aesthetic. Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana, Kirana Gharana, Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, Patiala Gharana and Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana are some of the important gharanas of Khayal music. Gwalior Gharana : Gwalior gharana began its journey somewhere in the 19th century, due to the earnest endurance of two devoted individuals. Their illustrious successors, after moving to the darbar of the Lucknow maharajas, were primarily responsible for evolving the style khayal as it is heard today. Gwalior gharana is universally acknowledged as the parent of all the gharanas, due to their obvious reasons for being the oldest, the largest, and one of the most permanent of all the surviving gharanas. Their distinguishable facets make them even more celebrated in this genre. Though some of them had clung to their ancient clan of thought for the gayaki style, some of the more recent singers had made a brilliant foray by letting in non-family members, thereby creating a musical revolution.

By common consent, the Gwalior gharana is regarded as the mother of all gharanas as it is the oldest, the largest, and one of the most enduring. A number of singing styles prevalent today are traceable to this tradition. It is not until the first half of the 19th century that one can find mention of it in records. The founders of this gharana were Natthan and Khadir Pir Baksh. Natthan Pir Baksh moved to the Gwalior court of Maharaja Jhinkuji Rao Scindhia from Lucknow along with his grandsons, Haddu Khan and Hassu Khan. The latter duo were chiefly instrumental in evolving the Gwalior style from the existing Qawwal-Bacche tradition of Bade Mohammed Khan. Incidentally, it was Bade Mohammed Khan who styled and popularised the khayal mode of singing, as one knows today. He was the one who had introduced the distinguishing stylisations so typical of khayal gayaki, like the use of aakaar (using a while developing the song-text), as also complex and intricate taan patterns. Hassu and Haddu Khan adopted and adapted these features to create the Gwalior gayaki.
Haddu Khan had two sons - Mohammed Khan and Rehmat Khan. Both of them left their impressions in the field, especially the latter as one can understand later. Until this point, training in music was permeated with clannishness and parochialism. Haddu Khan`s liberal move to open the doors of music to non-family members was to bring about the great musical revolution in Maharashtra during the first half of the 20th century. The most famous of his Hindu disciples was Balakrishnabua Icchalkaranjikar who was responsible for popularising Gwalior gayaki among the public in Maharashtra and perpetuating it through a galaxy of stupendously luminous disciples like Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, Anant Manohar Joshi, Mirsashibua and Nilakanthbua Alurmath. The constellation of great names associated with this gharana during the latter part of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century are Nissar Hussain Khan (1844-1916), Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (1893-1989), Rajabhaiya Poochwale (1882-1956), Ramakrishnabua Vaze (1871-1945), Narayanrao Vyas (1902-1984), Vinayakrao Patwardhan (1898-1975), Pt. Omkarnath Thakur (1897-1967), B.R. Deodhar (1901-1990) and D.V. Paluskar (1921-1955). Among the post-Independence generation of singers, Malini Rajurkar and Veena Sahasrabuddhe, and Ulhas Kashalkar, while largely grounded in the Gwalior gayaki, have not hesitated to imbibe much from other traditions and idioms. Yeshwantbua Joshi, Vinaychandra Maudgalya, Sharatchandra Arolkar, L.K. Pandit and Vidhyadhar Vyas have, for the most part, remained the unfaltering purists of this gayaki.
Some of the distinguishing features of the gharana are
 The rendition of the sthayi and antara of the bandish, or the song-text one after another, correctly and methodically. This is only to imprint the idea of the raaga fully in the listener`s mind by contrasting the mood of the former with the latter. The elaboration of the raaga is referred to by the Gwalior singers as sthayi-bharna or `filling the sthayi`. Gravity, simplicity and sobriety, characterize their approach to ragas (at least that of the purists).
 Use of aakaar or the vowel sound a for raaga alaap.
 Emphasis laid on the bandish and its proper development. In fact, given their rich repertoire of bandishes, they believe that many facets in aesthetically pleasing ways.
 Use of behelvas or singing of the notes of the raaga in aakaar, after singing the antara, beginning with the lower octave and concluding with the pleasing ways.
 Preference for the medium tempo or the madhya laya.
 Use of simple and straight taans.
 Command over uncommon musical forms like khayalnuma, dadra, chaturang, tappa and tapkhayal.Agra Gharana: Agra gharana is always noted as the second wonder of Agra, only after the magnificient Taj Mahal. The founders of this gharana owe much to the dhrupad-dhammar singers, as it was from them that the Agra gharana members loaned the major piriton of their skillfulness. However, borrowing ingenuity from the dhrupadi singers, the Agra gharana was hugely successful in establishing a permanent position in the musical history. And they do not undermine their teachers - Agra is the only gharana, who boldly exhibit their dhrupadic roots. The most important member of this gharana, Ghagge Khuda Naksh, has a highly curious story behind his evolving of the melodious voice. Agra gharana is still holding its place steadfastly, with a stellar line-up of singers to choose from.
The late Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan once proudly remarked `Agra has two things to boast of - the Taj and the musicians of the Agra gharana`. The founders of this gharana, Shyamrang (Dayam Khan) and Sarasrang (Qayyam Khan), were dhrupad-dhammmar singers, belonging to the Nauhar-bani. As a khayal gharana, it took shape during the course of the 19th century, through the grand-disciples and descendants of Shyamrang. Some musicologists trace the origin of this gharana to the gifted composer and singer of the Mughal court, Haji Sujaan Khan. Of all the known khayal styles, it is the Agra singers who proudly parade their dhrupadic roots and influences most in their renditions. Agra`s tradition in khayal singing begins when its legendary figure Ghagge Khuda Naksh picked up the niceties of khayal gayaki from Nattahn Pir Baksh of Gwalior. It is alleged that Ghagge earned the nickname owing to his faulty voice (`ghagge`, meaning one with a croaky voice). His elders thus though him unfit for musicianship. The compulsive young man however went to Gwalior and entreated the celebrated Nattahn Pir baksh to help him. Pir Baksh out him through a rigorous regimen of vocal exercises, which, in time, cured him of his vocal drawbacks. Ghagge returned to Agra with a voice that could traverse the three octaves effortlessly and flummoxed all those who had scoffed him previously. Natthan Khan (1840-1901) was a significant singer, famed for his slow tempo singing and also his mastery over rhythmic variations. His son Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895-1962) was one of the great composers and musicologists of the 20th century, who has left behind a number of widely-sung compositions. However, more than anyone, it was Ustad Faiyaz Khan (1886-1950), who altered the course of the tradition in dynamic and profound ways. The more finicky connoisseurs, however, place him in the `Rangile` tradition. The differences between the Agra gayaki and its close cousin, Rangile, would be a musicologist`s obsession, rather than a listener`s. In fact, for the most part, Faiyaz Khan`s name has come to be associated with the pulsating colour, the forceful energy and the rugged dignity of the Agra tradition. His husky and sonorous voice, which he used with great effect in his masterly nom tom alaaps in the dhrupadic style, made him one of the finest exponents of the gharana gayaki, especially its accentuation on maintaining the emotional ambience and the tonal transparency of the raaga. A highly versatile singer, besides dhrupad-dhammar and khayals, he also sang thumris and dadras with great feeling. Faiyaz Khan`s disciples, the late Latafat Khan and Sharafat Hussain Khan, closely follow their master`s style. Interestingly enough, the great playback singer K.L. Saigal, learnt under Faiyaz Khan for a while. The gruff nasality so typical of Saigal, often reminds one of Faiyaz Khan`s distinctive diction.
Some of the outstanding singers associated with this gharana are pt. S.N. Ratanjankar, Swami Vallabhdas, Dipali Nag, Dilip Chandra Vedi, Yunus Hussain Khan, Jagannathbua Purohit, K.G. Ginde and Shauqat Khan. Dinakar Kaikini, Shrikrishna Haldankar and Lalith rao are some known contemporary representatives of the Agra gayaki. Some of the conspicuous features of this gayaki are:
 The gharana adopts a kind of voice production which relies on a flatter version of the vowel sound "a"`, which makes its music agreeable to rhythmic variations and is best suited for a deep masculine voice.
 Singers following Faiyaz Khan`s style resort to the dhrupadic nom tom alaap before singing the bandish.
 Emphasis on bold, full-throated and robust voice production. Singing in the lower register (mandra) is favoured.
 Keeping in tune with its dhrupadic origins, the singers use broad and powerful ornamentations (gamaks), extensive glides (meends), and resonant articulations of notes.
 As with the Gwalior gharana, the Agra singers accentuate the importance of the bandish and its methodical exposition.
 The singers of this gharana are great masters over laya-kari or the rhythmic component. In fact, laya-kari is the lasting foundation on which the singers build the edifice of the bandish. In the hands of the best exponents, the dialogue between the singer and the tabla player often turns a dramatic event. Their tihais are eagerly awaited, as are their nifty ways of arriving at the same, by building up anticipation within the listener.Kirana Gharana: Kirana gharana can be called unusual motley of contemporaneity and ancientness, carefully and ingenuously amalgamated to suit the audience of today. It is the only gharana that flourished entirely during the evolvement of the 20th century. Some although claim to possess roots in the dhrupadi gharana. The founding members of Kirana gharana were essentially sarangi players, which laid huge influence in their style of performance. However, it is Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, who can be called the most substantial member to have contributed whole-heartedly to make Kirana gharana stand, where it is today. He has an illustrious line-up of students and followers, who perform still today, with absolute élan and glory. Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan can be named the proponent to reintroduce the slow tempo (vilambit laya) in khayal once more, a fact that enormously attracted common man towards khayal form of classical music.
Kirana is possibly the only major gharana that, for the most part, came into being during the very early part of the 20th century. Many 20th century singers of this style trace their origin back to the legendary beenkar Bande Ali Khan. Yet another stream of the gharana claim to belong to the dhrupadic line of Naik Gopal, a singer in the Mughal court, who later adopted Islam and settled down in a village near Saharanpur. The Kirana gayaki assumed the status of a gharana, for the most part, after Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1937) and Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan (d.1949) clamed to belong to it. They were both born in village Kairana, near Kurukshetra in Haryana. The ancestors of Abdul Karim and Abdul Waheed were sarangi players. Their singing style bears, according to some music scholars like Van Meer, the strong imprint of the instrument. Sarangi players who taught vocal music placed greater emphasis, given the leanings of their instrument, on smooth voice production, tunefulness and sweetness of tone as opposed to dhrupadic gharanas, which used broad and heavy meends and gamaks. By common consent, it is held that the Kirana style demonstrates the influence of both the rudra veena and the sarangi. Abdul Waheed Khan remained a reclusive and shadowy figure as opposed to his more colourful relative, Abdul Karim. It was Abdul Waheed Khan, who had reintroduced the merukhand system, a highly cerebral mode of raaga exploration that relies on the permutation and combination of notes, into Hindustani singing, as he did the ati-vilambvit laya - the slow and meditative tempo. Karim Khan, his sister Hirabai Barodekar and Pt. Prannath were directly influenced by Waheed Khan`s style. Ustad Amir Khan, though no disciple of his, was deeply inspired by his music and went on to readapt the Waheed Khan gayaki to suit his own native genius. Early in life, Abdul Karim Khan migrated to the court of Baroda, later to the Mysore court and eventually settled down in Miraj. It would not be a hyperbole to say that the Kirana revolution was set into motion in Maharashtra and north Karnataka by Abdul Karim Khan, who conquered Western India with his lingering and deeply alluring music during the first quarter of the 20th century. His music also reflects the creative influence of the Karnatic system, especially seen in his rendition of swaras. Appreciably, he produced a whole host of towering disciples like Sawai Gandharva, Ramachandra Behrebua, Balakrishnabua Kapileshwari and Roshanara Begum who, in their turn, diffused the Kirana legacy all over the country.
Without a trace of doubt, it can be stated that Kirana has turned out to be the most popular of gharanas in the 20th century. Unlike the restrained Gwalior, the weighty Agra or the cerebral Jaipur styles, Kirana gayaki evokes the aesthetic configurations of ragas in the most stirring manner. Since it emphasized tunefulness, sweet intonation, and, importantly bhava, the everyday public took to it almost immediately. Also, it has produced and continues to produce a steady stream of singers who hold a commanding sway over lay and the conversant audiences. Bhimsen Joshi, though broadly a Kirana singer, has creatively incorporated numerous idioms from other gharanas into his gayaki. Gangubai Hangal, Firoz Dastur, Basavraj Rajguru, Manik Verma, Prabha Atre, Pt. Maniprasad, the duo Niaz Ahmed and Fayyaz Ahmed Khan, and Mashkoor Ali Khan are some of the outstanding talents of this gharana to emerge on the post-Independence scenario. Some of the cardinal features of Kirana gayaki are:
 Extreme tunefulness, accomplished through the prominence given to individual swaras. This extreme focus on notes gives their alaaps a solacing, emotional sonorousness which, as it were, squeezes various hues of emotions out of the matured swaras. The best samples of the gayaki are substantiated when the singers` elaborate alaap-yogya ragas like Todi, Bhimpalas, Multani, Poorya, Shudh Kalyan, Yaman and Darbari, in which thelower register predominates.
 Use of bol-alaaps, or using of the words in the song-text to develop melodic ideas, in the place of aakaar singing.
 Kirana singers often stress swara at the cost of tala and laya. Owing to this, many Kirana singers excel best in their vilambits, as opposed to singers from more rhythm-bound styles.
 Use of raaga badhat in a highly redolent manner. Badhat is the art of expatiating and developing a raaga note-by-note in an ascending and progressive fashion in extermely slow tempo. To execute this, a singer must possess a thorough command over the notes. The badhat, in the hands of virtuoso singers, takes on a reflective quality.
 Well-known exponents often treat the sthayi and antara of a composition fleetingly. The bandish does not often get the kind of meticulous attention it does in the Gwalior and Agra styles.
Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana: The Jaipur-Atrauli gharana is the only intellectual and pedantic school of music, that has stood its grounds with this unusual style of rendition, and quite successfully in that. They are also hewn with intricate and rhythmic patterns in khayal singing. By the sole effort of Ustad Alladiya Khan, the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana has also incorporated further facets to their style. It is known that the Ustad had lost his extremely beautiful voice after the age of 40. However, without being drowned by the setback, he additionally concentrated on the other features of singing, like swara and laya. Known to have rigorously guarded his secret of tutoring, he also had to loosen his rules to let in other exceptionally gifted young men and women to carry on his rich legacy. This school of music however, strictly goes by the book, with implementation of laya and rhythm, with elaboration, intricateness and complexity being stressed on all the three octaves.
The Jaipur-Atrauli tradition as a Khayal gharana came into existence during the latter part of the 19th century and developed into a full-fledged style during the first half of the 20th century through the arduous efforts of its founder, Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855-1943). His family of singers originally hailed from the village of Atrauli, located near Aligarh. They migrated to a village near Jaipur and attached themselves to the royal court. This gayaki is regarded as one of the most cerebral and scholastic of existing gharanas, given their intricate method of raaga rhythm and the knotty patterning of their musical phrases.
Alladiya Khan`s predecessors were originally dhrupad singers of the Dagar-bani. They took to khayal soon after the popularity of dhrupad began to wane during the later part of the 18th century. His uncle and guru, Jahangir Khan, was reputed to know no less than 25,000 compositions in several ragas. It is reported that Alladiya Khan had a sweet voice until the age of 40. Owing to the severe strain he subjected it to, in order to please his royal patrons of the Jaipur court, he lost it. However, he was able to renovate this setback into an advantage by shifting his mode of voice production and also evolving, through intense practice, a style that gave equal importance to swara and laya. In his later years, he migrated to Kolhapur and trained his brother Haider Khan and his gifted sons, Manji and Bhurji Khan, who carried on his extraordinary legacy. Though he jealously guarded his newly found musical wealth, he slackened his own rules when he came across the outstandingly gifted Kesarbai Kerkar (1892-1977) and Mogubai Kurdikar (1904-2003). They were personally trained by Khansahib and also by his sons. Both Kesarbai and Mogubai went on to circulate his legacy in many parts of the country through the concert platform and also through selective tutelage. Later, Nivruttibua Sarnaik (1912-1994) and Vamanrao Sadoliakr (1907-1991) were included within the charmed circle. The legendary Bhaskarbua Bhakle also learnt from Alladiya Khan. The two masters had the deepest regard for each other. Bhakle`s unexpected and early demise devastated Khansahib to a profound extent. As with the Kirana and the Gwalior style, Maharashtra became the hub of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. Some of its finest exponents in the 20th century hail from Maharashtra, the Konkan coast and north Karnataka. Mallikarjun Mansoor (1910-1992) trained under Khansahib`s son Manji Khan, and later under Bhurji Khan, assimilated many fine points of the style. No blind follower, Mansoor ever maintained his identity all through his singing career by depending upon his immense powers for improvisation. Kishori Amonkar (b.1932), daughter of Mogubai Kurdikar, is one of the stunningly original singers of this gayaki and easily one of the most imaginative women singers in the Hindustani tradition. Though trained in the classic Jaipur idiom by her mother, she ahs not hesitated to take up from other styles. Her music reveals many of the strengths of the Jaipur-Atrauli style and demonstrates none of the limitations. Dhondutai Kulkarni, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Padma Talwalkar and Shruti Sadolikar are some of the extraordinary singers on the contemporary scenario. Some of the distinguishing features of this gharana are
 Prolonged use of open-throated aakaar singing in all three octaves.
 The integrated movement and progression of swara and laya. Complex note patterns are rendered with precision and spontaneity within the framework of a steady medium tempo. The surprising ways, in which they swoop on the sam using all their musical and rhythmical skills, is indeed an eagerly awaited treat.
 Use of elaborate ornaments and complex taans. They spiral and criss-cross against the set framework of the tala in breathtaking manners.
 The song-text and its articulation are only of secondary importance to a number of singers. Note combinations using the words, rather than the literary or semantic content of the song-text, form the focus of their interest. Figuratively put, bandishes are, for the Jaipur singers, pegs on which the raaga swings and sways.
 Unlike other gharanas, they abstain from singing sargams or sargam taans during raaga elaboration.
 Likeness towards intricate, rare and compound ragas, rather than the simple and popular ones.
Bhendi Bazaar Gharana: The Bhendi Bazaar gharana can be called the underdog amongst all the resplendent gharanas, with their glorious lineage and historical wonder. Although, this school did not just find things smoothly; one had to toil for it. And the man behind all the credits is Ustad Aman Ali Khan. Otherwise a man of humble and taciturn disposition, Aman Ali was possessed with an extraordinary voice quality that he tried to put to full use. He was also a talented composer with several excellent compositions, still in today`s usage. He was clever enough to pick up the nuances of khayal singing, thus popularising the diction of rhythm and tempo during the rendition of sargam-raaga elaboration.
Though not the most popular or widely-known of gharanas, the Bhendi Bazaar style make a conspicuous impact on North Indian classical music during the first half of the 20th century through the efforts of its most gifted exponent, Ustad Aman Ali Khan. His ancestors, Chhaju and Nazir Khan, originally trained in the Rampur-Sahaswan style, migrated from Uttar Pradesh in the turn of the 19th century and settled down in the Bhendi Bazaar area in Bombay. A modest and reticent man, Aman Ali was not only a fine singer, but also a composer par excellence. One of his best-loved compositions is the swingy bandish Laagi lagan pati sajan sangh (structured along the lines of Dikshitar`s kriti, Vatapi ganapathim bhaje) in Hamsadhvani, later popularised by Ustad Amir Khan. His popularity in Western India was so vast that Lata Mangeshkar had learnt under him for a while. Ustad Amir Khan picked up the subtleties of this gayaki from his father, Shamir Khan, who had learnt under Chhaju Khan and Nazir Khan, and later from Aman Ali himself.
Aman Ali was strongly influenced by certain aspects of Karnatic music, especially the rendering of complex note patterns (swaraprasthas) in aesthetically agreeable ways. He, along with Abdul Karim Khan, was largely responsible for popularising the use of sargams during raaga elaboration. During the time of Partition, he migrated to Pakistan leaving behind a few dedicated disciples like Anjanibai Malpekar, Shivkumar Shukla, Ramesh Nadkarni and T.D. Janorikar to continue his legacy. Suhasini Koratkar is a well-known contemporary exponent of this style.
Some of the identifiable aspects of this gharana are
 Use of merukhand method of singing notes and note combinations. The singers incorporate the complex merukhand permutations into their raaga elaboration.
 Use of aesthetic ornaments imported from the Karnatic system like brukas (short, swift and razor-sharp executions of melodic ideas during raaga elaboration) and sargams with great aesthetic feeling and finesse.
 Particular stress on the proper articulation and enunciation of the words of the bandish. Many of Aman Ali`s compositions possess much literary quality, demanding a great deal of vocal dexterity and sensitivity to bring forth their beauty.
 Preference for singing in the medium tempo.
Patiala Gharana: The Patiala gharana, fundamentally a sarangi gharana, does not need much further introduction, owing to the presence of the excelled Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The school of music has come to a full circle with the untiring effort and tenacity in work by the Ustad. So much so that, everybody else tend to be overshadowed by his unsurpassed diction. The founder brothers of Patiala gharana were popular by various names, who also were responsible in introducing exceedingly fast taans. In fact, it is Patiala gharana who are the pioneers in inaugurating the feisty and colourful style of singing within khayal and the extremely conservative air of South India.
Patiala is considered a branch of the Delhi gharana. Though essentially a sarangi gharana, the Patiala style achieved its all-round distinction and excellence in the hands of its greatest and yet-to-be-surpassed genius, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1901-1969). The founders of this gharana were the brothers Ali Baksh (1850-1920) and Fateh Ali (1850-1909), popularly known as `Aliya-Fattu`. They had learnt music from Miyan Kallu, a well-known sarangi player in the Patiala court, who also taught them dhrupad. The Aliya-Fattu pair, also popularly called `Karnail` (Colonel) and `Jarnail` (General) owing to their uncompromisingly powerful way of singing extremely fast taans, were popular performers. Bade Ghulam`s father Ali Baksh Kasurwale, learnt under both Fateh Ali and Miyan Kallu.
Bade Ghulam was initially trained by his father and later by Miyan Kallu. Yet Bade Ghulam belongs to that class of extraordinary singers, the dazzle of whose native gifts by far exceeded what he received from the tradition he inherited. His style and approach are to this very day synonymous with the colourful and zesty Patiala style. Next to Abdul Karim Khan, it was he who made a tremendous impact in the conservative South during the 1950`s. Bade Ghulam is also credited with fashioning the Punjab-ang style of singing thumri. His proficiency in light classical forms, more than his other innate gifts, paved the way for his deification in the hearts of innumerable numbers in this country. Following his death, Bade Ghulam`s gifted son, Munnawar Ali Khan, continued the legacy until his death in 1989. Today singers like Jagdish Prasad, the Pakistani representatives, Fateh Ali, Ammant Ali and Hameed Ali Khan, Ajoy Chakravorty and the dazzling duo Javaad and Mazhar Ali Khan continue the Patiala legacy. Some of the distinguishing features of the Patiala style are:
 A fluent and exceedingly appealing style of singing that emphasis the correct enunciation of swaras. This gives the style a sensuously aesthetic touch.
 The use of the catchy and intricate tappa singing style is evident in fast figures, as are the use of swift and voluted sargam patterns. Their sargams possess an exhilarating swing and astonishing mellifluousness.
 The Patiala taans are extremely enthralling, given the briskness and vigour with which they are executed. In fact, it has been called a taan-bazi style, because it uses a variety of fast figures and ornamentation fir the sake of appeal.
 Equal emphasis given to swara and laya.
 Proficiency in singing light classical forms like thumri, dadra and bhajan.
Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana: Owing to have been established by the grand-son of Haddu Khan from Gwalior gharana, it is but natural that Inayat Hussain Khan will possess intellect from his grandfather. However, he had later innovated it to its own stature, though some are of the faith that the school also has elements similar to the Agra school of music. However, it was only during the 20th century that the flowering occurred, with the advent of Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan. He gave the gharana an entirely diversified look, in spite of he himself been tutored under the influence of dhrupadi form of rendition. Mushtaq Hussain`s style is heavily resonant of the darbari and khandani style of khayals, reintroducing once more the pattern of the yesteryears. Every legend from this school is extremely adept in their technical details while recitals, making it even more exciting for the audience. Established by Inayat Hussain Khan (1849-1916), the son-in-law of Haddu Khan of Gwalior fame, this gharana is regarded as an offshoot of the Gwalior gayaki. In later years, singers also imbibed aspects of the Agra gharana into their gamut. Inayat`s brothers were beenkars in the court of the Nawab of Rampur. Inayat, though trained in the Gwalior idiom, also picked up dhrupad and settled down in the Rampur court. He belonged to the village of Sahaswan and thus the style earned the joint names of the place of his origin and that of his patron`s domain. Besides being an exceedingly accomplished musician, he was also a gifted composer. Many of his haunting bandishes are popular among singers from other styles even today, especially Jhanana jhanana jhan in Chayanat.
In the 20th century it was the celebrated Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan (1874-1962) who carried the tradition forward. Trained by two doyens of the Rampur style, initially by Haider Khan and, later, by Inayat Khan himself at Kathmandu, where the latter was a court musician, Mushtaq also picked up dhrupad dhammar from the celebrated Wazir Khan of Rampur court. Like Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Agra, his music which germinated in the old khandani (dynastic) ethos and was fostered in the old darbars, carried the weightage and solidity of gharanedaar gayaki (immaculate and orthodox style). To hear his old records is to summon the nostalgic ambience of leisurely feudal times. His sweep and range were wide. His command over all the technical aspects of khayal gayaki made him the envy of every contemporary musician, as did the wide range and the sheer force of his voice. Nissar Hussain Khan (1912-1993) was another reputed singer this gharana, produced in the 20th century. An acknowledged master of the tarana, his technical virtuosity has been applauded by countless. Some of the renowned singers of this gharana are Ishtiaq Hussain Khan, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Sulochana Brihaspati, Sarfraz Hussain Khan, hafeez Ahmed, Ghulam Sadiq Khan, Shanno Khurana and the versatile Rashid Khan. Some of the noteworthy characteristics of the Rampur style are
 Extensive use of bol-alaap (raaga elaboration using select phrases from the song-text) to evoke the appropriate rasa associated with raaga.
 Methodical rendition of the sthayi and the antara keeping with the Gwalior heritage.
 Use of aakaar singing.
 Proficiency in singing different varieties of taans worth great clarity, power and speed.
 Mastery over tarana. In fact, the singers of this gharana are considered the masters of this form.
Shama Chaurasi Gharana: The Shama Chaurasi gharana originated in the Hoshiarpur area in Punjab. Later, following Partition, the gharana was relocated to Lahore. Its finest exponents were the fraternal duo, Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan. Following Nazakat Ali`s untimely demise, the burden of continuing the tradition fell on Salamat Ali. In terms of style and voice production, their singing closely follows the Patiala gayaki of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
Mewati Gharana: The Mewati gharana is one style that shot into prominence during the second half of the 20th century to the popularity of its most feted singer, Pt. Jasraj. Ghagge Nazir Khan, who hailed from the Mewat region in Rajasthan (presently in Haryana), is regarded its progenitor. Ghagge passed on his legacy to two disciples, Nathulal and Chimanlal. Nathulal`s legacy passed on to his nephew, Motiram, father of Pt. Jasraj. Though they share the same musical inheritance, their technical approaches and vocal gifts are on vastly dissimilar planes. Of the three, Jasraj`s style is highly ornate and lyrically polished. He pays painstaking attention to the words in the bandish - their meaning and poetic content - and arouses their dominant moods using the framework of the raga. Jasraj is also an excellent singer of Vaishnava bhajans and slokas. He, more than anyone, brought the haveli sangeet sung in many Vaishnava temples in North India to public attention through his resonant voice, without any assistance. Delhi Gharana: The Delhi gharana was founded by the singer and composer Miyan Achpal in the 19th century. The legendary Tanras Khan was tutored by him. In the 20th century the Delhi gharana is represented by three singers, who are all related by blood - the late Ustad Chand Khan, his nephew, the late Nasir Ahmed Kahn and his contemporary exponent, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan. Ahmed Khan`s lyrical and agile khayal renditions and his dazzling taans made him quite a force, until his ill-timed demise. Today, Iqbal Ahmed Khan continues the gharana traditions. Benaras Gharana: Benaras has produced some of the greatest tabla maestros, shehnai and sarangi players of the 20th century, as it ahs the finest exponents of the Poorab-ang thumri. Yet through the efforts of Bade Ramdas Misra, a singer in the court of Nepal, the Benaras khayal gharana came into being. The style shot into prominence owing to the well-deserved popularity of the duo, Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Misra. Though originally from a family of sarangi players (the sarangi wizard, Pt. Gopal Misra was their uncle), the Misra brothers have gone on to absorb the best features from other idioms and styles and thus enriched their stock.

And what is Raga ?
Raaga is an important concept in Indian classical music and is indeed the oldest Indian melodic edifices. Raaga has been derived from the word ranja, standing for an element that delights and enthralls the mind. Because of its free flowing element raaga also means an array of colours and that undying and underlying passion, spontaneously created by characteristic melodic movements. Raaga can never be exemplified in one single sentence, due to its all-pervasiveness of grammatical and musical notes, that too in various moods, time and feeling. It is a kind of abstract art form that demands elaborate explanation. Raaga is therefore a combination of notes illustrated by melodic movements, producing unparallel and eternal pleasant sensations. There are numerous types of raagas, like - Multani, Jaunpuri, Gaud, Sorath, Maand and Pahadi, Ahiri, Gurjari, Asavari, including several others. And each of these is resonant of some perceptive kind of earthly form. Raaga generally utilizes the entire range of the octave, starting with aroha and ending in avaroha, where the singer culminates the recital, as of in a musical frenzy. It is hugely complex in tonal quality, and it entirely depends on the performer to make the best use of it adroitly. Raagas were not created in one day and the journey of raaga as the elementary base of Indian classical music is indeed long, yet rich. A number of raagas are derived from the regional, folk or tribal melodies. These tunes or melodies were the first effort of humans in expressing their feelings and emotions through the pattern of notes. As time glided, these tunes were formally tidied, grammatically formed and stylized and gradually transformed into raagas Raaga therefore as understood today is a melodic idea involving five different notes of the octave in a certain order. The characteristic mood of each raaga is obtained amidst the skilful use of certain principal notes. The raagas are essentially time bound, and divisions are made with the kinds and exactly when to be sung. The raagas are generally governed by time and seasons, and if sung accordingly, are known to evoke the loftiest of all sensations. According to the division of the day - day and night, similarly, the raagas have also been divided into groups, due to the sensations they emote when performed. The raagas for the diurnal period are called Dinegeya or Suryamsa raagas, whereas for the nocturnal are called Ratrigeya or the Chandramsa raagas. And the sub-divisions are named as sandhiprakash raagas - the raagas sung during the twilight, pratah-sandhi raagas - the raagas sung during the transitional period of night and morning. It is also stated that a day is divided into eight praharas, or the quarters/watches, each lasting for three hours. And the raagas that are sung are divided according to the importance of the notes in every one of them. The octave is further divided into uttaranga and poorvanga, denoting the upper and lower cases of the musical octave. Raagas and time are inter-linked in a dubious way, baffling every critic or historian regarding its origin. There exists a belief that a raaga, if rendered in a stipulated time, generates an even sublime effect. And this very belief is the basis of musicologists and singers, regarding the mysterious connection between raaga and time. Since ancient ages, the ingrained faith exists that a raaga must be performed at a fixed time or season, because it is assumed that every raaga is harmonized with the natural disposition of each person. For instance, a raaga that should be sung at night must never be touched at dawn, or vice-versa. This can make or break the general mood of a person. The innovative therapeutic schools of music insist that swaras have a curative effect on the human psyche, thus signaling a need to sing a raaga in a stipulated time. Not just with time and season, raaga has a deep seated relation with human emotion also. Raagas and emotions are very much interdependent, and continuously complementing each other. It is pretty much well known that a soulful raaga rendition evokes the subtlest of emotions, bringing forth the rare aspect of a raaga sung at a particular time. However, it not proven or exactly known as to why one is moved by the mellowed voice or the haunting raaga that is rendered. People are of the belief that it touches the psyche, and thus place much substance on to the raaga. In earlier times, it was the custom to picture a raaga or a musical symphony through the natural pictorial or auditory modes - that can be called an effective method by which a listener could suddenly envisage a raagabhaava. Although, another group of thinkers are of the faith that it is not the raaga that arouses the emotional chord, but the other way round, i.e., it is actually the mind and the unfathomable human psyche that is capable of making a raaga thus blissful. A raaga is not just another form of Hindustani classical music form, nor is it bothered much about song-text, technical precision and rhythm; Raaga is more than just the musical notes. Musicians agree that each raaga has a chaal (gait) , bearing and personality. According to them each raaga has a face which the performer unveils through his raaga rendition. And herein lies the secret of a successful raaga rendition A singer adept in raaga rendition is supposed to envisage the amalgamation of pictorial and poetical quality into the various moods and senses of a raaga bandish. Raaga is personified as the male counterpart to the Raagini feminine playfulness, combining to form a unified whole. Raaga can never be that attractive by itself, it is the duty of the singer to give it the essential jerk and push to arouse its innate characteristics.

Legendary Vocalists of Inda:
"He is a portion of the loveliness Which once he made more lovely" - Percy Bysshe Shelley The Indian classical vocalists` genre goes back to primeval centuries in history, with its enriched society of famed men and women, who made their way to the top to create history in the forthcoming ages. Each had been endowed with extraordinary and incomparable qualities in their own specific and unusual way. Leaving some of the legends who have already breathed their last, Indian classical music is blessed enough to still have to themselves some classical singers weaving their magic. Their timbre of rendition is excellent in every sphere they keep their hands on. The vocal quality, the range, the depth of voice, the capability to possess a free flow is some of the very few qualities that can be witnessed in the maestros. Moreover, the singers are each gifted with diverse qualities and pitches in voice, making a concert even more fascinating and bewitching when in jugalbandi. The facts behind every singer`s growing up, their struggle for perfection, they being trained by their gurus, add more to an interesting read of the astounding life that the vocalists had spent in determination to attain their aspiration. Indian classical music can be broadly be classified into two distinct categories of the Hindustani classical and Carnatic music. And this very rich and enriched heritage has incredibly aided ardent listeners, courtesy the Indian classical vocalists and their tuneful melody. Another major governing factor about these Indian classical vocalists and their songs is that they can be enjoyed under any circumstance, be it in any concert or in a tranquil atmosphere, with just the music playing to the ears. The range in the vocal chords, the sudden rise and drop while an ongoing song, heightens the effect of the song, haunting to listen, with perhaps applauds falling short to praise. Classicism is absolutely an area with which India can be very proud, considering the legendary lineage from times of Akbar in Mughal empire. It is universally believed that while Tansen was engrossed his riyaaz, the heavens used to pour down on earth, in the form of incessant rain. With such stories still lingering in present times, classical singers have not and never can fade away into the oblivion. The amount of effort that is always exerted, the painstaking journey for the Indian classical vocalists can of course be summarised into a book, this being too a space to be described in details. And this even merely remains an understatement. The laurels, the honours both from the country and abroad for these singers, further make the classical music atmosphere prestigious, with their listeners ever eager and anxious for future predictions, concerts or even musical piece in solo format. Never has there been noticed any form of biasness with relations to male chauvinism, with female vocalists shining to the top. Indian classical vocalists can be jotted into some of the few names, besides the unsurpassed men and women coming up every new day. However, the masters are: Tansen, Ustad Rehmat Khan, Ustad Alladiya Khan, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Pt. Omkarnath Thakur, Ustad Amir Khan, Pt. Basavraj Rajguru, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor, Kesarbai Kerkar, Hirabai Barodekar, Gangubai Hangal, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Pt. Chintaman Raghunath Vyas, Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, Malini Rajurkar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, Kishori Amonkar, Pt. Rajan Mishra & Pt. Sajan Mishra, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha and Rashid Khan.
Besides the above-mentioned notables, the Indian classical vocalists` genre has also witnessed and is still witnessing the rise and further rise of a bunch of 21st century exceptional singers. Each one of them is famed both nationally and internationally, bringing in umpteen accolades and honours to make the country even more proud. It can thus be stated that, all is not lost to dust and compromises have not been made to surrender to westernised pop and rap culture. To name some of them, would additionally intensify the list of extraordinaires. They are: Ustad Ghulam Mustapha Khan, Sulochana Brahaspati, Begum Parveen Sultana, Prabha Atre, Pt. Prabhakar Karekar, Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ulhas Kashalkar, Padma Talwalker, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Shruti Sadolikar, Shanti Sharma, Ganapati Bhatt and M. Ventakesh Kumar.

Tansen •Malini Rajurkar •Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki •Pt. Chintaman Raghunath Vyas •Kesarbai Kerkar •Pt. Kumar Gandharva •Hirabai Barodekar •Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor •Patnam Subramanya Iyer •Muthuswami Dikshitar •Gopalakrishna Bharati •Tyagaraja •Syama Sastri •Bhadrachala Ramadas •Purandara Dasa •Archana Udupa •Mysore Ananthaswamy •Geetha Sundaresan •Kavalam Srikumar •Chithra Ramakrishnan •Deepa Srinivasan •S.R. Veeraraghavan •Vasumathi Badrinathan •Shanmugapriya & Haripriya •Papanasam Ashok Ramani •Neyveli Santhanagopalan •Mysore Nagamani Srinath •Neela Ramgopal •T V Ramprasadh •Sarojini Sundaresan •NithyaSree Mahadevan •D Raghavachari & D Seshachari •Gangubai Hangal •P. Unnikrishnan •Anuradha Suresh Krishnamurthi •S Sowmya •Bombay Jayashri •Sudha Raghunathan •Bombay Sisters •M Balamurali Krishna •D.K Pattammal •Anshu Thapliyal •Hemant Pendse •Ruchira Kale •Ramchandra Joshi •Shweta Jhaveri •Smita Bellur •Piu Sarkhel •Tripti Mukherjee •Devashish Dey •Deepa Ranganath •Meeta Pandit •Satyasheel Deshpande •Devaki Pandit •Tappan Bhattacharyya •Wasifuddin Dagar •Kalapini Komkali •Sumitra Guha •Sarathi Chatterjee •Vidya Rao •Laxmi G. Tewari •Vinay Bharat Ram •Rashid Khan •Ajay Chakraborthy •Shanti Sharma •Pt Laxman Krishnarao Pandit •Rita Ganguly •Sulochana Brahaspati •Gundecha Brothers •Vinayak Torvi •Madhup Mudgal •Shruti Sadolikar •Ashwini Bhide •Veena Sahasrabuddhe •Prabha Atre •Rajan Misra & Sajan Misra •Vasundhara Komkali •Sumati Mutatkar •Kishori Amonkar •Pandit Jasraj •Ustad Amjad Ali Khan •Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan

Indian classical music is monophonic and based around a single melody line. The performance of a composition, based melodically on one particular raga and rhythmically on one taal, begins with the performers coming out in a ritualized order: drone instruments, then the soloist, then accompanists and percussionists. The musicians begin by tuning their instruments; this process often blends imperceptibly into the beginning of the music. The Indian musical instruments used in classical music include veena, mridangam, tabla, kanjira, tambura, flute, sitar, gottuvadyam, violin, and sarangi. Another common instrument is the stringed tambura (sometimes also called tanpura), which is played at a steady tone (a drone) throughout the raag.
Carnatic Music : This music is also known as the Karnataka Sangeeth, from South India. It developed gradually from the ancient musical traditions of South India, upon which ancient Tamil music and Sama Veda had important influences. The Vedas mentions the veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations during the ancient sacrifices. The chants evolved into two main notes with two accents forming the first concept of the tetrachord (four notes). Three more notes were added to the original tetrachord resulting in the first full scale of seven notes. It was from the 13th century that Carnatic music began to evolve into its current form. Carnatic music much more influenced by theory and has strict rules. It emphasizes the expertise of the voice rather than that of the instruments. Primary themes include Devi worship, Rama worship, descriptions of temples and patriotic songs. Hindustani Music: This music is originally from North India an it is a tradition that took shape in northern India in the 13th and 14th centuries AD from existing religious, folk, and theatrical performance practices. The practice of singing based on notes was popular even from the Vedic times where the hymns in Sama Veda, was sung and not chanted. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, Hindustani music has contemporary traditions established primarily in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, Vedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also by the Persian performance practices of the Moghuls. The prime themes of Hindustani music are Rasleela of Krishna and Nature in all its splendour. In Hindustani music, once the raga is established, the ornamentation around the mode begins to become rhythmical, gradually speeding up. This section is called the jor. After the jor climaxes, everything stops and the audiences applaud. Finally, the percussionist begins to play, interacting with the soloist, eventually reaching the spontaneous and competitive jhala section. Despite the fact that instrumental music is better known outside India, Hindustani classical music is primarily vocal-centric, insofar as the musical forms were designed primarily for vocal performance, and many instruments were designed and evaluated as to how well they emulate the human voice. The major vocal forms associated with Hindustani classical music are the Khyal, Ghazal, and Thumri. Other styles include the Dhrupad, Dhamar, Tarana, Trivat, Chaiti, Kajari, Tappa, Tapkhyal, Ashtapadi and Bhajan. 1. Dhrupad: Dhrupad is a Hindu sacred style of singing traditionally performed by men, accompanied with a tanpura and pakhawaj. The lyrics are in a medieval form of Hindi the Braj language and typically heroic in theme, or else praising a particular deity. A more ornamented form is called Dhamar. The dhrupad was the main form of song a few centuries ago, but has since given way to the somewhat less austere, form of the Khayal.
2. Khayal: A form of vocal music, Khayal is almost entirely improvised and very emotional in nature. A Khyal consists of around 4-8 lines of lyrics set to a tune. The singer then uses these few lines as the basis for improvisation. It was a very form in the 18th century rule of Mohammed Shah. Some of the present day vocalists of this form include Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Jasraj and many others.
3. Tarana: Another vocal form, Tarana are songs that are used to convey a mood of elation and are usually performed towards the end of a concert. They consist of a few lines of rhythmic sounds or bols set to a tune. The singer uses these few lines as a basis for very fast improvisation. It can be compared to the Tillana of Carnatic music
. 4. Thumri: Thumri is a semi-classical vocal form said to have begun with the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, 1847-1856. There are three types of thumri: Punjabi, Lucknavi and poorab ang thumri. The lyrics are typically in a proto-Hindi language called Braj bhasha and are usually romantic. The best thumri singer in this generation is Shafqat a pakistani classical vocalist who performed the thumri with best quality in the year 2005 and that was appreciated by Indian music industries as well as many other countries. 5. Bhajan: Bhajan is the most popular form of classical music in northern India. Famous performers include Kabir, Tulsidas and Mirabai. It arose out of the Alvar and Nayanar bhakti movement of the 9th and 10th century. In south India Marathi, Kannada, and Tamil bhajans are very popular. Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Tukaram, of Marathi and Great Devotees like Tyagaraj, Purandardas, Akkamahadevi are the very famous ones.
6. Ghazal: Ghazal is an originally Persian form of poetry. In the Indian sub-continent, Ghazal became the most common form of poetry in the Urdu language and was popularized by classical poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib, Zauq and Sauda amongst the North Indian literary elite. Vocal music set to this mode of poetry is popular with multiple variations, including folk and pop forms but its greatest exponents sing it in a semi-classical style.

North Indian form of Classical Music

The Muslim conquest of Deccan region by Ala ud-Din Khilji led to a gradual differentiation between north and south Indian music is noticed. Although orthodox Islam frowned upon music, the acceptance of the Sufi doctrines (in which music was often an integral part) by Islam made it possible for many Muslim rulers and noblemen to extend their patronage to this art.
History evidences that musicians from Iran, Afghanistan, and Kashmir were at the courts of the Mughal Emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is quite evident that it was Indian music which captured the imagination of the Muslim rulers. Famous Indian musicians such as Svami Haridas, Tansen, and Baiju Bavra have left their impress on the history of north Indian music as performers and innovators. Muslim musicians took to the performance of Indian music and added to the repertoire by inventing new ragas, taals, and musical forms, as well as musical instruments. This Muslim influence was largely effective in the north of India and undoubtedly helped to further the differentiation between north and south Indian music, the two classical systems which are now generally referred to as Hindustani and Karnatak (Carnatic) music, respectively. The Muslim patronage of music has had two main effects on the music of north India. The first was to de-emphasize the importance of the words of classical songs, which were originally composed in Sanskrit. Sanskrit songs were gradually replaced by compositions in various dialects such as Bhojpuri and Dakhani. There were also compositions in Urdu and Persian, some of which can still be heard. The textual themes of the songs were often based on Hindu mythology and yet Muslim musicians sang these songs and the songs were well accepted by the listeners and singers as well. On the reverse side of it, the Hindu musicians sometimes sang songs dedicated to Muslim saints. The best example of this attitude is to be seen in the poetry of the Muslim ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah II of the Deccan, who, in his Kitah-i-Nauras, composed at the beginning of the seventeenth century, wrote poems in praise of both Hindu deities and Muslim saints. These poems were sung in specified ragas by both Hindu and Muslim musicians.
The second effect of court patronage on Indian music was to produce an atmosphere of competition between musicians, which placed no little emphasis on display of virtuosity and technique. A great deal of importance was also placed on the creative imagination of the performing musician and gradually the emphasis shifted from what he was performing to how he was performing it. Traditional themes remain the basis of Indian music, but, in north India particularly, it is the performer’s interpretation, imagination, and skill in rendering these that provide the main substance of modern Indian music.
Beginning about the sixteenth century, a direct connection between the textual literature and modern performance practice was seen. An important feature of most of these texts is that a new system of classifying ragas in terms of scales was introduced. These scales are called mela in south India and that in north India. The north Indian music was evolving through its contact with the Muslims and the north Indian musicians were little influenced by the musical literature written in Sanskrit because many of them were Muslim and had no background in the language. In addition, most Hindu musicians were unable to understand Sanskrit, which had become a scholarly language in north India. South India had, however, become the centre of Hindu learning, and Sanskrit literature continued to play an important part in the development of its music. Thus north Indian music seems to have developed, for the most part, quite intuitionally during this period, and it is only in this century that musical theory has once again begun to come to grips with performance practice and to influence its development. There are about ten more scales used in north Indian music. In north Indian music, the beginnings of a different method of raga classification are observed. There a number of ragas are given generic names, such as Kalyan, Malhar, and Kanhara, with specific names used to distinguish the various ragas within the same genus.

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Famous Composers

Indian classical music is principally based on rhythm and melody. Pregnant with its rich past Indian classical music in the hand of the Indian classical vocalists, instrumentalists and indeed in the able hand of the classical Indian composers has gained that desired contour which amidst its sublimity and mysticism has etched the very verve of Indian philosophy, innocently yet elegantly. The very heart of Indian classical music is certainly the raaga. Raaga in Indian classical music is indeed that melodic form, that harmonious rhythm, upon which the classical vocalists and Indian classical composers improvise. This scaffold is recognised by tradition and is enthused by the artistic spirits of master musicians and classical music composers. With a rich heritage, Indian classical music has travelled a lot from the ancient Gurukul system to the courts of the Rajas and in the later days even to the stages. Laced with its melody and cadence, gradually, Indian classical music has broke the barrier of stages and pits and has slowly been recognised as one of the mystic musical forms to portray the rhythm of life on a larger scale.
Indian classical music composers like Pt., Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Allauddin Khan has silhouetted the contour of Indian parallel cinema whilst adding that little extra through the subtle rhythm of Indian classical instruments. In fact in the modern era, Indian classical music has carved out a significant niche in the parallel movies. Classical music entwined with its obscurity, mysticism, romance and rhythm, time and time again has been used to incite those thought which no word can articulate. Whether to coif the mood or just to set the tone, the subtle usage of the classical instruments like Surbahar, shehnai, bansuri has gained importance in other entertainment sectors like Indian theatre and parallel cinema.
The classical music composers has popularised the very concept of Indian classical music to a great extent. The saga of this changing tune, started long back, has further supported the Indian entertainment scenario to stand out with pride.

Pramith Ganguly

Sunday, February 13, 2011

A PROGRAM AT THE RAVINDRA OKAKULA.

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World of Classical music

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