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 Tyagaraja, known for his extensive contributions toCarnatic music | ||||||
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Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which includeclassical music,folk,rock, andpop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geo-locations spanning the sub-continent. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life.
The 30,000-year-oldpaleolithic andneolithic cave paintings at theUNESCO world heritage site atBhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh show a type of dance.[3]Mesolithic andchalcolithic cave art ofBhimbetka illustrates musical instruments such asGongs,Bowed Lyre,daf etc.[4][5]
Chalcolithic era (4000 BCE onward) narrow bar shaped polished stonecelts like music instruments, one of the earlier musical instrument in India, were excavated atSankarjang in theAngul district ofOdisha.[6] There is historical evidence in the form of sculptural evidence, i.e. musical instruments, singing and dancing postures of damsels in the Ranigumpha Caves inKhandagiri andUdayagiri atBhubaneswar.
Dancing Girl sculpture (2500 BCE) was found from theIndus Valley civilization (IVC) site.[7][8][9][10] There are IVC-era paintings on pottery of a man with adhol hanging from his neck and a woman holding a drum under her left arm.[11]
Vedas (c. 1500 – c. 800 BCEVedic period)[12][13][14][15] document rituals with performing arts and play.[16][17] For example,Shatapatha Brahmana (c.800–700 BCE) hasverses in chapter 13.2 written in the form of a play between two actors.[16]Tala ortaal is an ancient music concept traceable toVedic era texts ofHinduism, such as theSamaveda and methods for singing the Vedic hymns.[18][19][20]Smriti (500 BCE to 100 BCE ) post-vedicHindu texts[21][22][23] includeValmiki'sRamayana (500 BCE to 100 BCE) which mentions dance and music (dance byApsaras such asUrvashi,Rambha,Menaka,TilottamaPanchāpsaras, andRavana's wives excelling innrityageeta or "singing and dancing" andnritavaditra or "playing musical instruments"), music and singing byGandharvas, severalstring instruments (vina,tantri,bīn,vipanci andvallaki similar toveena),wind instruments (shankha,venu andvenugana – likely a mouth organ made by tying several flutes together),raga (includingkaushika such asraag kaushik dhwani),vocal registers (sevensvara orsur,ana orekashurti drag note,murchana theregulated rise and fall of voice inmatra andtripramana three-foldteen taallaya such asdrut or quick,madhya or middle, andvilambit or slow), poetry recitation inBala Kanda and also inUttara Kanda byLuv andKusha inmarga style.[24]
Starting from the earliest known workTholkappiyam (500 BCE), there are several references to music andPanns in the ancient pre-Sangam andSangam literature starting from the earliest known workTholkappiyam (500 BCE). Among Sangam literature,Mathuraikkanci refers to women singingsevvazhi pann to invoke the mercy of God during childbirth. InTolkappiyam, the fivelandscapes of the Sangam literature had each an associatedPann, each describing the mood of the song associated with that landscape. Among the numerouspanns that find mention in the ancient Tamil literature are,Ambal Pann, which is suitable to be played on the flute,sevvazhi pann on theYazh (lute),Nottiram andSevvazhi expressing pathos, the captivatingKurinji pann and the invigoratingMurudappann.Pann(Tamil:பண்) is the melodic mode used by theTamil people intheir music since the ancient times. The ancientpanns over centuries evolved first into apentatonic scale and later into the seven note CarnaticSargam. But from the earliest times, Tamil Music isheptatonic and known as Ezhisai (ஏழிசை).[25]
sanskrit saint-poetJayadeva, who was the great composer and illustrious master of classical music, shapedOdra-Magadhi style music and had great influence onOdissi Sangita.[26][27]
Śārṅgadeva composedSangita-Ratnakara, one of the most importantSanskrit musicological texts from India,[28][29] which is regarded as the definitive text in bothHindustani music andCarnatic music traditions ofIndian classical music.[30][31]
Assamese poetMadhava Kandali, writer ofSaptakanda Ramayana, lists several instruments in his version of"Ramayana", such asmardala, khumuchi, bhemachi, dagar, gratal, ramtal,tabal,jhajhar, jinjiri, bheri mahari,tokari, dosari,kendara,dotara,vina,rudra-vipanchi, etc. (meaning that these instruments existed since his time in the 14th century or earlier).[32] The Indian system ofnotation is perhaps the world's oldest and most elaborate.[33]
In the early 14th century under theKhiljis, there were concerts and competitions between Hindustani and Carnatic musicians.[34]
From the 16th century onwards, treatises written on music[26][27] wereSangitamava Chandrika, Gita Prakasha, Sangita Kalalata and Natya Manorama.
In the early 1960sJazz pioneers such asJohn Coltrane andGeorge Harrison collaborated with Indian instrumentalists and started to use Indian instruments such assitar in their songs. In the late 1970s and early 1980s,rock and roll fusions with Indian music were well known throughoutEurope andNorth America. In the late 1980s, Indian-British artists fused Indian and Western traditions to make theAsian Underground. In thenew millennium, Americanhip-hop has featured Indian filmi and bhangra.Mainstreamhip-hop artists have sampled songs fromBollywood movies and have collaborated withIndian artists, such asTimbaland's "Indian Flute"
In 2010,Laura Marling andMumford & Sons collaborated with the Dharohar Project.[35]
The two main traditions of Indian classical music areCarnatic music, which is practised predominantly in the peninsular (southern) regions, andHindustani music, which is found in the northern, eastern and central regions. The basic concepts of this music includesShruti (microtones),Swaras (notes),Alankar (ornamentations),Raga (melodies improvised from basic grammars), andTala (rhythmic patterns used in percussion). Its tonal system divides the octave into 22 segments called Shrutis, not all equal but each roughly equal to a quarter of a whole tone of the Western music. Both the classical music are standing on the fundamentals ofThe seven notes of Indian Classical music. These seven notes are also called as Sapta svara or Sapta Sur. These seven svaras are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni respectively. These Sapta Svaras are spelt as Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni, but these are shortforms of Shadja (षड्ज), Rishabha (ऋषभ), Gandhara (गान्धार), Madhyama (मध्यम), Panchama (पंचम), Dhaivata (धैवत) and Nishada (निषाद) respectively.[36] These are also equivalent to Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti. Only these seven svaras built up the Hindustani classical music and the Carnatic classical music. These seven svaras are the fundamentals of araga. This seven svaras without any variations in them, are called as Shuddha svaras. Variations in these svaras cause them to beKomal andTivra svaras. All the other svaras except Sadja(Sa) and Pancham (Pa) can beKomal orTivra svaras but Sa and Pa are alwaysShuddha svaras. And hence svaras Sa and Pa are calledAchal Svaras, since these svaras don't move from their original position while svaras Ra, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni are calledChal Svaras, since these svaras move from their original position.
Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni -Shuddha SvarasRe, Ga, Dha, Ni - Komal SvarasMa -Tivra Svaras
Sangeet Natak Academy recognizes eight classical dance and music forms, namelyBharatanatyam,Kathak,Kuchipudi,Odissi,Kathakali,Sattriya,Manipuri andMohiniyattam.[37] Additionally, India's Ministry of culture also includesChhau in its classical list.
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Carnatic music can be traced to the 14th - 15th centuries AD and thereafter. It originated in South India during the rule ofVijayanagar Empire through the Keerthanas composed byPurandara Dasa. Like Hindustani music, it ismelodic, with improvised variations, but tends to have more fixed compositions. It consists of a composition with improvised embellishments added to the piece in the forms ofRaga Alapana,Kalpanaswaram,Neraval and, in the case of more advanced students,Ragam Thanam Pallavi. The main emphasis is on the vocals as most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known asgāyaki). Around 300ragams are in use today.Annamayya is the first known composer in Carnatic music. He is widely regarded as the Andhra Pada kavitā Pitāmaha (Godfather of Telugu song-writing).
Purandara Dasa is considered the father of Carnatic music, while the later musiciansTyagaraja,Shyama Shastry andMuthuswami Dikshitar are considered the trinity of Carnatic music.[citation needed]
Noted artists of Carnatic music includeAriyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (the father of the current concert format),Palghat Mani Iyer,Madurai Mani Iyer,Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer,Nedunuri KrishnamurthyAlathur Brothers,M. S. Subbulakshmi,Lalgudi Jayaraman,Balamuralikrishna,T. N. Seshagopalan,K. J. Yesudas,N. Ramani,Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman,Sanjay Subrahmanyan,T. M. Krishna,Bombay Jayashri,Aruna Sairam,Mysore Manjunath,
Every December, the city ofChennai in India has its eight-week-longMusic Season, which is the world's largest cultural event.[38]
Carnatic music has served as the foundation for most music in South India, including folk music, festival music and has also extended its influence to film music in the past 100–150 years or so.
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The tradition of Hindustani music dates back to Vedic times where the hymns in the Sama Veda, an ancient religious text, were sung as Samagana and not chanted. It diverged from Carnatic music around the 13th–14th centuries CE, primarily due to Islamic influences.[citation needed] Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. In contrast to Carnatic music, the other main Indian classical music tradition originating from the South, Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historicalVedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also enriched by thePersian performance practices of theMughals. Classical genres aredhrupad,dhamar,khyal,tarana andsadra, and there are also several semi-classical forms.
The root of the name C(K)arnatic music is derived from Sanskrit. Karnam means ears and Atakam means that which is sweet or that which lingers on.
There are many types of music which comes under the category of light classical or semi-classical. Some of the forms areThumri,Dadra,Bhajan,Ghazal,Chaiti,Kajri,Tappa,Natya Sangeet andQawwali. These forms place emphasis on explicitly seeking emotion from the audience, as opposed to the classical forms.
This is a musical genre of theTamang people and popular amongst the Nepali speaking community in West Bengal, Sikkim, India and around the world. It is accompanied by Tamang instruments, theMadal,Damphu andTungna, although nowadays musicians have taken to modern instruments. A Tamang Selo can be catchy and lively or slow and melodious, and is usually sung to convey sorrow, love, happiness or day-to-day incidents and stories of folklore.[39]
Hira Devi Waiba is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs and Tamang Selo. Her song 'Chura ta Hoina Astura' (चुरा त होइन अस्तुरा) is said to be the first Tamang Selo ever recorded. She has sung nearly 300 songs through her musical career spanning 40 years.[40][41] After Waiba's death in 2011, her son Satya Aditya Waiba (producer/manager) andNavneet Aditya Waiba (singer) collaborated and re-recorded her most iconic songs and released an album titledAma Lai Shraddhanjali (आमालाई श्रद्धाञ्जली-Tribute to Mother).[42][43][44] The duo are the only individuals in the Nepali folk music genre who produce authentic traditional Nepali folk songs without adulteration or modernisation.[45][46]
Bhangra (Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ) is a form ofdance-orientedfolk music ofPunjab. The present musical
style is derived from non-traditional musical accompaniment to the riffs ofPunjab called by the same name. The female dance ofPunjab region is known asGiddha (Punjabi: ਗਿੱਧਾ).
Bihu (Assamese:বিহু) is the festival of New Year ofAssam falling on mid-April. This is a festival of nature and mother earth where the first day is for the cows and buffaloes. The second day of the festival is for the man. Bihu dances and songs accompanied by traditional drums and wind instruments are an essential part of this festival. Bihu songs are energetic and with beats to welcome the festive spring. Assamese drums (dhol), Pepa(usually made from buffalo horn), Gogona are major instruments used.[47][48]
Borgeets (Assamese:বৰগীত) are lyrical songs that are set to specificragas but not necessarily to anytala. These songs, composed bySrimanta Sankardeva andMadhavdeva in the 15th–16th centuries, are used to begin prayer services inmonasteries, e.g.Satra andNamghar associated with theEkasarana Dharma; and they also belong to the repertoire ofMusic of Assam outside the religious context. They are a lyrical strain that express the religious sentiments of the poets reacting to different situations, and differ from other lyrics associated with theEkasarana Dharma.
Prominent instruments used in borgeets areNegera,Taal,Khols etc.[49]
Dandiya or Raas is a form of Gujarati cultural dance that is performed with sticks. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance. It is practiced mainly in the state of Gujarat. There is also another type of dance and music associated with Dandiya/Raas calledGarba.
Gaana is arap-like "collection of rhythms, beats and sensibilities native to theDalits of Chennai."[50][51] It evolved over the past two centuries, combining influences from thesiddhars (tantric adepts) of ancientTamilakam, Tamil Sufi saints, and more.[50] Gaana songs are performed at weddings, stage shows, political rallies, and funerals. Performers sing about a wide range of topics, but the essence of gaana is said to be "angst and melancholy" based in life's struggles.[50] In the past few decades, the genre has entered the music of the mainstream Tamil film industry and gained popularity.[50][52] Contemporary gaana bands likeThe Casteless Collective are bringing the genre to new audiences while using it for social activism, especially againstcaste discrimination.[50]
Haryana folk music has two main forms: classical folk music of Haryana and desi folk music of Haryana (country music of Haryana).[53] They take the form of ballads and pangs of parting of lovers, valor and bravery, harvest and happiness.[54] Haryana is rich in musical tradition and even places have been named afterragas, for exampleCharkhi Dadri district has many villages named as Nandyam, Sarangpur, Bilawala, Brindabana, Todi, Asaveri, Jaisri, Malakoshna, Hindola, Bhairvi and Gopi Kalyana.[53][55]
Himachal's folk music varies according to the event or the festival. One of the most popular style of music isNati Music, wherenati being the traditional dance that is done on the song. Nati Music is usually celebratory, and done in fairs or other occasions such as marriages.
Jhumair andDomkach areNagpuri folk music. The musical instruments used in folk music and dance areDhol,Mandar,Bansi,Nagara,Dhak,Shehnai,Khartal, Narsinga etc.[56][57]
Lavani comes from the wordLavanya which means "beauty". This is one of the most popular forms of dance and music that is practiced all overMaharashtra. It has, in fact, become a necessary part of the Maharashtrian folk dance performances. Traditionally, the songs are sung by female artists, but male artists may occasionally singLavanis. The dance format associated withLavani is known asTamasha. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of 'Dholaki', a drum-like instrument. The dance is performed by attractive women wearing nine-yard saris. They are sung in a quick tempo. Lavani originated in the arid region of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Music of Manipur andManipuri dance are heritage ofManipuri people. According to tradition of the Manipuri people in the Himalayan foothills and valleys connecting India to Burma, they are the Gandharvas (celestial musicians and dancers) in theVedic texts,[58] and historic texts of Manipuri people calls the region asGandharva-desa.[59] The VedicUsha, the goddess of the dawn, is a cultural motif for Manipuri women, and in the Indian tradition, it wasUsha who created and taught the art of feminine dance to girls.[59] This oral tradition of women's dance is celebrated asChingkheirol in the Manipuri tradition.[59]
The ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Mahabharata epic mentionsManipur, where Arjuna meets and falls in love with Chitragada.[58] Dance is calledJagoi in a major Meitei language of the region and it traces a long tradition in Manipur. Lai Haraoba dance likely has ancient roots and shares many similarities with dance postures ofNataraja and his legendary disciple called Tandu (locally calledTangkhu).[59][58] Similarly, as does the dance related to commonerKhamba and princessThoibi – who perform as pan-Indian Shiva and Parvati, in the legendary tragic love story of Khamba-Thoibi found in the Manipuri epicMoirang Parba.[58][59][60]
Hadrani Marfa, or simply Marfa music, introduced during the 18th century inHyderabad State by the East African Siddi community from Afro-Arab music ofHadhramawt inYemen, is a form of celebratory rhythmic music and dance among theHyderabadi Muslims, played with high tempo usingMarfa instrument,daff,Dhol,sticks,[61][62]steel pots andwooden strips calledthapi.[63]
Mizo music originated when couplets were developed during the settlement ofThantlang in Burma between 1300 and 1400 CE, and folk songs developed during this period were dar hla (songs on gong); Bawh hla (War chants), Hlado (Chants of hunting); Nauawih hla (Cradle songs) A greater development of songs can be seen from the settlement of Lentlang in Burma, estimated between late 15th to 17th Century CE.[64] The Mizo occupied the present Mizoram from the late 17th century. The pre-colonial period, that is from the 18th to 19th century was another important era in the history of Mizo folk literature. Prior to the annexation by the British Government, the Mizo occupied the present Mizoram for two centuries. In comparison with the folk songs of Thantlang and Lentlang settlement, the songs of this period are more developed in its number, form and contents. The languages are more polished and the flows also better. Most of the songs of this period are named after the composers.
Jayadeva, the 12th century sanskrit saint-poet, the great composer and illustrious master of classical music, has immense contribution to Odissi music. During his timeOdra-Magadhi style music got shaped and achieved its classical status. He indicated the classical ragas prevailing at that time in which these were to be sung. Prior to that there was the tradition ofChhanda which was simple in musical outline. From the 16th century onwards, treatises on music[26][27] wereSangitamava Chandrika,Gita Prakasha,Sangita Kalalata andNatya Manorama. A couple of treatise namely,Sangita Sarani andSangi Narayana, were also written in the early path of the 19th century.
Odissi Sangita comprises four classes of music namelyDhruvapada,Chitrapada,Chitrakala andPanchal, described in the ancient oriya music texts. The chief Odissi andShokabaradi. OdissiSangita (music) is a synthesis of four classes of music, i.e.Dhruvapada,Chitrapada,Chitrakala andPanchal, described in the above-mentioned texts.
The great exponents[26][27] of Odissi music in modern times are the Late Singhari Shyamasundara Kar, Markandeya Mahapatra, Kashinath Pujapanda,Balakrushna Das,Gopal Chandra Panda,Ramhari Das, Bhubaneswari Misra, Shymamani Devi andSunanda Patnaik, who have achieved eminence in classical music.
Rabindra Sangeet (Bengali:রবীন্দ্রসঙ্গীতRobindro Shonggit,Bengali pronunciation:[ɾobindɾoʃoŋɡit]), also known as Tagore songs, are songs written and composed byRabindranath Tagore. They have distinctive characteristics in themusic of Bengal, popular in India andBangladesh.[65] "Sangeet" means music, "Rabindra Sangeet" means music (or more aptly songs) of Rabindra.
Tagore wrote some 2,230 songs inBengali, now known asRabindra Sangeet, usingclassical music and traditionalfolk music as sources.[66][67]
Tagore wrote national anthems of India andBangladesh, and influenced the national anthem ofSri Lanka. Furthermore, the digitisation of Rabindra Sangeet has been undertaken bySaregama, which has created digital archives and made the music available on streaming platforms. Additionally, Brainware University's "Celebrating Tagore" initiative includes online archives, educational resources, anddigital performances to promote Tagore's works.
Rajasthan has a very diverse cultural collection of musiciancastes, includingLangas,Sapera,Bhopa,Jogi andManganiyar (lit. "the ones who ask/beg").Rajasthan Diary quotes it as a soulful, full-throated music with harmonious diversity. The melodies of Rajasthan come from a variety of instruments. The stringed variety includes theSarangi,Ravanahatha, Kamayacha, Morsing and Ektara. Percussion instruments come in all shapes and sizes from the huge Nagaras and Dhols to the tiny Damrus. The Daf and Chang are a favorite ofHoli (the festival of colours) revelers. Flutes and bagpipers come in local flavors such as Shehnai, Poongi, Algoza, Tarpi, Been andBankia.
Rajasthani music is derived from a combination of string instruments, percussion instruments and wind instruments accompanied by renditions of folk singers. It enjoys a respectable presence in Bollywood music as well.
Sufi folk rock contains elements of modern hard rock and traditional folk music with Sufi poetry. While it was pioneered by bands like Junoon in Pakistan it became very popular, especially in northern India.
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Uttarakhandi folk music had its root in the lap of nature and the hilly terrain of the region. Common themes in the folk music of Uttarakhand are the beauty of nature, various seasons, festivals, religious traditions, cultural practices, folk stories, historical characters, and the bravery of ancestors. The folk songs ofUttarakhand are a reflection of the cultural heritage and the way people live their lives in the Himalayas. Musical instruments used inUttarakhand music include the Dhol, Damoun, Hudka, Turri, Ransingha, Dholki, Daur, Thali, Bhankora and Masakbhaja.Tabla andHarmonium are also sometimes used, especially in recorded folk music from the 1960s onwards. Generic Indian and global musical instruments have been incorporated in modern popular folks by singers like Mohan Upreti, Narendra Singh Negi, Gopal Babu Goswami, and Chandra Singh Rahi.[citation needed]
Dance music, more popularly called"DJ music", is mostly played at nightclubs, parties,weddings and other celebrations. It is more popular among youths. It is mostly based on Indian movie music as well as Indian pop music, both of which tend to borrow and modernise the classical and folk dance songs with modern instruments and other innovations.
The biggest form of Indianpopular music isfilmi, or songs from Indian films, it makes up 72% of the music sales in India.[68] The film industry of India supported music by according reverence to classical music while utilising the western orchestration to support Indian melodies. Music composers, likeR. D. Burman,Shankar Jaikishan,S. D. Burman,Laxmikant–Pyarelal,Madan Mohan,Bhupen Hazarika,Naushad Ali,O. P. Nayyar,Hemant Kumar,C. Ramchandra,Salil Chowdhury,Kalyanji Anandji,Ilaiyaraaja,A. R. Rahman,Jatin–Lalit,Anu Malik,Nadeem-Shravan,Harris Jayaraj,Himesh Reshammiya,Vidyasagar,Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy,Salim–Sulaiman,Pritam,M. S. Viswanathan,K. V. Mahadevan,Ghantasala andS. D. Batish employed the principles of harmony while retaining classical and folk flavor. Reputed names in the domain of Indian classical music likeRavi Shankar,Vilayat Khan,Ali Akbar Khan andRam Narayan have also composed music for films. Traditionally, in Indian films, the voice for the songs is not provided by the actors, they are provided by the professionalplayback singers, to sound more developed, melodious and soulful, while actors lipsynch on the screen. In the past, only a handful of singers provided the voice in films. These includeKishore Kumar,K. J. Yesudas,Mohammed Rafi,Mukesh,S. P. Balasubrahmanyam,T. M. Soundararajan,Hemant Kumar,Manna Dey,P. Susheela,Lata Mangeshkar,Asha Bhonsle,K. S. Chitra,Geeta Dutt,S. Janaki,Shamshad Begum,Suraiya,Noorjahan andSuman Kalyanpur. Recent playback singers includeUdit Narayan,Kumar Sanu,Kailash Kher,Alisha Chinai,KK,Shaan,S. P. Charan,Madhushree,Shreya Ghoshal,Nihira Joshi,Kavita Krishnamurthy,Hariharan (singer),Ilaiyaraaja,A. R. Rahman,Sonu Nigam,Sukhwinder Singh,Kunal Ganjawala,Anu Malik,Sunidhi Chauhan,Anushka Manchanda,Raja Hasan,Arijit Singh andAlka Yagnik. Rock bands likeIndus Creed,Indian Ocean,Silk Route andEuphoria have gained mass appeal with the advent of cable music television.
Indian pop music is based on an amalgamation of Indian folk and classical music, and modern beats from different parts of the world. Pop music really started in theSouth Asian region with the playback singerAhmed Rushdi's song ‘Ko Ko Korina’ in 1966, then byKishore Kumar in the early 1970s.[69]
After that, much of Indian Pop music comes from theIndian Film Industry, and until the 1990s, few singers likeUsha Uthup,Sharon Prabhakar, andPeenaz Masani outside it were popular. Since then, pop singers in the latter group have includedDaler Mehndi,Baba Sehgal,Alisha Chinai,KK,Shantanu Mukherjee a.k.a. Shaan,Sagarika,Colonial Cousins (Hariharan,Lesle Lewis),Lucky Ali, andSonu Nigam, and music composers likeZila Khan orJawahar Wattal, who made top selling albums with,Daler Mehndi,Shubha Mudgal,Baba Sehgal,Shweta Shetty andHans Raj Hans.[70]
Besides those listed above, popular Indi-pop singers includeSanam[71] (Band),Gurdas Maan,Sukhwinder Singh,Papon,Zubeen Garg,Raghav SacharRageshwari,Vandana Vishwas,Devika Chawla,Bombay Vikings,Asha Bhosle,Sunidhi Chauhan,Anushka Manchanda,Bombay Rockers,Anu Malik,Jazzy B,Malkit Singh,Raghav,Jay Sean,Jaimin Rajani,Juggy D,Rishi Rich, Udit Swaraj,Sheila Chandra,Bally Sagoo,Punjabi MC,Beno,Bhangra Knights,Mehnaz,Sanober andVaishali Samant.[citation needed]
Recently, Indian pop has taken an interesting turn with the "remixing" of songs from past Indian movie songs, new beats being added to them.
Patriotic feelings have been instigated within Indians through music since the era of the freedom struggle.Jana Gana Mana, thenational anthem of India byRabindranath Tagore, is largely credited[72][73] for uniting India through music andVande Mataram byBankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as the national song of India. Patriotic songs were also written in many regional languages such asBiswo Bizoyi No Zuwan in Assamese. Post-independence songs such as Aye mere watan ke logo,Mile Sur Mera Tumhara,Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo,Maa Tujhe Salaam byA.R. Rahman have been responsible for consolidating feelings of national integration andunity in diversity.
Western world's music has been adopted in India, by creating fusion music in India which in turn have enriched and created global genres of western music.
Goa trance, anelectronic music style that originated during the late 1980s inGoa in India,[74] has funky, drone-like basslines, similar to the techno minimalism of 21st centurypsytrance. Psychedelic trance developed from Goa trance.[75] In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Goa became popular as ahippie capital, which resulted in evolution of Goa trance throughout the 1980s by mixing thespiritual culture of India with western musical elements ofindustrial music,new beat andelectronic body music (EBM), and the actual Goa trance style became established by the early 1990s.[74][76]
Jazz in India was first performed regularly in the metropolesCalcutta andBombay in the early or middle 1920s.[77][78] From the 1930s to the 1950s is called as the golden age of jazz in India, when jazz musicians likeLeon Abbey, Crickett Smith, Creighton Thompson, Ken Mac, Roy Butler,Teddy Weatherford (who recorded withLouis Armstrong), and Rudy Jackson who toured India to avoid the racial discrimination they faced in the United States.[79][80] In the 1930s, jazz musicians played in the nightclubs of Bombay, such as at theTaj Mahal hotel ballroom, many of these musicians wereGoans most whom alsoworked in the Bollywood film industry and were responsible for the introduction of genres like jazz and swing to Hindi film music.[81]
Indian blues is less prevalent in India than jazz. Interest in the blues in India has only been incidental due to the shared ancestry with jazz.
The rock music scene in India is small compared to the filmi or fusion musicality scenes. Rock music in India has its origins in the 1960s when international stars such asthe Beatles visited India and brought their music with them. These artists' collaboration with Indian musicians such asRavi Shankar andZakir Hussain have led to the development ofraga rock. International shortwave radio stations such as The Voice of America, BBC, and Radio Ceylon played a major part in bringing Western pop, folk, and rock music to the masses. Indian rock bands began to gain prominence only much later, around the late 1980s.
It was around this time that the rock bandIndus Creed formerly known as The Rock Machine got itself noticed on the international stage with hits likeRock N Roll Renegade. Other bands quickly followed. With the introduction of MTV in the early 1990s, Indians began to be exposed to various forms of rock such as grunge and speed metal, impacting the national scene. The cities of the North Eastern Region, mainly Guwahati andShillong,Kolkata,Delhi,Mumbai andBangalore have emerged as major melting pots for rock and metal enthusiasts. Bangalore has been the hub for rock and metal movement in India. Some prominent bands includeNicotine,Voodoo Child,Indian Ocean,Kryptos,Thermal and a Quarter,Demonic Resurrection,Motherjane,Avial,Bloodywood andParikrama. Rock-specific labels such as DogmaTone Records andEastern Fare Music Foundation have since emerged, supporting Indian rock acts.
From Central India,Nicotine, an Indore-based metal band, has been credited with pioneeringmetal music in the region.
Raga rock is rock or pop music with a heavy Indian influence, either in its construction, its timbre, or its use of instrumentation, such as the sitar and tabla. Raga and other forms of classical Indian music began to influence many rock groups during the 1960s; most famouslythe Beatles. The first traces of "raga rock" can be heard on songs such as "See My Friends" bythe Kinks andthe Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul", released the previous month, featured a sitar-like riff by guitaristJeff Beck.[82][83] The Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", which first appeared on the band's 1965 albumRubber Soul, was the first western pop song to actually incorporate the sitar (played by lead guitaristGeorge Harrison).[83][84]The Byrds' March 1966 single "Eight Miles High" and its B-side "Why" were also influential in originating the musical subgenre. Indeed, the term "raga rock" was coined by The Byrds' publicist in the press releases for the single and was first used in print by journalist Sally Kempton in her review of "Eight Miles High" forThe Village Voice.[85][86] George Harrison's interest in Indian music, popularised the genre in the mid-1960s with songs such as "Love You To", "Tomorrow Never Knows" (credited toLennon-McCartney), "Within You Without You" and "The Inner Light".[87][88][89] The rock acts of the sixties both in turn influenced British and American groups and Indian acts to develop a later form ofIndian rock.
Despite more than a century of exposure to Western classical music and two centuries of British colonialism, classical music in India has never gained significant popularity.[citation needed].
However, Western classical music education has improved with the help of certain institutions in India, includingKM Music Conservatory (founded by Oscar-winning ComposerA.R. Rahman),Calcutta School of Music,Eastern Fare Music Foundation,[90] In 1930,Mehli Mehta set up the Bombay Symphony Orchestra.[91] His sonZubin Mehta has enjoyed a long international conducting career. The Bombay Chamber Orchestra[92] (BCO) was founded in 1962.Delhi School of Music,Delhi Music Academy,Guitarmonk and others supporting Western classical music.[citation needed]. In 2006, theSymphony Orchestra of India was founded, housed at theNCPA in Mumbai. It is today the only professional symphony orchestra in India and presents two concert seasons per year, with world-renowned conductors and soloists.
As perUN, theIndian diaspora is world's largest overseas diaspora with 17.5 million Indian-origin international migrants across the world,[93] who help spread theglobal soft power of India.[94]
With expansion ofIndosphere cultural influence ofGreater India,[96] through transmission ofHinduism in Southeast Asia[97][98][99] and theSilk Road transmission of Buddhism[100][101] leading toIndianization of Southeast Asia through formation of non-Indian southeast Asian nativeIndianized kingdoms[102] which adoptedsanskritized language[103] and other Indian elements[104] such as thehonorific titles,naming of people,naming of places, mottos of organisations and educational institutes as well as adoption ofIndian architecture,martial arts,Indian music and dance,traditional Indian clothing, andIndian cuisine, a process which has also been aided by the ongoing historic expansion ofIndian diaspora.[94]
InIndonesian andMalaysian music, theDangdut a genre of folk music is partly derived and fused fromHindustani music. It is a very popular because of its melodious instrumentation and vocals. Dangdut features atabla andgendang beat.[105][106] Indonesians dance in somewhat similar to theghoomar while listening to dangdut music, but in a much slower version.
Thai literature anddrama draws great inspiration fromIndian arts andHindu legends. Epic ofRamayana is as popular in Thailand as theRamakien. Two of the most popular classical thai dances theKhon, performed by men wearing ferocious masks, and theLakhon (Lakhon nai,Lakhon chatri andLakhon nok), performed by women who play both male and female roles draws inspiration primarily from the Ramakien. Percussion instruments andPiphat, a type of woodwind accompany the dance.[107]Nang talung, a Thaishadow play inspired bySouth Indian Bommalattam, has shadows made from the pieces of cow or water buffalo hide cut to represent human figures with movable arms and legs are thrown on a screen for the entertainment of spectators.
Sometimes, the music of India is fused with the native traditional music of other countries. For example,Delhi 2 Dublin, a band based in Canada, is known for fusing Indian andIrish music, and Bhangraton is a fusion ofBhangra music withreggaeton.[108]
Indian film composerA. R. Rahman wrote the music forAndrew Lloyd Webber'sBombay Dreams, and a musical version ofHum Aapke Hain Koun was staged in London's West End. The Bollywoodsports filmLagaan (2001) was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and two other Bollywood films (2002'sDevdas and 2006'sRang De Basanti) were nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Danny Boyle'sSlumdog Millionaire (2008) was inspired by Bollywood films.[109][110]
Bhangraton is a fusion ofBhangra music withreggaeton, which itself is a fusion of hip hop, reggae, and traditionalLatin American music.[108]
In early 1960sJazz pioneers such asJohn Coltrane—who recorded a composition entitled 'India' during the November 1961 sessions for his albumLive at the Village Vanguard (the track was not released until 1963 onColtrane's albumImpressions)—also embraced this fusion.George Harrison (ofthe Beatles) played thesitar on the song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" in 1965, which sparked interest from Shankar, who subsequently took Harrison as his apprentice.Jazz innovatorMiles Davis recorded and performed with musicians like Khalil Balakrishna, Bihari Sharma, and Badal Roy in his post-1968 electric ensembles. Virtuoso jazz guitarist John McLaughlin spent several years in Madurai learning Carnatic music and incorporated it into many of his acts including Shakti which featured prominent Indian musicians. Other Western artists such as theGrateful Dead,Incredible String Band,the Rolling Stones,the Move andTraffic soon incorporated Indian influences and instruments, and added Indian performers.
Legendary Grateful Dead frontmanJerry Garcia joined guitaristSanjay Mishra on his classic CD "Blue Incantation" (1995). Mishra also wrote an original score for French Director Eric Heumann for his filmPort Djema (1996) which won best score at Hamptons film festival andThe Golden Bear atBerlin. in 2000 he recordedRescue with drummerDennis Chambers (Carlos Santana,John McLaughlin et al.) and in 2006Chateau Benares with guestsDJ Logic andKeller Williams (guitar and bass).
Since the early 2000s, Bollywood began influencingmusical films in the Western world and was instrumental role in reviving the American musical film.Baz Luhrmann said that his musical film,Moulin Rouge! (2001), was inspired by Bollywood musicals;[111] the film incorporated a Bollywood-style dance scene with a song from the filmChina Gate. The critical and financial success ofMoulin Rouge! began a renaissance of Western musical films such asChicago,Rent, andDreamgirls.[112]
Psychedelic trance developed fromGoa trance.[75]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s,rock and roll fusions with Indian music were well known throughoutEurope andNorth America.Ali Akbar Khan's 1955 performance in theUnited States was perhaps the beginning of this trend. In 1985, a beat-oriented,Raga Rock hybrid called Sitar Power byAshwin Batish reintroduced sitar in western nations. Sitar Power drew the attention of a number of record labels and was snapped up byShanachie Records ofNew Jersey to head theirWorld Beat Ethno Pop division.
The influence offilmi may be seen inpopular music worldwide.Technopop pioneersHaruomi Hosono andRyuichi Sakamoto of theYellow Magic Orchestra produced a 1978electronic album,Cochin Moon, based on anexperimentalfusion of electronic music and Bollywood-inspired Indian music.[113]Truth Hurts' 2002 song "Addictive", produced byDJ Quik andDr. Dre, was taken fromLata Mangeshkar's "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" inJyoti (1981).[114]The Black Eyed Peas'Grammy Award winning 2005 song "Don't Phunk with My Heart" was inspired by two 1970sBollywood songs: "Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Diwana" fromDon (1978) and "Ae Nujawan Hai Sub" fromApradh (1972).[115] Both songs were composed byKalyanji Anandji, sung byAsha Bhosle, and featured the dancerHelen.[116]
Some prominent Indians in Westernclassical music are:
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Bollywood has been a significant form ofsoft power for India, increasing its influence and changing overseas perceptions of India.[117][118] According to author Roopa Swaminathan, "Bollywood cinema is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a new India."[118][119] Its role in expanding India's global influence is comparable to Hollywood's similar role with American influence.[120]
Kishore Kumar is popular inEgypt andSomalia.[121]
Hindi films were originally distributed to some parts of Africa by Lebanese businessmen, andMother India (1957) continued to be screened inNigeria decades after its release. Indian movies have influencedHausa clothing, songs have been covered by Hausa singers, and stories have influenced Nigerian novelists. Stickers of Indian films and stars decorate taxis and buses in Nigeria'sNorthern Region, and posters of Indian films hang on the walls of tailoring shops and mechanics' garages.[122]
InSouth Africa, film imports from India were watched by black andIndian audiences.[123] Several Bollywood figures have travelled to Africa for films and off-camera projects.Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav (2005) was filmed in South Africa.[124]Dil Jo Bhi Kahey... (2005) was also filmed almost entirely inMauritius, which has a large ethnic-Indian population.
In Egypt, Bollywood films were popular during the 1970s and 1980s.[125][126]Amitabh Bachchan has remained popular in the country[127] and Indian tourists visiting Egypt are asked, "Do you know Amitabh Bachchan?"[128]
Indo-Caribbean music ofIndo-Caribbean people inCaribbean is most common inTrinidad and Tobago,Guyana,Jamaica, andSuriname, which reflects theirBhojpuri heritage. Main instrumentation aredhantal, metal rod, clapper,dholak, two-headedbarrel drum. Women singHindubhajans and folk songs from themusic of Bhojpur on various important life events, rituals, celebrations, festivals likephagwah andholi. Indo-Caribbean contributions to popular music are very important. The most well-known is the Indo-Trinidadianchutney music tradition. Chutney is a form of popular dance music that developed in the mid-to late 20th century.Baithak Gana is a similar popular form originating inSuriname.[129][130]
There is significant Indian diaspora communities inSuriname[131] andGuyana, Indian music and Hindi-language movies are popular.[132] In 2006,Dhoom 2 became the first Bollywood film to be shot inRio de Janeiro.[133]
In thenew millennium, Americanhip-hop has featured Indian filmi and bhangra.Mainstreamhip-hop artists have sampled songs fromBollywood movies and have collaborated withIndian artists. Examples includeTimbaland's "Indian Flute",Erick Sermon andRedman's "React", Slum Village's "Disco", andTruth Hurts' hit song "Addictive", which sampled aLata Mangeshkar song, andThe Black Eyed Peas sampledAsha Bhosle's song "Yeh Mera Dil" in their hit single "Don't Phunk With My Heart". In 1997, the British bandCornershop paid tribute toAsha Bhosle with their songBrimful of Asha, which became an international hit.British-born Indian artistPanjabi MC also had a Bhangra hit in the US with "Mundian To Bach Ke" which featured rapperJay-Z.Asian Dub Foundation are not huge mainstream stars, but their politically chargedrap andpunk rock influenced sound has a multi-racial audience in their native UK. In 2008, international starSnoop Dogg appeared in a song in the filmSingh Is Kinng. In 2007, hip-hop producerMadlib releasedBeat Konducta Vol 3–4: Beat Konducta in India; an album which heavily samples and is inspired by the music of India.
Due to shared cultural heritage and language, Indian music and Bollywood films are also popular inAfghanistan,Pakistan,Bangladesh, andNepal, where Hindustani is widely understood.[134][135]
Already covered in earlier sectionAncient influence on Southeast Asian music genre.
West Asia has large Indian diaspora population, who mainly consume Indian music. Indian music is also popular with native middle eastern people. 85% of Qatar's and 75% of UAE's total population are Indian citizens.[136] Hindi films and music have become popular inArab countries,[137] and imported Indian films are usually subtitled in Arabic when they are released. Bollywood has progressed inIsrael since the early 2000s, with channels dedicated to Indian films on cable television;[138]
InGermany,Indian stereotypes includedbullock carts, beggars, sacred cows, corrupt politicians, and catastrophes before Bollywood and theIT industry transformed global perceptions of India.[139]
In the late 1980s, Indian-British artists fused Indian and Western traditions to make theAsian Underground. Since the 1990s, Canadian born musician Nadaka who has spent most of his life in India, has been creating music that is an acoustic fusion ofIndian classical music with western styles. One such singer who has merged the Bhakti sangeet tradition of India with the western non-Indian music isKrishna Das and sells music records of his musicalsadhana. Another example is theIndo-Canadian musicianVandana Vishwas who has experimented with western music in her 2013 albumMonologues.
In a more recent example of Indian-British fusion,Laura Marling along withMumford and Sons collaborated in 2010 with the Dharohar Project on a four-song EP.[35] The British bandBombay Bicycle Club also sampled the song "Man Dole Mera Tan Dole" for their single "Feel".[140] Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Due to large Indian diaspora population, Indian music and movies are very popular inFiji especially amongIndo-Fijians.[141]
Australia andNew Zealand have 2 percent Indian population, as well as other a large South Asian diaspora, and Bollywood music and movies are popular amongst non-Asians in the country as well.[141]
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy forperforming arts set up by theGovernment of India in 1952, which bestowsSangeet Natak Akademi Award as the highest official Indian government's recognition given to practicing artists,[142] It has established several institutions including the Manipur Dance Academy inImphal,[143] Ravindra Rangshala Centers,[144] Sattriya Centre,Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance) atNew Delhi, Centre for Kutiyattam atThiruvananthapuram, Chhau Centre atBaripada inJamshedpur, Banaras Music Akademi,Varanasi, and the Northeast Centre.Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal (अखिल भारतीय गान्धर्व महाविद्यालय मंडल) is an institution for the promotion and propagation of Indian classical music and dance.
A painting in the Nimbu Bhoj shelter shows...the male figure is playing a string harp...Fig. 2 Harper and family...
plate VII, figures 5, 6 and 7... Then, in the late Bronze Age and Iron Age (2nd-1st mill. B.C.) the attention of the painters shifted from imaginary images to ritual participants...development of musical culture is confirmed by the appearance of different musical instruments...the bowed harp and hourglass drum (Plate VII, 5-7, India)...
