Indian Classical Music.
Indian classical music is based on the
ragas ("colors"), which are scales and melodies that provide the
foundation for a performance. Unlike western classical music, that is
deterministic, Indian classical music allows for a much greater degree of
"personalization" of the performance, almost to the level of
jazz-like improvisation. Thus, each performance of a raga is different. The
goal of the raga is to create a trancey state, to broadcast a mood of ecstasy.
The main difference with western classical music is that the Indian ragas are
not "composed" by a composer, but were created via a lengthy
evolutionary process over the centuries. Thus they do not represent mind of the
composer but a universal idea of the world. They transmit not personal but
impersonal emotion. Another difference is that Indian music is monodic, not
polyphonic.
Hindustani
(North Indian) ragas are assigned to specific times of the day (or night) and
to specific seasons. Many ragas share the same scale, and many ragas share the
same melodic theme.
There are thousands of ragas, but six are
considered fundamental: Bhairav, Malkauns, Hindol, Dipak, Megh and Shree. A
raga is not necessarily instrumental, and, if vocal, it is not necessarily
accompanied. But when it is accompanied by percussion (such as tablas), the
rhythm is often rather intricate because it si constructed from a combination
of fundamental rhythmic patterns (or talas).
Anoushka Shankar
Anoushka Shankar (born 9
June 1981) is an Indian sitar player and composer. She is the daughter of Ravi
Shankar and half-sister of Norah Jones.
In the video she—together with four
musicians—played a classical Indian Raga called Jog. It is a Raga in
Hindustani classical music belonging to Khamaj
thaat. Jog is one of the most popular ragas appearing often in films.
Sometimes, experts assign this raga to be a member of Kafi thaat.
In the video Anoushka Shankar
mentioned that it was one of her compositions that they performed.
Opinion
The melodious combination of the
violin, the shehnai, the tanpura, and many percussion instruments surprisingly sounds soothing to the ears. The song itself is extremely enjoyable and upbeat. Listening
to Anoushka Shankar's performance clearly gives one a
taste of the beautiful Indian culture.
But what amazes every onlooker the most is how each musician plays their instrument. They do it with so much passion as if their instruments are their sources of life. They play them with fire in their eyes, as if music was the air they breathe.
The way they
have delivered and performed this kind of music sends a magical sensation to every
listener and every viewer.
Instruments Used
The shehnai- It is a double
reed oboe, common in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran, made out of wood,
with a metal flare bell at the end. Its sound is thought to create and maintain
a sense of auspiciousness and sanctity and, as a result, is widely used during marriages,
processions, and in temples, although it is also played in concerts. Shenai is
similar to South India's nadaswaram.
This tubular instrument gradually
broadens towards the lower end. It usually has between six and nine holes. It
employs one set of quadruple reeds, making it a quadruple reed woodwind. By
controlling the breath, various tunes can be played on it.
The shehnai has a range of two octaves,
from the A below middle C to the A one line above the treble clef (A3 to A5 in scientific
pitch notation).
The tanpura- It is a
long-necked plucked string instrument found in various forms in Indian music;
it does not play melody but rather supports and sustains the melody of another
instrument or singer by providing a continuous harmonic bourdon or drone. It is
not played in rhythm with the music, as the precise timing of plucking a cycle
of four strings in a continuous loop is a determinant factor in the resultant
sound.
The name tanapura is derived
from tana, referring to a musical phrase, and pura, which means
"full" or "complete". Hindustani musicians favour the term
'tanpura' whereas Carnatic musicians say 'tambura'; 'tanpuri' is a smaller
variant used for accompanying instrumental soloists.
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