The Music of India

By H a Popley

Book Overview

The music of India includes multiple varieties of classical music, folk music, filmi, Indian rock, and Indian pop. Indian pop and Indian rock are derived from western rock and roll. India's classical music tradition, including Hindustani music, Bhartiya music and Carnatic, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several areas. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life.The two main traditions of Indian classical music are Carnatic music, which is found predominantly in the peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, which is found in the northern, eastern and central regions. The basic concepts of this music includes shruti (microtones), swaras (notes), alankar (ornamentations), raga (melodies improvised from basic grammars), and tala (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.Sangeet Natak Academy recognizes eight classical dance and music forms, namely Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam. Additionally, India's Ministry of Culture also includes Chhau in its classical list.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. 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, historical Vedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughals. Classical genres are dhrupad, dhamar, khyal, tarana and sadra, and there are also several semi-classical forms.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B089D28TJD
• ISBN13: 9798649710336
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"