-| Indian Music and Dance | -
In
Indian music and dance India can legitimately be proud of her past, a tradition
dating back to the days of the 'vdas'. To an extant, it is established now that
Indian Music had ts origin in the Vedas where it found its moorings. Though
classical music in Indiadiffers from region to region, there is an underlying
currentof unity.
Music
The music researchers have concluded that raga, as a concept and practice, matured
by the fifth century A.D. if one digs in the past, one would find that it was
in the Sama Veda, the seeds of raga were sown, as this was chanted in a descending
manners with full seven notes.Talas are rhythmic cycles. They have a universal
unity. Indian music has got the most complicated variety of tala structure in
the world. Khyala, with the persian origin of the world is a classical form
of singing.
There are many singers hailing from different 'gharanas' Ghazals,now very popular,
are more famous for their erotic content. Mirza Ghalib was the father of this
tyal and his philosophy was wine and women. Thumri is another light from of
India music and often bordering on the vulgarly sensuos subjects. Tarana is
a composition which does not use meaningful words. At the same time, folk songs
from particular area reflect the cultural and traditional values withvery deep
meanings at times.
Instruments
Veena,gotuvadhyam,thavil, mridangam,and the plain drum are some of the ancient
instruments of music in India.The sitar and the tabla were late comers. The
sitar appears to have infiltrated from persia and has assumed great popularity.
The handling of these instrument depends up on the ingenuity and dexterity of
the player. The flute and the nadaswaram as also the sehnai are wind instruments.
The drums varieties are percussion instruments. The voilin, a tottaly western
instrument has also has been indianised and has become popular. In the north,
has been vogue for centuries. Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan,Amjad Ali
Khan,Ustad Bismillah Khan, Zakir Hussain and Hari Prasad Chaurasia, etc are
few of the world fame artist famous for palying different instruments.
Ravi
Shankar had rubbed his shoulders with the beatles. Bismilla Khan's Sehnai, Hari
Prasad's melodious flute and Zakir Hussain's table playing-one has to listen
to it to belive it! Prof.L.Subramanyam has earned the fame by playing violin
and creating fusion with the western artists.
Dance
Dance in India is a rhythm. Eyes, faces, hads and feet move to varying moods,
reflecting idiom of the perfection of an ancient art. There are various classical
and folk dances from all different parts of Indian subcontinent.
Bharat Natyam
Bharat Natyam is poetry in motion. It is a highly traditional and stylized dance
from Dating back to 4000 B.C. this has been immortalized in successive genration
inNorth India, narrated stories from epics. Its present form was evolved by
the Tanjore quartet. Earlier as practised by Devdasis of the south Indian temples,
its went into disrupt. It was Rukmini Devi who give it a new life and respectability.
Kathak
Kathak has its root in katha-story. A band of story tellers who were attched
to temples in North India, narrated stories from epics.from epice. Later, they
added mime and gusture to their recitation Its evolution came in
16th
century when Radha Krishna legend got popular. Then later on after Muslims invasion,
this was taken from temples to the courts. While Jaipur gave predominanceto
pure dance, the Lucknow one drifted into erotics.
Banaras also stuk to pure dance but it provide for these sensuous aspect by
delineating episodes from the Radha-Krishna legends. The Kathak dance gaes through
a regular format mostly concentrating on rhythm variously.
Kathakali
Kathakali is the most refined, the most scientific and elaborately defined dance
from Kerala. The current from is not more then 300 years old, but its root can
be traced back father past. The stories are selected from epics and mythologious
and are writen in highly sanskritised verse from in Malayalam (the language
from Kerala).
The domain of Kathakali is peopled by superhumans, demons and gods, and animal
who are presented in a larger than life format. What striked the spactators
first and most is the solendour of costumes ,ornaments, and facial make-up which
transform the actro-dancer into a type rather than a particular character, and
that can be identified by his colour viz. green-painted face stands for nobility,
honour, etc while the red just opposite.
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi
is a dance drama from Andhra Pardesh. Execpt that the emphasis s on the animation,
it is akin to Bharat Natyam.
Manipuri
Manipuri dance is actually intricately woven in the pattern of life among Manipuris-the
North Eastern state of India. Costumes are colourful and the music has a quaint
old -world charm. Drums play a very important role.
Mohiniattams
Mohiniattam is also the heir to Devdasi dance heritage like Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi
and odissi. The world 'Mohini' actually means a maiden who exerts desire or
steal the heart of the onlooker. The movements are gracefu and costumes sober
and attractive.
Odissi
Odissi is based on Shastra and grace is its uniqueness.
Indian Music and Dance Reservation
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