#OfficialReadySet 2015–2016 Section 2 | 7
Media
• The recording industry, radio, and television have shaped popular tastes, especially in urban contexts.
• The contemporary Indian recording industry is as diversified as any in the world.
• Regional stations and many local transmitters broadcast programs in more than twenty regional languages,
and radio remains the farthest-reaching media in the country.
• The National television service, Doordarshan or “View from afar,” began broadcasting in a handful of cities
in the 1970s. Government channels were the only ones available until the 1990s.
• India’s film industry is the largest in the world. Bollywood is the Hindi-language film industry, and there are
many other film industries in India today, based on language.
India’s Regional Music Traditions
and Devotional Music
Regional Music Traditions
Music shared by speakers of a particular language can be called a regional music. Music and
language may be local, regional, or pan-regional, that is, shared across narrower or wide areas.
Some 72 percent of India’s population
is classified as rural. Men and women
in Indian villages typically do separate
kinds of daily work and gather
separately for music. Thus, village
music is characterized as women’s or
men’s music.
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Some instruments are widely shared across
South Asia. Barrel-shaped drums, clappers, and
the harmonium are ubiquitous. String and wind
instruments are typically played by specialists.
IP
Musicians, male or female, may be non-specialists
or specialists, according to whether they have special
training, and non-professional or professional,
according to whether they perform for pay.
One of the most basic
functions of song is
represented in women’s
village music—to gather,
mark, and celebrate an
occasion for the benefit of
the community.
Men’s
non-specialist
groups in village
settings typically
include drums and
cymbals and a
harmonium.
Listening Example 1: Hymns for the Chathi Fast, “Chathi Mata”
¨¨ The Chhathi “Sixth-day” is a four-day period of rituals and fasting in North India that is dedicated to the Sun
and to the Mother Goddess.
¨¨ The atmosphere is informal, as people talk and move in the background. A woman leads with words and
melody, and the group repeats the last phrase of the stanza. A few others join in to lead as the song progresses.
The song has a pleasing rhythmic pulse that might be felt as a lilting seven-beats.
#OfficialReadySet 2015–2016 Section 3 | 11
Indian Classical Music
Theory and Practice
IP
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Classical Indian music is the art music of
urban India and reflects a long history and
systematic theory. Classical music is based on
the concepts of raga and tala.
Hindustani (North India) and Carnatic
music (South India) are the two classical
systems of Indian music.
Music theory, called sangita shastra, is found in written texts and is transmitted orally as well.
¨¨The Natyashastra, compiled before 400 CE, is a compendium of theory on theater, dance, and music.
¨¨The ninth-century Brihaddesi contains the first extended treatment of raga.
¨¨The thirteenth-century Sangitaratnakara is the premier text of the medieval period. Its seven chapters
became the basis for many later texts written in Persian and regional languages. The chapters cover:
• pitch (svara)
• rhythm (tala)
• melody (raga)
• instruments (vadya)
• various techniques (prakiranaka)
• dance (nrtya)
• compositions (prabandha)
¨¨In the context of South Asia, “theory” and “text” should not be understood as being entirely dependent on
written books.
Ragas
¨¨ Ragas are the melodic structures of Indian classical music. They are defined in terms of scale and pitch and
also in terms of expressive quality and other associations.
BB Each raga uses specific pitches in a scale. For example, the Hindustani Raga Yaman uses the pitches of the
natural or Western major scale but with a sharp 4th.
BB Some pitches are resting notes on which the melody often lingers. The main resting notes of Raga Yaman
are the 3rd and the 7th.
BB The pitches of a raga are used in particular phrasings and contours. In Yaman, the phrasings 7 2 3 and 7
6 4 6 5 occur over and over.
BB Certain pitches and phrasing require delicate slides and microtones. The 7th in Yaman is often delicately
sharpened, and there is a slide between 2 and 3.
A raga is performed by a main vocalist or instrumentalist, or sometimes two, accompanied by a
small ensemble. A raga performance consists of a sequence of composed and improvised sections.
#OfficialReadySet 2015–2016 | 19
1859
Death of Baluswamy Dikshitar, who is credited with introducing the violin in
Carnatic music
c.1875
Dwarkin & Son, a seller of Western and Indian instruments, is founded in
Kolkata and begins manufacturing the Indian harmonium.
1901
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar founds the first branch of his music school
(Gandharv Mahavidyalaya) in Lahore.
1902
Fred Gaisberg records musicians for the British Gramophone Company in
Kolkata.
1925
78rpm vinyl record technology is standardized.
1926
V. N. Bhatkhande founds a Music College in Lucknow.
1928
The Madras Music Academy is founded in Chennai.
1931
Alam Ara, the first Bollywood and Indian sound film, premieres.
1932
First regular broadcasts by All India Radio
1947
Indian Independence and Partition (15 August)
1950s
Home record-playing capacity grows, in 78- and 33 1/3-speed formats.
1965
India’s government TV begins daily broadcasts in the greater Delhi area.
1980s
Cassette technology allows for the expansion of regional music studios and
mass marketing.
1991
Economic liberalization policies are enacted in India, inviting international
investment as a strategy for economic growth.
1992
Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, goes to Bengali-language
filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
1995
VSNL (later Tata Communications) launches internet services in India.
1998
Bharat Ratna award goes to Carnatic singer M. S. Subbulakshmi.
1999
Bharat Ratna award goes to Hindustani sitar player Ravi Shankar.
2000
India’s billionth official birth
2001
Bharat Ratna awards go to playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and Hindustani
shehnai player Bismillah Khan.
2009
Bharat Ratna award goes to Hindustani singer Bhimsen Joshi.