Chapter 5: South Asia

About

Chapter 5 introduces the music and associated cultural activities from South Asia, including north and south India, as well as Pakistan. The opening site deals in depth with Hindustani Raga, a prominent classical style from the region, introducing readers to fundamental features of form, style, instrumentation, pedagogy, and cultural associations.  Carnatic vocal performance complements this examination of classical literature, followed by explorations of dance (Kathakali), devotional song (bhajan) typically performed by non-professionals, and popular film song from India.  Qawwali, also a type of devotional song related to Sufis, is studied in association with Pakistan, followed by a brief introduction to bhangra, a folk music that evolved into a global popular music genre.

Key Terms

  • Alap (also Alapana)
  • Anundrutam
  • Anupallavi
  • Aradhana
  • Bansri (also Bansuri)
  • Bauls
  • Baya
  • Bhajan
  • Bhangra
  • Bin
  • Bollywood
  • Bols
  • Caranam
  • Carnatic (also Karnatak)
  • Caste system
  • Chiz
  • Dhrupad
  • Dilruba
  • Drutam
  • Filmi (also Filmi Git)
  • Gat
  • Ghunur
  • Gopiyantra (also Ektara)
  • Gospel
  • Guru
  • Hanuman
  • Harmonium
  • Hindustani
  • Jaltarang
  • Jati
  • Jhala
  • Jor
  • Kartal
  • Kathakali
  • Khyal
  • Kriti
  • Laghu
  • Lata Mangeshkar
  • Mode
  • Mridangam
  • Nagasvaram
  • Pallavi
  • Qawwali (also Kawwali)
  • Raga
  • Rama
  • Rasa
  • Ravana
  • Ravi Shankar
  • Sarangi
  • Sarod
  • Sita
  • Sitar
  • Solfege
  • Sympathetic strings
  • Tabla
  • Tala
  • Tavil
  • Theka
  • Venu
  • Vina

Flashcards

Practice Quiz

Audio Examples

5.1

North India: Hindustani (Instrumental) Raga.  "Khamaj" by Shamim Ahmed from the recording entitled India's Great Shamim Ahmed: Three Ragas, MON00489, courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. (c) 1967 . Used by permission.

5.2

South India: Carnatic Classical (Vocal). Kriti: “Manasā!  Etulörttunë” Raga Malayamārutam, Rūpakam Tala, composed by Sri Tyāgarāja and performed by Sri V. Ramachandran, vocal; Sri S. Varadharajan, violin; Ramnad Sri Raghavan, mrdangam; Sri R. Balasubramaniam, kanjira; recorded at the 2002 St. Thyagaraja Festival by the Thyagaraja Aradhana Committee, Cleveland, Ohio, 2002. Used by permission.

5.3

Hindu Bhajan devotional song. “Parvati Nandana Gajanana,” recorded by Terry E. Miller at the Sai Baba Temple, Longdenville, Trinidad, 1985. Used by permission.

5.4

Pakistan: Qawwali (Sufi devotional song). "Jamale kibriya main hoon" performed by the Sabri Brothers, from Musiciens Kawwali du Pakistan/Les Fréres Sabri/Musique Soufli, vol. 3, Arion ARN 64147, 1991.  Used by permission.

Video Links

For more world music videos, visit the  World Music YouTube Channel .

Ravi Shankar at Monterey Pop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk60ObnbIOk
Sathya Sai Baba Singing “Govinda Krishna Jay” Bhajan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-pUzkA22NOs
Sowmya: On Carnatic Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJa63MLFt_U
Kiranavali: Carnatic Vocal Recital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUENmfe9YIg
Sowmya: Carnatic Vocal Recital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNFkaeL61wY

Audio Book

Coming soon...

On Your Own Time

Links and further resources

India


Book:
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Music of India. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195650983.001.0001/acref-9780195650983
Website:
Official website of Ravi Shankar
http://www.ravishankar.org/
Audio:
The Raga Guide: A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas. Nimbus Records, NI 5536/9, 1999.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/raga-guide-a-survey-of-74-hindustani-ragas-mw0000246246
Website:
Bhangra
http://www.bhangra.org/
Website:
Chhandayan (Indian Classical Music)
http://www.tabla.org/
Website:
Ali Akbar — College of Music
http://www.aacm.org/
Book:
Lavezzoli, Peter. The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, Inc., 2007.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-dawn-of-indian-music-in-the-west-9780826418159/
Book:
Nelson, David P. Solkattu Manual: An Introduction to the Rhythmic Language of South Indian Music. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2008.
https://www.wesleyan.edu/wespress/solkattu/
Book:
Ganti, Tejaswini.Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2004. (2nd edition, 2012)
https://www.routledge.com/Bollywood-A-Guidebook-to-Popular-Hindi-Cinema-2nd-Edition/Ganti/p/book/9780415583886
Popular Artists — India
A.R. Rahman
Lata Mangeshkar
Asha Bhosle
Sukhwinder Singh
Alka Yagnik
Udit Narayan
Malkit Singh
Daler Mehndi

Pakistan


Book:
Qureshi, Regula Burckhardt. Sufi Music of India and Pakistan: Sound, Context, and Meaning. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/music/ethnomusicology/sufi-music-india-and-pakistan-sound-context-and-meaning-qawwali?format=HB&isbn=9780521267670
Audio:
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Shahen Shah. Real World Records, 1989.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shahen-shah/id365314759
Popular Artists — Pakistan
Ahmed Rushdi
Nazia Hassan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan