The Culture of Hindustani Music - Essay Example

Raga Megh Raga is the melodic fundamental system of the Indian music. Raga has transformed over a long time as a result of influences from technological, economic, sociological and political changes that have been experienced in India. Before the onset of the Christian Era, Raga was used as the melodic background for all art music. It was used for all theatre performances whether they were connected to Sanscrit theatre or not. Previously, Jati was the melodic basis for all theatre and was soon replaced by Raga. This music is characterized by a unique set of notes that descends and ascend (Raja, 187). Moreover, Shruti microtones are a common feature of the raga music. Other features that are also present include characteristic phrases, presence or lack of characteristic differential speed and time of performance. Question 1 Development of Raga music had been influenced by several factors. The social organization has influenced the development of raga. The initial form of Indian Raga was derived from the Hindu religion and would incorporate the social life and behavior of the people. The culture has influenced development of raga as it was used a means of oral transmission. A lot of the Indian history and traditions are contained in the Raga songs and they were thus used as a way of preserving culture. Some Raga songs are also praises of some memorable Indian Icons such as great warriors. The Narada Raga was mainly used for theatric purposes and had little room for improvisation. However, other types of Raga have been transformed over time to fit different occasions. The first improvisation of the Raga music is recorded in history in the 5th B.C. During this time, Raga was classified into three categories Bhasha, Vibhasha and antarbhasha. These songs were connected to the Grimaraga. The Gadrarvic rules were followed in writing of these Raga songs. However, the introduction of these songs would be made of an improvised verse written in free style which was called Alapa (Broughton & Ellingham, 57). These songs were mainly written in Sanscrit language. There was however another group of Raga that were written in local languages and did not follow the gadrarvic rules. Raga music underwent a lot of transformation during the medieval period due to political, sociological, technological and cultural influences. As a result there was the rise of two types of music depending on the teacher of music, the instrument used and type of dance. This division gave rise to Deshi Raga also known as Upanga. This subgenre had its unique features. Other evolutionary changes that were experienced in the medieval times are the eradication of the traditional moorchhana system and some microtones together with the fixing of the notes Sa and Pa. Some Notes also acquired some Vikrta and Shudda forms (Raja, 67). During this time, the Raga had acquired a lot of Persian elements which threatened to erode the Hindu foundation of the Raga system. However, all the Muslim influenced was eroded in the 16th century and the music was returned to its Hindu source. In the Modern age, Raga again went through complex changes which attributed to technological, social and economic transformations. This age experienced major changes in the social fabric of the society which influenced changes in music to different levels depending on the cultural enlighten. This age was characterized by musicians practicing a lot of freedom in their music composition as they responded to the new wave of liberty. It was until the 20th century that a bunch of music composers tried to use the classical principles of Raga. As a result, the modern raga can be said to follow the fundamental rules of Raga. Question 2 Raga Megh is a classical raga music that it still popular among the Hindu community. The music is associated with the rainy seasons and is usually around midnight. This kind of music is used to represent the advanced monsoon which is experienced around July to August. This music can be contrasted to the Malhar which are used to express the happiness that comes with the onset of the rainy season. Megh comes from Sanscrit which means “cloud”. The song is associated with the falling raindrops and thunderstorms. It brings the same ecstatic feeling that Malhar which is sung during the onset of the monsoon has. It is said that Raga Dipak which is performed during the summer seasons is aimed at inflaming the people. Raga Megh on the other hand comes to quench the flames that were lighted by Raga Dipak. The music is aimed at cooling the fire of the heart and bringing some form of satisfaction to the soul. Moreover, the performance of this song is said to bring about rain in case the rainy season is late. By performing this song, the singers would invoke the rainmakers to send rain making the world green. According to the Hindu religion, music that has been sanctioned by the Holy Scriptures has the ability to influence not only the body and psyche but also external bodies such as the weather and other things found in the universe (Broughton & Ellingham, 68). This notion is supported by modern scientific data which has concluded that music influences trees, animals and herbs. It is thus possible that the singing of Raga Megh and Raga Malhar could have resulted in the gathering of clouds in dry areas as the universe listens to the world uttered by people. In Raha Megh, the pictures of the season are carefully incorporated into the music. Tansen is one the reknown writer of Raga music. His music was very powerful that he could make raga that caused fire (Raga Deepak) and cause rain to fall. It can be observed that Raga megh was a very significant song in the Hindu community because it was used as a way of escaping drought which ensured that the community thrived. Just like any other people, the Hindu relied on farming as their main source of livelihood; rain was thus an important component for their survival and was thus treated as a sacred thing. Raga Megh was used as a way of praising the gods so that they could bring down rain. Question 3 Shivkumar Sharma performance of the raga is characterized by the use of Indian Santoor. Sharma was a renowned Santoor player and he used this instrument in his various performances. Santoor is a folk instrument that is associated with the Shamir people. Sharma was also a good vocalist but has made the Santoor a famous classical instrument (Anon, 320). He has composed the background of different classical raga songs that led him to becoming famous. The raga by Shivkumar Sharma can be analyzed in terms of improvisation. The introduction which is called the Alap is made up of the improvised part while the rest of the songs follow the principles of construction of Raga. The first line of the Alapa consists of the ranges Sa, Re and Ni. These notes are used to establish a tonal central. This is then followed by low Pa that is used for setting the pitch. The next line the middle Pa is also used to establish the svara (pitch). This is then followed by a Low Pa accompanied by a low Sa. These are used for establishing a lower tone. After that, the notes middle Pa, low Pa, Mid-high Pa are played in that order to establish the pitch (Broughton & Ellingham, 210). High Sa is then played repeatedly to establish the tone. Lastly in the Alap, there is the introductory pulse established by middle Sa and Re. The rest of the song has some bit of improvisation but most of the improvisation is found in the introduction. The use of the santoor instrument makes the Raga Megh smoother to the ear. This song is devoted to the praising of rain and is characterized by rhythms that match that of the falling raindrops and is interrupted by sound imitating thunder here and there. Nevertheless, although Sharma r has incorporated some form of improvisation here and there in his performance, the basic structure of Raga Megh is retained (Anon, 329). He is known for his performance of the classical Indian music. According to him, the classical Indian music is a way of preserving the Indian culture and should remain unchanged. He feels that the art of using the Santoor is a way of communicating to the art lovers. In conclusion, Raga in the India community is one of the classical forms of music which has resisted change over time and managed to retain its pristine nature. It is one of the unique form of music listened to around the world. Its message is deep and is usually has a deep religious meaning. Raga Megh is one of the important Ragas in the classical Indian music that is treated with sacredness as it is associated with rain that is a source of Livelihood of the Indian people. Work Cited Anonymous. India Today. New Delhi: Living Media India Pvt. Ltd, 1900. Print. Broughton, Simon, and Mark Ellingham. World Music: Volume 2. London: Rough Guides, 2000. Print. Raja, Deepak. Hindustani Music: A Tradition in Transition. New Delhi: D. K. Printworld, 2005. Print. Read More