Appreciating Hindustani Music

by Mohan D. Nadkarni
In this four-part feature to fine-tune your yen for classical Hindustani
fare, music critic introduces the elements required to enjoy Hindustani
music.
First published as a four part feature in Femina during June-July 1985.
Reproduced with author's permission and adapted for Kamat's
Potpourri by Vikas Kamat.
Introduction
Music was one of the earliest forms of non verbal communication.
Probably, in no other country has music enveloped man's entire in a
world of melodic sound as in India. Nowhere else is it so delicately
interwoven with the country's traditional culture. Apart from the divine
origin ascribed to its music, it is undeniable that India's artconsciousness had its genesis in the socio-religious life of the early
Aryans. They were singer priests and their songs of worship were
composed on certain definite principles. These songs, which have come
down to us as the Sacred Hymns of the Vedas, constitute melody and
rhythm in their earliest form.
All music is based upon and conditioned by relations between sounds. It
is obvious that long before the evolution of the musical scale, the
musical observers of antiquity, with their amazing observation and
uncanny sense of hearing, ascertained the different gradations of
musical sound from the calls of animate nature. The process spanned
many centuries, before they came to be grouped under notes or svaras.
Initially only three svaras were evolved and used for musical recitation
of the metrical songs of the Rig Veda, which became the chants of the
Sama Veda. The number ofsvaras rose from three to five and then to
seven. Five of seven svaras were sub-divided into komal (flat)
and tivra (sharp) variations. The spectrum, thus finally evolved covered
a gamut of twelve svaras.
Although, incidentally, this scale of twelve notes recognized by Indian
music also forms the international basis of music of the East and the
west. What makes the Indian scale fundamentally different is that is
twelve svaras are worked out of wider span, consisting of twenty-two
micro-tonal intervals, called shrutis. The development of music thus
takes place through the use of these fine shrutis which lie between
the svaras. If, therefore, the melody unfolds as an unbroken line, it is
because even a particular komal or tivra svara acquires delicate shades
of microtones in the process of unfolding. These are all aesthetically
flavoured embellishments, which give the chose melody its

unmistakable identity. This explains the basically melodic character of

Indian music as distinct from that of the West, which has evolved on
harmonic lines.
The concept of melody as embodied in what is known as raga, is by far
the most distinctive feature of Indian music. A raga is cast in one mood,
and only one chosenraga forms the basis for improvisation throughout
a given piece of music.
What is a raga? Simply Put, it is the medium through which emotional
experiences are expressed in terms of a succession of svaras. Although
the term literally mean, ``that which enraptures the listener" and
implies both melodic and aesthetic potentialities, each raga has an
unmistakably characteristic personality of its own. Theseragas, both in
the Hindustani and Carnatic systems, present an amazing variety and
diversity. Even when two ragas have the same set of svaras-these may
be five, six or seven-they may well differ in the use of not only
their komal and tivra variations, but also the more subtly
shaded shruti variants mentioned earlier. One or more svarasmay be
omitted in aroha (ascent) or avaroha (descent) or there may be
emphasis on certain specific svaras. Then again, there may be
some svara-sangatis(combinations of notes) which have to be
highlighted to spotlight the identity of a raga.
Above all, it is the types of movement from one svara to another, called
gamakas, or the special graces and refinements, which ultimately
project the true personality of the raga chosen for improvisation. These
constitute the very soul of our classical music.
Equally vital to the concept of raga is tala (rhythm). In
fact raga and tala together constitute classical music. The repertory
of tala is as rich and varied as of ragas. Some of the talas often reveal
great subtleties and complexities. A given piece of music, however, is
rendered to a single uniform and strictly chosen time-measure. The
song-texts of a raga presentation are composed within the framework
of a specific tala cycle. Thus, in a sense, raga music embodies the very
syntheses of melody, poetry and rhythm.
India's classical music has evolved into vocal and instrumental styles.
The predominance of the human voice has, however, been always
emphasized in the very concept of Indian music. This is because the
human voice is regarded as the divine instrument, capable of being
more intensively expressive than any other medium. Thus in the course
of its migration from temple to court, vocal music underwent significant
changes in its form, design, structure and treatment even while
maintaining its form, design, structure and treatment even while
maintaining its melodic moorings.

K.L. Kamat/Kamat's Potpourri

Musicians of Mogul Period

Detail from a Moghul miniature painting
To say this is not to deny the high degree of sophistication achieved by
instrumental music in theory and in practice. There was a time when
India could boast of a repertory of over 500 musical instruments, each
with a distinct name, shape and construction, technique and quality of
tone. The varieties have covered the string, wind and percussion
groups. The string and the wind instruments were designed to
reproduce what is sung by the human voice, while the percussion
instruments regulated the rhythm and time-measures. All these formed
an indispensable accompaniment to singing, although several of them
were found suitable for solo performances in their own right. For
example, instruments like veena, sitar, flute and shehnai, when played
in solo, can depict all the minutiae of a raga as beautifully as in singing.
India is the only country in the world to have two traditions of classical
music. Originally, though there existed one common system, its
bifurcation in to the two systems of the north and the south, that is, the
Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, respectively, was the result of the
reaction of Arabic and Persian influences on the indigenous art. While
Carnatic music could largely preserve its tradition almost independently
of all alien influences, the cultural streams from Arabia and Persia
brought about a rich cross-fertilisation of the northern region of the
country.
Hindustani Music and Carnatic Music
Hindustani music, as we know it today, is but a fusion of the old forms
and the new, in which old values have been transmuted and even
ancient themes informed, by the new spirit. So much so, that that we

have no such thing as Hindu music or Muslim music today. It is

Hindustani music of North India, which forms the basis of this series.
Although, two different systems of Classical music, Hindustani and
Carnatic, are prevalent, respectively. In the North and South a India,
their basic principles are almost identical. The variations are, by and
larger, regional and linguistic. What is more, both the classical tradition
have always aimed at developing the creative ability of the performer.
In a sense, therefore, the Indian classical musician is at once a
composer and an Interpreter, too, For, even as he interprets the
essential formulae and mnemonics of his art, as imparted to him by
his guru, he weaves his melodic became to suit his innermost urges and
creative imagination and there by seeks to express the very essence of
his inward being to listeners through the medium of his raga. And this
is precisely what makes Indian classical music-Hindustani or Carnatic
unique.
But the challenge faced by an exponent of Hindustani music is, to my
mind, possibly far greater than that of a Carnatic performer. For the
beauty of Hindustani music lies in its relatively more flexible structure
and in its much greater emphasis on extempore improvisation. This
quality is reflected in the Process of its evolution in the perspective of
the social, Cultural and political history of North India. The chequered
history of its evolution from the pristine dhrupad and dhamar to
ornate khayal, lilting tappa to erotic thumri and raga-based ghazal is
one of assimilation, adaptation and creation, with its roots in the Past.
Each of these style, bears the impress of its era even while showing its
susceptibility to the impact of changing times.
It is pertinent in this context, to attempt a closer study of these forms
of presentation. The beginnings of Hindustani music is traced to the
temple music of North India. There is no unanimity, though, among
musical historians on this point. But there is something to be said for
the view that raga-based sacred music was in vogue in all the places of
Hindu worship for centuries earlier, and that from it, emerged
the darbari (court) variety of dhrupad, which sought and obtained
ready patronage from princely courts in the middle ages. Raja Man
Singh Tomar is generally credited to have reshaped
temple dhrupad into court dhrupad, even while retaining the distinctive
features of the former variety.
Dhrupad is metrical in form-in the nature of an invocation or prayer or a
theme in glorification of heroism. It is austere in form and Coherent in
structure, with no embellishments like tanas, alankars and murkis.
The name itself Indicates the style which is marked by vilambit (slow)
tempo, with an element If constancy in its pace. It is developed in four
phases; first, asthayi, restricted to the mandra (lower)
and madhya (middle) saptakas (octaves). Then follows antara, rendered

in the madhya saptaka, in which one or two svaras from

thetara (upper) saptaka can be employed. The third phase, sanchari,
covering madhya sanchari, covering madhya saptaka, begins and ends,
with the vadi svara(sonant note) of the raga, while the final section,
known as abhog, starts in the tara saptaka and covers
the madhya and mandra saptakas. Dhrupad is rendered with a
prefatory alap, unaccompanied by rhythm. The composition that follows
is accompanied by the percussion instrument pakhawaj (similar
to mridangam in Carnatic music) The tala employed is choutala, a cycle
of twelve matras (beats).
Dhamar is similar to dhrupad. But it composition has no metrical
character and is therefore less austere in its build-up. Songs narrate
stories of raas-leelas of the ever youthful Lord Krishna. The songs,
known as hori, carry a romantic element and are rendered in the tala,
known as dhamar of fourteen matras. The pace of rendition is almost
double that of dhrupad and provides scope for interplay between
melody and rhythm.
The transition of Hindustani music from dhrupad
dhamar to khayal reflects a significant change in the tastes of the
people. If dhrupad-dhamar typified the dignity, discipline and restraint
of their age, khayal, with its freedom in melodic elaboration,
ornateness to unfoldment and sensuousness in approach, embodied a
rich imagination and also the temper of its age. It is regarded as a
product of common endeavor of the Hindu. Persian and Arabic cultures.
And, since its inception almost two centuries ago, it has grown popular
with musicians and music-lovers alike. Even today, it is the main style of
classical singing in North India. So much as,
that dhrupad and dhamarhave almost gone out of vogue.
Much of the khayal's enduring popularity comes from its unlimited
potential for improvisation. Its innovation is credited to Sultan Hussaini
Shirqi, a celebrated musician-composer and poet. The song-content of
a khayal generally revolves around romantic themes based on the
agonies of separation of a beloved from her lover or the ecstasics of
their reunion. The song consists of only two parts, asthayl and antara,
and affords ample scope for a variety of melodic and rhythmic graces in
the schemeraga exploration like alap, bol-alap, upaj, boltaan, gamak, sargam, taan.
In concert presentation, a raga exposition begins with
a khayal composition in vilambit (slow) laya (tempo) and devoted to
melodic elaboration. This is followed by another khayal song, set
to drut laya (fast tempo), in which the performer displays his virtuosity
through taans and rhythmical surprises. Tarana, a compositional type
consisting of non-semantic words.

Tappa and thumri cannot be deemed strictly classical styles,

like dhrupad, dhamar and khayal. Yet, if they form part of the classical
tradition, it is because the styles are based on ragas. Tappa originated
in Punjab and evolved from songs of camel-drivers. It is said that
Shourie Miyan, a celebrated vocalist, beautified and embellished the
original songs and elevated them to the classical status. Tappa-singing
is marked by a fast tempo, with a surfeit of intricate, complex and
super-speed taans.
Thumri, Dhrupad and Alaps
The tappa has now almost gone out of fashion.
Thumri marks yet another significant phase in the evolution of
Hindustani music. It came Into vogue in eastern Uttar Pradesh during
the reign of Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of the 18th century.
Unlike dhrupad, dhamar and khayal, it Is the expressive aspect of the
song content that is vital to thumris depiction. Its rendering calls for a
'feeling' heart, a fecund mind and a delicate expression on the part of
the singer. The singer has freedom to conjure a variety of vocal
modulation in order to vivify lyrical import of a thumri.
Not surprisingly, therefore, it was once the exclusive preserve of female
singers, as it lent itself naturally to their temperamental make-up and
relatively sweeter voice. Over the years, though, there have been
several male as well as female virtuosi who have excelled in thumrisinging. There are numerous popular variations of thumri,
like chaiti, kajri and barsati, but no less vivacious and titillating in their
appeal to audiences today.
The ghazal style was known to be invented by Amir Khusro, the
versatile musician, poet and composer, who flourished in the court of
Allauddin Khiiji in the 13th century. Like the thumri, its appeal rests on
the text of the poetic theme. Ghazals are couplets in Persian or Urdu,
and love and romance, as expressed by the lover, form their lyrical
content. Because of their popularity with audiences, even noted
classical maestros like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Faiyaz Khan often
made ghazals a part of their performing fare.
Compared to vocal music, it has to be conceded that instrumental music
is not as varied in point of styles and vogues-and that, too, with all the
tremendous variety of instruments. One obvious reason is at vocal
music comes through verbal expressing. Instrumental music is, in this
sense, non-verbal, coming as it does through a medium other than the
human voice. Besides, as mentioned in the opening article in the series,
musical instruments were designed to provide accompaniment to
singing.

In time to come, however, several of these instruments were found to

lend themselves to solo performances. But the styles they developed
for solo presentation corresponded, in a broad way, to the modes of
singing. These fall into three distinct movements, known
as alap, jod and jhala, all of which are rendered without rhythmic
accompaniment. These are then followed by gat, a fixed and rhythmical
composition.
Alap, like in dhrupad, marks the beginning of a raga composition in
instrumental music. It is designed to unfold the salient features of the
chosen raga through the use of its important svaras, combination of
such svaras and the like. Alap is very slow in tempo. Jod comprises the
second phase of the raga unfolding. Though it is an extension of alap, it
sounds different because of its inherent rhythmic element and increase
in tempo. Jhala which follows Jod, representing the third part of
the ragaexposition, is marked by, a heightening tempo that culminates
in a climax. In gat, a percussion accompaniment, like pakhavaj or tabla,
comes into play. A gat can be presented in any chosen tala and to any
chosen tempo.
So much for the styles of singing and playing in Hindustani music.
Mention needs to be made now about what is known as the gharana
parampara, without which no account of north India's classical music
can be complete. The gharana system is so much part of the tradition
that while performers are known by their gharanas, connoisseuurs
broadly identify their musical lineage from their distinctive manner of
presentation, such as difference in intonation, musical idiom. and
aesthetic appeal.
Indeed, the proliferation of Hindustani music into several performing
styles has its genesis in the distinctive quality of the voice of
the gharana founder. And it is this quality that has broadly determined
the style and approach of a particular vocal style-a development
unparalleled in any other music tradition.
The Gharana System
The term gharana literally means "family tradition". In time to come, it
came to connote a school of musical education and culture, at which
instruction was initially restricted to members of a common family from
generation to generation.
It is noteworthy that the gharana system has made its most significant
contribution to the evolution and development of the khayal style. True,
the tradition of dhrupad-singing, the precursor of khayal, had its
own gharana, known as banis-which also indicated different styles of
singing. But the distinction between them, it would appear, was not so
well-defined as in khayal. The same can also be said to be the case with
the styles of playing.

Among the most prominent khayal gharanas that have evolved over the
centuries are those of Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli-Jaipur, Kirana and Patiala.
The first is the most ancient and rightly called the `mother' of all
other gharanas. The Gwalior gharana is know for open-throated singing,
simplicity of form and straight, linear transitions from svara to svara.
This vocalism is said to have been pioneered by Naththan Pir Baksh of
Gwalior.
The Agra gharana, made so famous by Faiyaz Khan, is marked by
its dhrupad oriented disciplined execution, dramatic contrasts,
rhythmic syncopations as much as its lyrical warmth and color. The
Atrauli Jaipur gharana, which enjoys tremendous popularity even today,
was pioneered by Alladiya Khan, who gave us disciples of the eminence
of Kesarbai Kerkar and Mogubai Kurdikar, among others. 'The style
reveals monumental weight and architectonics, with emphasis on slow
and steady ragaunfolding and judicious use of bol-taans which
culminate in intricate, odd-shaped taan patterns.
The Kirana gharana, which is as popular as the Atrauli-Jaipur style,
had Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan as its founding fathers.
This style is known for its utterly sweet and feeling manner of
elaboration, immaculate svara intonation and sensitive,
delicate, gamak-taans.
The Kirana gharana generally avoids dramatic contrasts and tensions.
The Patiala gharana is no less sweet, serene and soothing, but the pace
is slightly faster, with emphasis on rhythmic virtues and
lightning sargam patterns. And it was Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who
brought this gharana into the limelight.
Apart from these leading gharanas, there are quite a few other styles
which are, in most cases, either offshoots of the older gharanas or an
intelligent amalgam of them. The instances in point are the gharanas of
Rampur, Indore and Mewati. These vocalisms have also thrown up
exponents with exceptional gifts of talent and Imagination and won
popularity.
The gharana parampara is now gradually on the wane, in keeping with
the changing needs of 20th century living and thinking. Yet,the vital
part it still continues to play for the preservation and enrichment of
Hindustani music cannot be overlooked or ignored. For that was how
the genius of classical music found its expression in such a splendorous
way. Whether it was solemn temples, princely courts or aristocratic
homes, patronage of classical music game from the intellectual and
sophisticated audiences-the type of of audiences described by Milton as
``fit though, few".
Public concerts were simply not in vogue in those times, nor did the
musicians themselves find any need to look to the masses, as the latter

had their own tradition of folk music which permeated their life. The
general environment for classical music was such that its evolution in
terms of variety of styles and vogues proved worthy of the refined
tastes and sensibilities of its votaries. They were, in fact, part of the
grand process, in which the problem of understanding and appreciating
their creative art did not arise, as it does today.
How to listen to classical music or, any music for that matter, is a
question that cannot elicit an easy answer. For music is an abstract art.
It is aural, intangible and evanescent, indirect contrast to other
creative arts like dance, drama, sculpture or painting which are visual
and concrete. As such, these are capable of providing what may be
termed `models' or 'tools' that may help in the understanding and
appreciation of their individual excellence. Not so is the case with
music.
It is far more difficult to understand and appreciate classical music than
any other type of music. Listening to classical music in this country is
regarded as an art in itself; an art that calls, for a long training of the
ear and the soul. More importantly, it is as much a matter of
participation as of performance, in which a discerning and actively
responsive audience has a vital role to play in the creative process.
It is only through a strenuous cultivation of such listening that an
untaught lover of music gradually learns to recognize the qualities
which have made classical music a truly deliberate art. Initially, he
takes to it as a medium of simple entertainment. In time to come, he
listens to it as a medium of artistic enjoyment. From such a continuous
listening there emerges a sense of true appreciation of its aesthetic
values, which adds to the sum-total of his delight as by then, he
matures into a perceptive connoisseur almost unconsciously.
What are known as aesthetic values in classical music (as also in dance
and drama) are nothing but the virtues that have been recognized as
basic to rasanishpatti(evocation of mood) which lead to true
appreciation. This implies that complete rapport between the
performing artiste and the audience is vital to proper listening and
appreciation. According to Bharata, author of Natya Shastra and
originator of the rasa theory, rasa is an artistic enjoyment which should
culminate in complete relaxation. Although he has expounded his
theory in relation to drama, it can lend itself to classical music with
remarkable aptness.

Equally appropriate is his description of an ideal audience which comes

to witness a dramatic performance. Of a spectator at a drama, he says:
"He should be one, with no obvious faults, one who is attached to
drama, whose senses are not liable to distraction, who is clever in
guessing, who can share others' delight..." Complete involvement of the
audience is as vital as continuous exposure for a true understanding
and appreciation of the whole range of classical performing arts,
including music.
No longer does one find such ideal conditions on the contemporary
musical scene. Specially during the last five decades, it has undergone
radical changes which are both qualitative and quantitative the like of
which were never in evidence in the chequered history of Hindustani
music. No doubt, the changes are part of the quickening tempo of life in
general. But their interaction has not been an unmixed blessing.
On the credit side, scholastic education in Hindustani music, which has
now reached university standards, has helped in no small measure in
educating the public taste for whole, some music, so that lay music
lovers, who take the benefit of learning from music schools and
colleges, can mature into perceptive connoisseurs and good teachers, if
not leading performers in their own right. No less welcome is the
emergence of the gramophone, radio, and television to regale us with
music in the privacy of our homes.
On a wider plane, concert music is purveyed to a wide range
of rasikas at different levels. First, there are music circles which cater
to the needs of the regular members, mostly representing the middle
and higher middle classes, by holding programs of classical music at
specified intervals practically round the year. It is at such concerts that
one still finds the old-world atmosphere which helps to create and
foster an intimate relationship between the performer and the listener.
On the debit side, mention has to be made of those organizations and
individuals mushrooming on the cultural scene with their plethora
of sangeet sammelans throughout the fair season between October and
May. So pervasive is their influence on the general musical activity that
the music circles, mentioned earlier, seem to be on the verge of
banishment in no distant future.

Although it is true that classical arts were primarily meant for the
delectation of a few and not intended for mass enjoyment. the time two
now come to create `classes' of listeners from out of the `mass'.
And it is indeed something to be grateful for that among today's mass
audiences, there is a sizeable proportion of lay music-lovers which is
keen to reach the level of higher enjoyment by cultivating the quality of
intelligent listening.
Continuous listening, as emphasized earlier, is the sine qua
non appreciation of classical music. Training in the basics of classical
music will go a long way towards developing the innate sensibilities of
uninitiated listeners.
The performing musicians also have an equally crucial role to play in
this task. If only they acquaint their listeners with the basics of
classical music whenever they perform, they will find that the
rewarding. In the first place, the performing artistes should announce
the name of their ragas, their svara structure and other distinguishing
features like avaroha-avaroha, vadi-samvadi etc. If it is a vocal recital,
the singer should recite the complete text of the musical composition
and explain to the audience its meaning. And when he begins to
perform and proceed with his raga elaboration, he will see that his
listeners lend their ears to his presentation with a new-found interest
and delight which, in time to come, will make them knowledgeable and
capable of true conception of things beautiful. The official mass media
organizations can do much more towards educating their listeners on
sound lines. The announcements that presently precede and succeed
classical broadcasts are rather incomplete and indifferent. They should
be more informative. Introduction of a regular feature, giving lessons in
classical music, will also be a step in the right direction. It is admirable
that Hindustani music finds place in the Vividh Bharati network. But the
programs featured deserve better representation in terms of time as
well as variety. And finally, there is a fairly large body of literature on
the art, science and aesthetics of Hindustani music in English and
various Indian languages. There are also definitive works dealing with
its history and evolution. Knowledge and information acquired from
musical literature will always be an added asset to a true rasika.

Music and Enrichment of Life

by Mohan Nadkarni
October 1, 1978
In this broadcast from All India Radio, Bombay, on the occasion of
International Music Day on October 1, 1978, Mohan Nadkarni, a noted

musicologist and critic, says that the real problem facing our music
today is to preserve its traditional values ans yet create new forms of
expression which would emerge as an organic growth from the past and
still be nearer to the idiom of contemporary life.
Music is one of the earliest forms of non-verbal communication. Its
power on the human mind has always been acknowledged to be very
great. It is music which nurses the soul even as the first traces of life
begin to stir.
Music has its genesis in prehistoric times; and it has evolved through
countless processes. It has taken different forms in different, climes,
and at different times. But the basic impulse that has inspired man to
sing is the same everywhere: an instinctive effort to express the
emotional urges of the soul. Even the primitive man sang and danced
when he felt something that he needed to express. Singing and dancing
were thus spontaneous outbursts of his emotions and feelings.
Product of Ages
Probably in no country is music so delicately interwoven with the fabric
of life as in India. Her devotion to her music. and her efforts to develop
and enrich it, go back to times immemorial. The music of India is a
product of the ages and a revelation of centuries of culture and
civilization.
The history of its evolution, from the sacred hymns of the Veda to the
modern romantic thumri, is one of assimilation, adaptation and
creation, with its roots in the past. The fine variety of its ragas, the
subtle complexity of its talas, the rich overtones of its myriad
instruments are not just marvels in Musical experimentation. They are a
tribute to the Musical intuition and creative talent of its makers. And it
is the evolutionary character that has enabled our music to survive
through the ravages of time and history as an unbroken tradition.
The original musical scale in India consisted of twenty-two microtones,
known as shrutis. The musical observers of antiquity, with their
extensive observation and uncanny sense of hearing, ascertained the
different gradations of musical sound from the call of birds and cry of
animals, and grouped them under twelve notes. This scale of twelve
notes, recognized by our music and known as swaras, also, incidentally,
forms the international basis of the music of the East and the West.
At this stage, it will not be wide of the, mark to refer to the
observations of Swami Prajnananda, the eminent musical historian and
musicologist, in his monumental work `Music of the Nations'. He
convincingly puts forward the view that the music of different nations
has been enriched by the importation of foreign elements; that the
principles of rhythm and tempo act as the controlling and balancing

factor; that religion, magic and music went hand in hand in primitive
societies; and that hymns of early civilized nation, are almost identical,
revealing a surprising affinity of tune, melody and rhythm.
In course of time, however, while the West evolved its system on
harmonic lines, music in India has evolved as an essentially melodic or
homo-tonic tradition.
Revival
With all its record of achievement over so many centuries, the extent of
neglect our music suffered under the alien rule was quite appalling,
while popular patronage, too, languished away because of the economic
and social backwardness of society.
The process of revival started in the early years of this century with the
missionary movement pioneered by visionaries like Vishnu Digambar
Paluskar and Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Their endeavor to popularize
traditional music through the medium of mass education received fresh
impetus in the set-up of things following the attainment of political
freedom. It has helped, in no small measure, to educate the public taste
for good music and bring forth appreciative connoisseurs. It has also
encouraged many an educated youngster to take to music as a serious
life-work rather than a mereside activity.
Side by side with the disappearance of the princely order and the last
vestiges of private patronage, the professional musician came out of
his self-imposed isolation to seek his living through public patronage.
The institution of the President's Award to our eminent musicians, in
token of Government's appreciation of their life-long devotion to the
cause of their Muse, represents a welcome break from the unenviable
past when many a notable artiste died unwept, unhonored and unsung.
Creation of Academies
The creation of music and dance academies also symbolizes the
importance of development and encouragement of music in the
renascent India. The semblance of general renaissance in the country is
also reflected in the artistic activity sponsored by organizations and
institutions through regular sangeet sabhas and sangeet sammelans.
India's entry into UNESCO, soon after independence, opened new
avenues for the expression and contribution of Indian music to the
world at large. Over the years, Western interest in Indian music has
also steadily grown from discerning appreciation to cautious
participation, thanks to our cultural ambassadors whose concert tours
abroad have made this largely possible.
impact of Western Music

Conversely, the impact of Western music on us is no less discernible.

The contribution of maestros like Mehli Mehta and his son, Zubin
Mehta, to the enrichment of Western music is such as would make
every one of us proud. Besides, we have a number of talented
performers in Western music with a large following in India.
The impact of Western music in our country is particularly evident ill
our commercial films and time alone will tell whether it is desirable or
not. But it is equally true that our film industry has afforded much
scope for gainful employment to a large number of musicians, music
arrangers and music directors trained in Western music.
We live, so to speak, in an era of internationalism. In the welter of
confusion caused by conflicting art-theories and art-forms. We also hear
a few voices clamoring for expanding Indian music by making it
international. And the potent way to internationalize it, we are told, is
through orchestration and choral singing to make it acceptable to
Western cars.
The fundamental point sought to be conveniently overlooked here is
that internationalism implies free intercourse of art between different
countries which, incidentally, is already there. Introduction of harmony,
as understood in the West. will, divest our music of its most unique
feature.
No doubt, Indian music has an unlimited potential for development
along orchestra and choral lines. But melody must always remain a
dominant factor in these media of expression. They should by all means
be allowed to grow along with our traditional vogues and not displace
them. Fundamentally, I believe that the Western system is not suitable
for Indian orchestration as it cannot register shruti relationship with
the tonic.
Real Problem
The real problem facing our music today is to preserve its traditional
values and yet create new forms of expression which would emerge as
an organic growth from the past and still be nearer to the idiom of
contemporary life. The problem, by and large, involves the stupendous
task of making Indian music strong and dynamic to meet the exigencies
of modern times.
What is needed today is a free and unbiased understanding of the art of
music in the context of Indian life and thought. A happy synthesis of
the music of the past with the music of the present will be possible only
with a appreciation of its past achievements and an equally
dispassionate assessment of its future possibilities.
Meanwhile, on this International Music Day, let us not forget the fact
that heritage of world music is marvelously varied, that its different

aspects can speak to us at different times in our lives if only we open

our hearts and minds to listen. Music, to Shelley, was ``A tone of some
world far from ours, where music and moonlight and feeling are one".
To him it was music again which ``when soft voices die, vibrated in the
memory" Congreve was even more rhetorical when he said: ``Music
hath charms to soothe a savage breast to soften rocks or bend a
knotted oak". Dryden, on the other hand, declaimed: ``What passion
cannot music raise and quell?"
Indeed, in this age of speed and hurry, and din and fury, it is music and
music alone that can make people mellower and gentler, enrich them
emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, and thus add to the sum-total
of their pleasure in living.