The Music of India – Classical, Folk, and Popular Music

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

The Music of India – Classical, Folk, and Popular Music

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The Music of India – Classical, Folk, and Popular Music

The report pays considerable attention to the various forms of music in India, by focusing on classical, folk, and popular music in the region. The study commences with a brief overview of how music developed in India, and elaborates how the Carnastic and Hindustani music created the foundation of Indian music. The classical forms emerged during the ancient times and the Carnastic and Hindustani music forms remained to be the two major forms. The folk songs in India are transmitted from one generation to the other using word of mouth, and the developers do not have to undergo any formal training. The major categories of folk songs include devotional, social, community, and magico-religious songs, while the folk dances include the social and agricultural folk dances. The third category of music of India is popular or pop music, which mostly feature in modern films. The artists record the song in a studio, and use technological innovations to market and distribute it. The developers of pop music feel that technology growth presents both benefits and demerits that could influence their production. Knowing the various types of music in India helps to understand how they differ in terms of time of production, characterization, and purpose.

Research Question

• How did the Indian music develop?
• What is the nature of the India classical music?
• What are the core components of the Indian folk music?
• What are the key features of the Indian pop music?

Methodology

The study employs a qualitative analysis that takes the form of a literature review. The approach is more suitable in this case because it allows for the evaluation of various works that that elaborate about the Indian classical, folk, and pop music. Furthermore, the approach is more suitable because it allows for the examination of the works of various scholars, thereby increasing the likelihood of acquiring much information about the issue under investigation. The qualitative approach is also effective because it permits for the identification of critical questions about the topic under investigation.

Brief History of Indian Music

The emergence of music in India is attributed to the Vedic times (1500-800 BCE) when the idea of naadbrahma was common. Organized music could be found in the Sam Veda, but music took the form of samgana towards the end of the Vedic period, which took the form of chanting verses in a musical manner (Allen et al., 2014). Jatigan later became rampant when music changed its nature a little bit, and prabandh sangeet put down on Sanskirt became widely acceptable between the 2^nd to the 7^th century AD (Allen et al., 2014). The Indian music experienced significant transformations during the medieval period because of much influence from the Muslims. The Indian music started to separate into two types, including Carnatic and Hindustani. The arrival of the British in India influenced music composition in the country. Most of the wealthy people lost their wealth to the Whites, and did not have much to give composers and performers (Allen et al., 2014). Many artists switched to other professions following the decline in support, although a few musicians managed to survive and progressed. Nonetheless, the music industry started to experience a drop and slowly faded (Allen et al., 2014). The emergence of electronic devices such as radio and television that were introduced by the Western powers facilitated the emergence of newer forms of music, and as cinematic presentations became more rampant did popular or pop music start to appeal to many people.

Classical Music

India is acknowledged globally for its rich and vast musical heritage, and there are numerous genres and forms as well. Among the highly appreciated is classical music. The Indian classical music represents a long formulated style or principle and exemplary standard created over a long period of time (Vedabala, 2017). The Indian classical music is pegged to the foundation of the old age practices and beliefs of Guru-sisya, which refer to teacher-disciple connection where knowledge is passed orally from one generation to the other (Vedabala, 2017). Nivedita Singh asserts that the classical music of India revolves on guru who plays critical roles in covering nearly all areas of learning, ranging from learning musical aspects to being a composer and singer. The responsibility and influence of a Guru on the life of his followers, was not only focused on the teaching and learning of musical aspects rather guru determines the disciples’ personalities and characteristics in every aspect (Vedabala, 2017). Until today the followers and lovers of Indian classical music follow the tradition, and it still prevails. 

The two primary forms of the Indian classical music are the Carnastic music, which is dominant in the peninsula area, and the Hindustani music, which is found predominantly in the northern and central areas. The composers of classical music pay considerable attention to vital aspects such as ornaments during performance, composition of appealing melodies, the production of particular rhythmic styles, and the development of notes that are part of the musical design (Pudaruth, 2016). The forms associated with the Hindustani music originate from the Vedic period when the compositions in a classical religious text (Sama Veda) were relayed using musical styles and not chanted (Pudaruth, 2016).  Hindustani broke away from Carnatic music approximately between the 13^th and 14^th centuries, mainly due to the influence from the Islamic compositions. Hindustani music has established a strong tradition over many years, but still has contemporary features majorly in India, and slightly in Bangladesh and Pakistan (Pudaruth, 2016). The Mughals from Persia enriched the performances and composition of Hindustani artists, as well as the original Indian sounds and the Vedic philosophic teachings and concepts. Some of the major Hindustani classical genres are sadra, dhrupad, and khyal among other sub-classical styles.

The Carnatic form of Hindu classical music started to surface around the 14^th and 15 centuries, and emanated from the southern part of India during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire. It is melodious like Hindustani music, although a number of modified versions still exist. Carnatic music places more stress on the vocals as the nature of the music entirely depend on how the singers alter and improvise their voices (Vedabala, 2017). Several artists such as Annamayya who developed the initial forms of Carnatic music, Ariyakudi Iyengar who receives credit for holding enchanting concerts, and Ramani are credited to be among the leading Carnatic music composers. Throughout India the city of Chennai has more listeners of Carnatic music and the residents spend the whole of December and January celebrating with such musical compositions (Vedabala, 2017). Other sub-classical genres in Indian music that mainly seek to draw empathy from the audience include Qawwali and Ghazal. Classical music in India continues to attract many people, and it is not uncommon to hear of functions where people go to listen to such compositions and performances.

The Indians highly place their classical compositions because of the perceived health benefits they are likely to have on listeners and the audience. The Indians believe that music has a soothing effect on the listeners’ mind and serves vital psychiatric roles in dealing with ailments. The Indians in classical times and the medieval period used music to regulate a person’s mood and to improve cognitive capabilities (Ujlambkar et al., 2014). The Indians with their classical compositions believed that music helps to promote the general quality of life and wellbeing, and that the raga madhyamavati could restore calmness in a person’s mind. The Indians as early as the medieval period knew that music fused with movements as in gym sessions or aerobics boosts physical capabilities (Sanivarapu, 2015). It is also believed that many parents during the ancient times listened to classical music to improve their parenting styles, and to stay away from depression and other heart-related issues (Sanivarapu, 2015). The health benefits associated with music during the classical era did not only push artists to come up with compositions, but also encouraged more people to listen to the productions and watch the performances.

Indian Folk Music

The idea of folk music has been developed and defined in many forms by scholars, practitioners, and collectors, within varying geographical locations and in dissimilar historical periods. Folk music has been utilized for the construction of identities in accordance with nation, ethnicity, and class, and still generates debates in various part of the world (Pegg, n.a). Folk music emanates in traditional culture or is composed in such a manner. Even though some folk music has their composers, their authorship is usually unknown and is passed orally from one generation to the other. Mostly, people sing folk music, and is not recorded in a studio or showcased on a large stage. Members of a particular culture would learn folksongs by hearing and signing with others. Usually, folk music could change as they pass from one generation to the other.

The Indian folk music is wide because of the country’s extensive cultural diversity. There is not a single village in India which does not develop its music according to Manfred Junius who follows the Indian folk music for several decades now (Smithsonian Institution, 2019). The society seems to have a song for almost everything, and it happens like having a background musical theme for the happenings in life. Hajra (2015) asserts that it is possible to find the true rhythm of India through its folk music, which he considers to be the music of the society. Hajra (2015) argues that the learning of the Indian folk music is acquired by through osmosis and not through formal education and training as the economic aspects in rural settings do not permit such privileges. The singers use commonly available material to create the instruments for playing folk music, such as coconut shells, bamboo, silk, and coconut shells among others (Hajra, 2015). The diverse nature of the Indian folk music attracts tourists from all over the globe. The Rajasthan International Folk Festival that is celebrated at the city of Jodhpur annually, for example, witnesses a marvelous blend of Indian folk and international music, which attracts many people from India and other countries.

The folk music in India falls into four primary categories. The first type is spiritual or devotional songs that mostly play religious purposes. Some of the common devotional folk songs in India are the Baul Sangeet meaning the music of the moving lyricists, Vaishnavite Kirtans, and Shyama Sangeet which is bestowed to Goddess Kaali (Hajra, 2015). The second category comprises of the social folk songs, which describes the daily social issues. The Rajasthan women, for example, sing Panihari songs to describe their daily activities, and to elaborate how they deal with lack of water. The Andhra Pradesh people sing folk songs to educate female children about sex when approaching menstruation, while the Kumaoni sing Chapeli songs during wedding sessions. Other examples of folk songs in India include the Ropnigeet and Katnigeet by the people in Bihar, which is sung during harvesting seasons, and the Alhaini by Himachal Pradesh which is sung during funerals and period of mourning (Hajra, 2015). Another good example by the people from Uttar Pradesh is Bair, which takes the form of a debate, almost similar to the Kavigaan musical forms from West Bengal.  The third form comprises of the community folk songs, which could address communal issues such as harmony and peace with Bengal’s Bhatiyali music being a good example. The folk song originally sung by fisherman encourages people to work hard and never to give up. The fourth type is magico-religious folk songs, such as the Artya by the Maharashtra to ease the wrath of deities and to seek for protection from ailments such as small pox and plague among other diseases.

Closely related to the folk songs are the folk dances that are a vast body of unconnected non-classical dance styles, featured by their vigor and directness. Tourists get the chance to attend cultural shows such as the Chhau Dance workshop that was organized by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation to commemorate the 2014 World Tourism Day (Hajra, 2015). Folk dances are common in many places, including at home, hotels, and in other areas. Most of the people attending the desert safaris, usually conducted in Rajasthan are attracted to the fire and Kabella dances that are accompanied by musical compositions from the Manganiyar artists. Social folk dances are rampant such as the Jagrana from Kashmir, usually performed during wedding practices and rituals and the Chhathi dance by the Haryana people, typically performed on the sixth or seventh day of birth of male child (Hajra, 2015). Another form is agricultural folk dances that are performed during planting and harvesting seasons, as well as other agriculture-related practices. Some examples include the Baisakhi by the Punjab people during harvesting of wheat, the Rouf dance by the Jammu performed during harvesting, and Nabanna sung after successful harvest.

The widespread production and spread of folk music in India prompt the development of other features related to the music and culture. Many socio-cultural groups today are playing a vital part in renewing, propagation, and understanding of the folk theater in India by organizing seminars, workshops, festivals, and fairs thereby encouraging tourism prospects and developing cultural heritage of India on the international arena (Hajra, 2015). The folk deities of India are also part of the Indian tradition, and they refer to the spiritual forces (gods and goddesses) that are not part of the higher deities (Hajra, 2015). Other forms touching on the Indian tradition include the folk games and folk medicine. The emergence of other forms relating to folk music shows how much the form of music has influence on the Indian culture and society.

The Indian Pop Song

The largest form of pop music in India is filmi, or the songs created with the purpose of featuring in a film. Such compositions make up about 73% of the music sales in the country. The Indian film sector encouraged music by according admiration to classical composition while using Western styles to encourage Indian melodies (Servan-Schreiber, 2011). Renowned artists such as Ghantasala, Rahman, and Malik fuse the classical styles with folk music to create pop songs that mostly play as movie soundtracks. It is critical to mention the effects of newcomers in India with regard to producing popular music. The combination of rock and roll with the Indian music in the early 1980s transformed the production of music, and although the emergence of new and foreign forms caused the local music market to drop, die-hard supporters and immigrants continued with the combination. The music that developed thereafter (pop) came out differently and with new forms.

The innovations in electronic media and the increased digitization is a boost to popular music in India. The level of technology use in music production continues to improve every day, and today the audience and artists can choose to get or relay music through iTunes, mobile applications, radio, gramophone, YouTube, CDs, and robotic applications among others (Oh & Lee, 2013). The changing of information from analogue to digital forms, and the emergence of the internet has made the production of Indian pop music quite easy, and has made the production and distribution of recorded music easier and cost friendlier. The internet offers many pop artists the opportunity to market their music using more appealing ways compared with the traditional forms (Oh & Lee, 2013). Furthermore, pop artists are transforming their style of production because the ability to download individual songs diminishes the customers’ urge to buy albums (Kaka et al., 2019). Even though technology growth seems to be a boost to many pop artists in India, it also presents some challenges that require adequate attention. Downloading music from the various avenues, for instance, has resulted in significant drop in the sales of music, which affects many people who rely on the sector for their livelihood (Kaka et al., 2019). Furthermore, the issue of cybercrime put many artists at risk of losing valuable data, especially those who store their data using cloud computing approaches. The developers of the Indian popular music, therefore, need to watch out how they could benefit or lose from technology to avoid interfering with their practices.

Conclusion

The analysis explores the classical, folk, and popular music in India, and elaborates how each of these categories presents other sub-genres that either show some similarity or have some variations. The Carnastic music and the Hindustani are the two major classical forms that seem to focus on varying aspects. The Indian classical music pay attention to the ornaments performers put on, the nature of performance, the types of melodies, the rhythmic patterns, and the formation of desirable notes.  The Indian folk songs fall into different categories, including the devotional or spiritual folk songs, the social folk songs, community folk songs, and magico-religious folk songs. The folk songs prompt the development of various dances with social and agricultural folk dances being more rampant. The development of technology and the fusion with other cultures promoted the growth of popular music, which mostly appears in films. The artists in this area try to use technology to produce songs that would appeal to buyers, as well as rely on digitization to market and distribute the compositions. Even though many Indian pop artists feel that technology growth presents opportunities that would improve their activities, some are worried that the developments could cause a drop in sales, and could increase cyber security concerns.

References

Allen, R., et al. (2014). Music: Its language, history, and culture: A reader for music 1300. New York, NY: Brooklyn College.

Hajra, V. (2015). Role of Indian folk culture in promotion of tourism in the country. Indian Journal of Research, 4(2), 231-235.

Kaka, N., et al. (2019). Digital India: Technology to transform a connected nation. New York, NY:  McKinsey & Company.

Oh, I., & Lee, H. (2013). Mass media technologies and popular music genres: k-pop and YouTube. Korea Journal, 53(4), 34-58.

Pegg, C. (n.a). Folk music. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cbc5/5d59381aad55b0b51b617e5e8a9936aad2a7.pdf

Pudaruth, S. (2016). A reflection on the aesthetics of Indian music, with special reference to Hindustani and Raga-Sangita. SAGE Open,   https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2158244016674512

Sanivarapu, S. (2015). India’s rich musical heritage has a lot to offer to modern psychiatry. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(2), 210-213. 

Servan-Schreiber, G. (2011). Indian folk music and ‘tropical body language’: The case of Mauritian Chutney. South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, DOI : 10.4000/samaj.3111

 Smithsonian Institution. (2019). India: North Indian folk music. Retrieved from https://folkways.si.edu/india-north-indian-folk-music/world/music/album/smithsonian

Ujlambkar, A., et al. (2014). Mood based music categorization system for Bollywood music. International Journal of Advanced Computer Research, 4(1), 223-230.

Vedabala,S. (2017). Indian classical music: Traits and trends. International Journal on Arts, Management and Humanities, 6(2), 167-174.