Author Archives: ragatip

Gujarat, India’s Westernmost state, is home to a cornucopia of musical culture. Several Hindustani classical stars, including 20th-century legends Pandit Omkarnath Thakur and Ustad Faiyaz Khan, hail from the region, which is also home to an influential branch of the Dhrupad-infused Haveli Sangeet tradition. Many of Gujarat classical and semi-classical artists have found fresh inspiration in area’s rich,Continue reading “Gujarati folk dances for Navratri: Garba and Dandiya”

India’s Northwestern region of Rajasthan, diverse in climate, culture, and geography, has long been famed for its varied musicality. The Jaipur-Atrauli and Mewati gharanas of Hindustani khayal singing originated there, and the area is home to innumerable shades of folk too. Here we take a quick glance at two famous Rajasthani folk lineages – the Langas andContinue reading “Rajasthani folk traditions: the Langas and the Manganiyars”

Bangla Kirtan is a Hindu devotional style from Bengal, based around glorifying Lord Vishnu, the preserver deity (‘kirtan‘ means ‘to glorify’). Inspired by the work of Jayadeva, a 12th-century poet-saint, musicians from the Vaishnava sect began to compose spiritual songs, addressing themes such as divine sacrifice and love, as well as the fables of Krishna,Continue reading “Bangla Kirtan: the veneration of Lord Vishnu goes global”

Peoples of Indian descent have been present in East Africa for a very long time. Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama encountered Indian merchants on the African coast in the late 15th century, and even managed to hire a Gujarati-speaking sailor in Malindi – part of modern-day Kenya – to help him continue his journey onwardsContinue reading “Indian communities in Kenya: brief histories and sonic samples”

All music seeks in some way to summon feelings of forward motion and momentum. But the tappa genre, derived from the folk songs of Punjabi camel riders, does this in a more literally than most – vocalists ‘jolt’ and ‘bounce’ their way through its twisting melodies, as if still sitting on the animals themselves. Here,Continue reading “Tappa music: romantic outbursts of the Punjabi camel riders”

India’s traditional instruments are famed for their vivid, captivating textures. Unsurprisingly, open-minded beatmakers from around the world have long been turning to the Subcontinent in their search for new sounds.  Despite being a pretty regular occurrence nowadays (laptop production has created a wide world of sonic overlaps…), stumbling across instances of this always feels somehowContinue reading “Subcontinental sampling: Indian sounds in hip-hop, disco, and beyond”

Maharashtra has long been known for innovative, pioneering musicians. One of the Subcontinent’s largest and most populous states, it features wide, rolling desert plains and vast cities, including Gwalior, a musical hub, Pune, a centre of education, and Mumbai, home to Bollywood. Notably, the region has produced some of Indian classical’s most esteemed modern vocalists, spanningContinue reading “Marathi folk traditions: Abhang, Natya Sangeet, Lavani, Gondhala, and more”

Bharatanatyam has a very long history. Thought to be India’s oldest surviving form of classical dance, it originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu, taking aesthetic root from Sanskrit philosophies including as the 2,000-year-old Natya Shastra. Bharatanatyam is deeply entwined with Hindu myth – dances are often spiritually focused, exploring the lives of Hindu gods includingContinue reading “Bharatanatyam: the graceful, empathetic dance tradition of South India”

The tabla is unquestionably one the world’s most versatile percussion instruments. Like the classical dance traditions it has been associated with for centuries, it blends abstract mathematical tension with the immediate, childlike joys of quick movements, conjuring an amazing array of visceral sound textures in this mission.  Juxtapositions like these have a long history inContinue reading “Versatile vibrations: how the tabla can mimic anything”

All music is an inherent reflection of its circumstances, shaped through the routines, beliefs, and lives of those who create it. Indian classical is no different – while undoubtedly a contemplative, meditative art form, it never exists in isolation, and cannot help but respond to its changing contexts. Classical artists often speak of inspiring compassionContinue reading “Indian classical ‘protest music’: snapshots from the North and South”