chapter6musicofindia-Chapter6..ppt

Chapter 6 Indian Music: South India ( some North?) Brief History 2500-1700 BCE—Indus Valley cities 3rd century BCE—countless kingdoms and emperors such as the Buddhist Asoka c. 1400-1800 CE—Moguls c. 1600-1947 CE—three centuries of British colonialism Hinduism “the dominant religion of India.” Caste: “one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes.” Islam Moslems “belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet.” About 10% Palimpsest “a manuscript parchment written on again and again in which everything written before is never fully erased. Everything written before is somehow still there, visible and readable . . .” Similarly in Indian culture old traditions persist and “coexist with the new and innovative . . .” (compare with China and Japan) History, Culture, Politics one billion people—a fifth of the world’s population an area one-third the size of the United States Fifteen major languages More than Five Thousand years of history Regions Hindustani -- North Moslem concentration Hindus Valley Carnatic -- South Hindu concentration Carnatic Plains The Taj Mahal English Influence railways democratic systems of government bureaucracy universities European musical instruments European musical instruments “While Indians adapted European musical instruments to their musical styles, they did not adopt European musical styles.” violin clarinet piano saxophone Guitar Mandolin Traditional literature two Sanskrit epics between 400 B.C.E. and 400 C.E.” Ramayana Mahabharata In Carnatic music many song texts refer to events in these epics. Important religious works The four Vedas Upanishads Puranas Music of India Pop music Devotional song Classical music Cine Music Indian popular music A blend of East and West Sometimes reminiscent of early rock and roll “Anything goes” “Engal Kalyanam (CD II:20) Hindustani and Carnatic Music Similarities ragas