The music of India is as diverse as its many cultures. India has over a billion people and hundreds of dialects and languages spread across the seventh largest country in the world, but there is still an undeniable “sound” that makes Indian music unmistakable. This 3-part audio series, hosted by PB…
ARTSEDGE: The Kennedy Center's Arts Education Network
Indian music typically contains no harmony, can be completely improvised, and is rarely written down. So how do Indian musicians manage to play together? In this segment, we’ll learn about rhythmic patterns called taal, music unique to certain communities and even times of the year, and if deep-rooted musical traditions can continue as India undergoes fast-paced growth and modernization.
The geographic, language, and cultural diversity of India contributes to a broad range of musical styles within Indian music. Certain folk styles and traditions of music important to one region may be virtually unknown in others. In this segment, we’ll learn about many common elements of Indian music—ragas, drones, improvisation, and the celebrity of being a Bollywood playback singer.
Do you know which drum can speak? Or what instrument is made from a pumpkin? In this segment, we’ll learn about the many instruments that define the sounds of Indian music, and how they are played: the tabla, sitar, tanpura, sarangi, mizhavu, naal, dhol, pung… and the double-flute sitara, whose players can perform without stopping to breathe!
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