Vocal Music of India (South Asia) : TH TH

Vocal Music of India (South Asia)
India’s classical music tradition includes Carnatic and Hindustani music which have
developed over many centuries. One aspect of vocal music uses melismatic singing with
nasal vocal quality, as compared to the Philippine music which uses melismatic singing only
in chanting epics and the pasyon.
The Samagana style of singing developed into a strong and diverse tradition over
several centuries becoming an established part of contemporary traditions in India. Sama
Veda is the third of the four Vedas of Hinduism but ranks next to Rig Veda (Rigveda) in
terms of its sanctity and liturgical importance.
Rig Veda is also sung in the Samagana traditional singing style. Because of its
liturgical importance, Rigveda is counted as the first among four canonical sacred texts of
Hinduism known as Vedas. Rig Veda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit
hymns.
 Characteristics of Traditional Music from India:
1. Carnatic music
 Refers to music from South India
 Directed to a Hindu god, which is why it is called “temple music”
 Unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music is unified where schools are based on
the same ragas, same solo instruments (veena, flute, violin), and the same rhythm
instrument (mridangam and ghatam)
 Music pieces are mainly set for the voice and with lyrics
 Compositions called krti are devotional songs
2. Hindustani music
 Goes back to Vedic period times around 1000 BC
 Further developed in the 13th and 14th centuries AD with Persian influences and
from existing religious and folk music
 Predominantly found in the northern and central regions
 Influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic religion/Vedic
philosophy, native Indian sounds, and enriched by the Persian performance
practices of the Mughal era
 Nasal singing is observed in their vocal music
 In North India, the most common style of singing is called khyal, a word which
means imagination
If you have a smartphone, check out the link below to listen to a piece of Carnatic and
Hindustani music in India:
 Track 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5a3pthL_tU (Carnatic Music)
 Track 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oogeF7ycCaU (Hindustani Music)
Vocal Music of Pakistan (Central Asia)
Central Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles

originating from a large number of sources. Though Pakistan is part of South Asia,
its western part is considered as extended Central Asia.
Pakistan is known for its unique vocals. The distinctive Pakistani sound was
formed with multiple influences not only from various parts of South Asia but also
includes diverse elements from Central Asia, Persia, Turkey, and the Arab world.
 Pakistan is known for its two vocal styles in singing:
1. Ghazal
 are traditional expressions of love, separation, and loneliness; it tells about
both the pain of loss of the lover and the beauty of love in spite of that
pain
 its structural requirements are more strict than those of most poetic forms
traditionally written in English
 is considered by many to be one of the principal poetic forms in the
Persian civilization
 can be sung by both men and women
2. Qawwali
 the devotional music of the Chishti Order
 a vibrant musical tradition that stretches back more than 700 years
 originally performed mainly at Sufi shrines throughout the subcontinent
and gained mainstream popularity
If you have a smartphone, check out the link below to listen to a Ghazal and Qawwali
music in Pakistan:
 Track 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4tWnfTK3s (Ghazal)
 Track 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpB9mIfxjR8 (Qawwali)
Vocal Music of Israel & West Arabia (West Asia)

In general, the music of West Asia is modal. Harmony is not emphasized but
rather includes salient features such as melodic complexity and ornamentation,
including ¼ tones and rigorous rhythmic development. West Asian music is
commonly used during:
 Communal worship (in Mosque, Synagogue, and Church)
 Mystic rituals (Sufis, Hassidic)
 Life passage events (Weddings, Bar Mitzvas, Bat Mitzvas, Anniversaries)
 Entertainment (Belly Dancing, Folk Dancing)
 Israeli Music
Israeli singers have a distinctive vocal style. They sing with guttural and throaty
enunciation.
Two Divisions of Jewish Music:

1. Devotional
 almost entirely vocal
 featured during Sabbath and other holy days
 the art of Hazan (leader of prayer in synagogue) has always been evident
in the culture
 shofar is a special call to prayer and repentance; it is sounded on the High
Holidays (the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement)
2. Secular
 instruments and voice are used
 played during life passage events
 context lies outside the religious domain
 very rhythmic and have popular and romantic texts
 Arabic Music
Arabic Maqam is distinctively unique to Arabian music because of its technique of
improvisation. It is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arab music.
Arabian rhythmic pattern or cycle is analyzed by means of rhythmic units.

1. Wazn
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_in_Arabic_music
 literally means “measure”

 performed on the goblet drum, frame drum, and kettle drum
 only used in musical genres with a fixed rhythmic-temporal organization
including recurring measures, motifs, and pulse
2. Iqa
 the rhythmic pattern in Arabian music

 reputed to be over 100 iqa, but many of them have fallen out of fashion
and are rarely used in performance
 the greatest varieties of iqa (or iqa’at as pronounced) range from two to 48
beats
 are used in the muwashahat (an Andalusian musical form) where every
syllable of the lyric must fall on a beat
If you have a smartphone, check out the link below to listen to the Devotional and Secular music
of Israel:
 Track 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1KeMqMZOPc (Devotional)
 Track 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhmA-HT-Mjs (Secular)
Source: DEPED Music and Art’s Learners Material
ZUM GALI GALI (Israeli Lyrics) ZUM GALI GALI (English Translation)
Zum gali gali gali, zum gali Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali
gali Zum gali gali gali, zum Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali
gali gali Hechalutz le’ maan Pioneers work hard on the land
avodah Men and women work hand in
Avodah le’ maan hechalutz hand As we labor all day long
Hechalutz le’ maan avodah We lift our voices in song
Avodah le’ maan hechalutz Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali
Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali
Zum gali gali gali, zum gali gali
If you have a smartphone, check out the link below to listen to an Israeli Folk Song
titled “Zum Gali Gali”:
 Track 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lT-VvYiQ8 (Zum Gali Gali)

Vocal Music of India (South Asia) : TH TH

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Vocal Music of India (South Asia) : TH TH

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Vocal Music of India (South Asia)

Central Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles

 Pakistan is known for its two vocal styles in singing:

Vocal Music of Israel & West Arabia (West Asia)

Two Divisions of Jewish Music:

Arabian rhythmic pattern or cycle is analyzed by means of rhythmic units.

 literally means “measure”

 the rhythmic pattern in Arabian music

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