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Sattva- Gundecha Brothers . |
Ramakant Gundecha - Vocals
Umakant Gundecha - Vocals
Akhilesh Gundecha - Pakhawaj
Shrikant Mishra - Pakhawaj
Raga Behag
1 Alap (17.13)
2 Jor (10.40)
3 Jhalla 1 (10.59)
4 Jhalla 2 (9.31)
5 Dhamar (17.16)
Raga Adana
6 Shiva (Dhrupad) (14.12)
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SATTVA
Dhrupad is the oldest and most profound style of singing stillsurviving in Northern India. It is thought to have evolved during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries when Northern India endured a series of invasions by muslim rulers from Asia Minor on a crusade to spread the Islamic religion throughout the region. Following these invasions and the subsequent cultural amalgamation, Indian music developed two distinctive systems: Hindustani Music of the North, and Carnatic Music of the South.
The incoming Mughal emperors were very much attracted to the artistic and philosophical aspects of Hindu culture. The art of music in the North was brought from the Hindu temples into a Muslim courtly setting, with the result that the emphasis shifted slightly from a devotional context to a more virtuoso performance style. This interaction reached a creative peak in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1556-1605), under whose patronage music practiced by both Hindu and Muslim artists flourished.
Dhrupad was the dominant form of vocal music in North India until the eighteenth century, when it began to be overtaken by the lighter, more florid vocal style known as khayal. At the current time, vocalists performing in the khayal style vastly outnumber those singing in the dhrupad tradition. The revival in the popularity of dhrupad has been due to the endeavours of the Dagar family. That revival is continuing and gaining momentum through some of their most learned students who are enjoying renewed interest in an art form that was at one stage thought to be an endangered species of Indian cultural life.
The brothers Ramakant (left pic) and Umakant Gundecha are widely recognised as the leading
exponents of the new generation of dhrupad singers. Their performances are now a regular highlight of
music festivals in India and abroad. Their music successfully combines the distinctive characteristics
of the Dagar families' renditions of dhrupad with their own innovative experiments which have helped
to popularise dhrupad without compromising the profound spiritual essence of the genre.
This is evident in their gentle interweaving of harmonic elements into the introductory alap, a refreshing feature of their jugalbandi, or duet performance. As a duo they also display a keen sensitivity in grasping and relating to each other's improvisations. Their commitment to the preservation of this artform has led them to create the first Dhrupad Institute in Bhopal, which is dedicated to imparting extensive training to aspiring students.
In this performance recorded on the 6th January 2004, producer Derek Roberts has worked with the Gundecha Brothers at Virtual Studios for the first time. The facilities at Virtual, which is owned by Sense, have allowed Derek Roberts to work in a new way with dhrupad. This beautiful recording captures all the delicate nuances of the music in a detailed way whilst maintaining the live interaction so essential in this music.
The Gundecha Brothers have chosen to sing the popular evening raga, Behag. A typical dhrupad performance consists of two main elements: Alap and Bandish, which comes in the form of a dhrupad or dhamar composition. The alap introduces us to the personality of the raga. Initially the emphasis is laid on resting on single swaras (notes) combined with slow and smooth glides between the notes. The alap itself is divided into three sections. The initial slow interpretative unfolding of the raga is followed by jor, in which a regular pulse is introduced. The melodic and rhythmic patterns become more ornate and complex as the jor proceeds. The exploration of sound is through the use of specific syllables such as te, re, nom, tom which are derived from ancient Hindu shlokas (prayers) and have deep spiritual significance. The concluding part of the alap is jhalla (or chaugun). Here the improvisations take on a very lively, dynamic form, using a distinctive oscillation of the voice known as gamak. Here, the brothers have sung a composition known as dhamar, which is considered to be a shade lighter and more romantic than dhrupad, and is usually based on the theme of the Holi festival. The lyrics of these songs hail the arrival of spring, love and pleasure and describe the amorous play of Krishna. The composition is set to dhamar taal, a rhythmic cycle of fourteen beats. For rhythmic accompaniment Ramakant and Umakantare joined by two outstanding pakhawaj players including their younger brother, Akhilesh. Pakhawaj is a large barrel shaped drum and a precursor of the popular tabla. Its resounding, majestic open tone makes it well suited to dhrupad singing.
Dhamar text:-
'Kanha se tum mada pee aaye ho, Sanwaro jani bidh paga dharata dagamagat
Abir gulal son mukha rang, Layo Bolata hon bachana latapatat.’
Translation:- 'Where do you come from sozzled with drink. O dusk lover, you stagger at each step. Your face appears flushed with crimson colours. What you utter sounds but as a stutter.’
The text is directed towards the Lord Krishna, who is so spiritually intoxicated at the time of Holi that he cannot walk in a straight line. Holi is the Hindu festival that welcomes the Spring and celebrates the new life and energy of the season. It is the most energetic Indian festival, filled with fun. Holi is also called 'The Festival of Colours', and people celebrate it by smearing each other with paint, and throwing coloured powder and dye around in an atmosphere of good humour.
The earliest dhrupad compositions were probably in Sanskrit but most of the compositions in use now are in Brijbhasha or other old dialects of North India. The compositions are short, consisting two or four lines of lyrics. The first line is the refrain (sthayi) to which the singer keeps coming back after periods of improvisation.
The second dhrupad composition (track 6) is in Raga Adana, a charming evening raga which is rarely played or sung these days. The subject here is Shiva, the auspicious lord, one of the main deities of Hinduism. Shiva is also one of the most complex deities of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. Much of this symbology is however misunderstood, as it refers to the help a deity such as Shiva can give to mortal humans to help them destroy negativities and cultivate positive qualities within their own consciousness.
Notes: John Ball
Translation: Ramakant Gundecha |
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