If you asked me to define Indian music in one word, I would describe it as timeless. Indeed, the music of this vast and hugely diverse country has stood the test of time. The fact that Indian music is admired throughout the world says a lot about its richness. No other music on the planet can claim to be truly universal like Indian music, which has transcended language barriers and man-made borders.
Indian music: travel in time
The genesis of Indian music goes back to the Vedas or the sacred scriptures of the Hindus. Music has always been an integral part of Indian culture and tradition. The ethnic diversity that one encounters here is largely responsible for the difference in sounds. Indian music is mainly based on a system of Raag and Taal. In a nutshell, Raag means melody or scale in western music terms and Taal refers to rhythmic beats. Raag comprises 7 notes that are arranged in a systematic pattern where Taal is repeated in a certain format.
There are various genres of Indian music. Here is a complete guide:
* Classical Music: Indian classical music is of two varieties: Hindustani and Carnatic music. Hindustani music is prevalent in the northern part of the country while Carnatic music has its roots in southern India. Although the fundamentals of these two schools of music remain the same, they differ essentially in their interpretation. They can be both vocal and instrumental.
* Folk or Desi Music – This music comes from the various states of the country, each different in their language and style, but the impact on the listener is the same, you will be transported to the land where they originate from, be it Assam, Bengal or Tamilnadu. Desi music could be Bhangra from Punjab or Dandiya from Gujarat or Lavani from Maharashtra state. Most of the desi songs are accompanied by dances that complement the music.
* Light Music: This is an extremely broad genre encompassing devotional music, ghazals, patriotic songs, and Quwallis. However, the most popular form of light music is Bollywood and Indipop music. Bollywood refers to the Indian counterpart of Hollywood, as in the Indian film industry. This is real money roulette with legends from Lata Mangeshkar to RD Burman to AR Rehman achieving iconic status. Indian music is known all over the world for its remixes, movie songs and pop numbers. Bollywood music rocks, not just in India, but also in the US, UK, and parts of South and East Asia.
* Rock and Metal – This genre of music is still in its early stage and people prefer to listen to Metallica and Def Leopard. But bands like Parikrama, Zero and Nexus are slowly gaining recognition.
Indian music websites offer everything you need to know about everything beyond the realm of music. These websites are usually Bollywood based and contain music downloads from your favorite artist, movie or actor. There are wallpapers, videos and movie clips, trivia of all the Bollywood stars, interviews, events, movie and music reviews, public opinion, old hits and all the latest hits. You can buy CD/DVDs, send them as gifts to India, check out new releases, and more.
Indian music is extremely complex and diverse, but it is still very interesting in its own unique way. A song from India has the ability to transport you to another world completely. Listen happy.