Knowra Music of India Music of India Music of India encompasses the subcontinent’s diverse classical, folk, devotional, and popular traditions, shaped by regional languages, performance practices, and religious histories.
Raga : A melodic framework in South Asian music defined by characteristic pitches, gestures, and conventions. Raga organizes melody in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, though its role varies across traditions.
Bhajan : A Hindu devotional song, commonly performed in temples, homes, or group gatherings. Bhajans show how accessible song carries devotional practice beyond classical concert settings.
Vedic chant : The orally transmitted melodic recitation of the Vedas, preserved through specialized pitch and pronunciation practices. It is an ancient and continuing strand of South Asian musical practice.
Dhrupad : An old Hindustani vocal genre marked by austere melodic development and compositions set to rhythmic cycles. Dhrupad exemplifies one distinctive lineage within the northern classical tradition.
M. S. Subbulakshmi : An Indian Carnatic vocalist celebrated for her concerts, recordings, and devotional singing. Her public career brought Carnatic music to audiences beyond its traditional concert institutions.
Tala : A recurring rhythmic cycle organized into beats and often marked by differentiated sections. Tala gives classical performance a shared rhythmic structure for musicians and dancers.
Qawwali : A Sufi devotional music tradition known for ensemble singing, poetic texts, and intensifying repetition. Qawwali connects musical performance with Sufi devotion and communal participation.
Bhakti movement : A diverse set of devotional movements in South Asia that emphasized personal devotion to a deity. Bhakti poets and communities fostered vernacular devotional song across regions.
Khayal : The principal modern Hindustani classical vocal genre, combining composed material with extensive improvisation. Khayal offers a flexible contrast to dhrupad’s more austere performance conventions.
Ravi Shankar : An Indian sitarist and composer who introduced Hindustani classical music to international audiences. His performances and collaborations made one strand of Indian classical music globally prominent.
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