Carnatic Sangeetam, also spelled Karnatic
Music, one of the world's oldest & richest musical traditions is the
classical music of Southern India. Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu is the
leading centre of the academic establishment as well as home to many of
the leading performing artists in the field.
However, many artists come from the neighbouring states such as Andhra,
Kerala, and Karnataka. Carnatic Music is the classical music of Southern
India.
The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are
72 basic scales on the octave, and a rich variety of melodic motions. Both
melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling.
To many listeners, the music of the south has a restrained and
intellectual character as compared with the music of the more secular
Hindustani traditions. The chief centres for present-day Carnatic music
include the states of
Tamil Nadu
(formerly Madras), Karnataka (formerly Mysore),
Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala.
The Ancient Musical Tradition
Carnatic music evolved from ancient Hindu traditions and was relatively
unaffected by the Arabic and Iranian influences that, since the late 12th
and early 13th centuries, as a result of the Islamic conquest of the
north, have characterized the Hindustani music of northern India. In
contrast to northern styles, Carnatic music is more thoroughly oriented to
the voice.
Vocal Rendition
Carnatic Music is performed both as vocal as well as instrumental, with
emphasis on melody, raga (scale) and rhythm. Vocal rendition is the
primary means of musical expression, and in fact most compositions
performed by instrumentalists are identical to the vocal works.
Modern concert performances usually consist of a main artist, a melodic
accompanist (violin) and a percussion accompanist (mridangam). In
addition, there could be other supporting instruments like Tambura and
Harmonium that are used to give tone and beats for the performance.
Fewer instruments are used in Carnatic than in northern Indian music, and
there are no exclusively instrumental forms. Even when instruments are
used alone, they are played somewhat in imitation of singing, generally
within a vocal range, and with embellishments that are characteristic of
vocal music.
Raga & Tala: The Backbone Of Music
Carnatic compositions are composed in terms of 'Raga'. Each composition is
set with specific notes and beats, but many performers vary widely in
their presentation. Improvisation occurs in the melody of the composition
as well as in using the notes to expound the beauty of the raga.
Ragas are very exhaustive and many ragas are said to have mystical powers
when sung with emotion and accuracy. The basic principles of 'raga'
(melody type, or framework for improvisation) and 'tala' (cyclical
rhythmic pattern) are the same in the south and north, but each musical
tradition has its own repertoire of actual ragas and talas, and there are
many stylistic differences as well.
Carnatic music, with its more homogeneous Indian tradition, has evolved
far more orderly and uniform systems for the classification of ragas and
'talas'.