BANSURI AND VENU

BANSURI AND VENU

Bansuri and venu are common Indian flutes. They are typically made of bamboo or reed. There are two varieties; transverse and fipple. The transverse variety is nothing more than a length of bamboo with holes cut into it. This is the preferred flute for classical music because the embouchure gives added flexibility and control. The fipple variety is found in the folk and filmi styles, but seldom used for serious music. This is usually considered to be just a toy because the absence of any embouchure limits the flexibility of the instrument. The flute may be called many things in India: bansi, bansuri, murali, venu and many more.
There are two main types; bansuri and venu. The bansuri is used in the North Indian system. It typically has six holes, however there has been a tendency in recent years to use seven holes for added flexibility and correctness of pitch in the higher registers. It was previously associated only with folk music, but today it is found in Hindustani classical, filmi, and numerous other genre. Venu is the south Indian flute and is used in the Carnatic system. It typically has eight holes. The venu is very popular in all south Indian styles.
Cultural and Religious Significance

The bansuri is not just a musical instrument, because it has a great cultural and religious significance among Hindus. It is an instrument associated with Lord Krishna. Numerous common names reflect these epitaphs of Krishna. Common examples are: Venugopal, Bansilal, Murali, Muralidhar, etc. Furthermore, in traditional Indian metaphysics, it is noted how remarkable it is the way the life force (pran, or literally "breath") is converted into a musical resonance (sur).

Parts of the Bansuri

We will now take a closer look at the north Indian Bansuri. It is always difficult to talk about the names for the various parts of the instrument because India is a land of many languages and dialects; therefore the following terms should be considered as representative but not universal.
Dandi - The dandi is the body of the bansuri. Bansuris may be fashioned from a variety of materials, but reeds, canes and bamboo are the most common. Ideally they should be constructed so that they taper towards the embouchure (mouth hole or mukharandra). They are therefore larger at the open end. This arrangement gives an extend range.

Mukha Randhra - This is the embouchure, or the blowing hole. professional quality bansuris in India are invariably of the transverse variety. However, there are also a number of fipple flutes which are also available. These are sometimes found among folk musicians and they are frequently given to children as toys. The transverse variety yields much better control by allowing blowing techniques to bend the notes to the desired pitches.

Swar Randhra - These are the finger holes. They are the holes that are used to play the melodies. For a 7-hole flute as shown in the side picture, the musical intervals are: half-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step. (Please note that these are approximations; the use of equal-temperament is not to be construed from this discussion.) The 7th hole (closest to the open end) is optional. When it is absent, the 6-hole flutes are tuned to: whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step.

This 7th hole deserves special mention. Traditional north Indian folk flutes generally do not have it. The obvious advantage is that the presence of this hole extends the range of the instrument by one note. However, there is a more important and not quite so obvious advantage. Its presence gives the bansuri a more accurate pitch when overblown to produce the higher octaves.

Garbha Randhra - This is the opening of the bansuri. It should remain unoccluded at all times

Rassi - The body of the bansuri tends to crack. This is simply one of the undesirable qualities of bamboo and reed. This cracking may be reduced or eliminated by tightly binding the body with twine. This is known as rassi. One trick used by craftsmen to assure an even and reproducible tension is to tie a fixed weight to the end of the string and slowly turn the body of the bansuri to wrap the twine around it.


Technique of the Bansuri

The fingering position is shown in the accompanying photograph. Please note that the tips of the fingers are not used. Instead, it is the flat portion of the fingers, roughly an inch in from the tips that are used. This gives much more control when playing the half-holes (e.g., ornaments, flat notes).


Below are the fingerings for the notes of the Indian scale:

Mataji, Vidushi Siddheswari Devi

Mataji, Vidushi Siddheswari Devi

Born on 8'th August 1908, in Banaras, Siddheshwari Devi had her initial training in Indian Classical music from Pandit Siyaji Maharaj. Later, she also trained under Pandit Bade Ram Dasji of Banaras. Siddheshwari shifted from Banaras to Delhi in 1965 and taught music in Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra for more than a decade till she passed away in 1977.
Siddheshwari Devi's music represented Banaras Gharana style, which lays more emphasis on the intensity of feelings and expression of emotions through musical notes and voice modulations. A stalwart of thumri, Siddheshwari's music also included khayals, dhrupads, dadras, tappas, kajris, chaitis, horis and bhajans. In thumris she specialized in "Poorabang" thumri, which is also known as the "Bol-Banav-ki thumri". Reliance on ragas was a distinctive feature of Siddheshwaris thumris. She helped in raising thumri to a classical form. She earned the title of "Thumri-Queen" and was presented the much coveted Padma Shree award in 1967.
Siddheshwari Devi strongly believed in "Guru Shishya Parampara" which has been kept alive by her daughter Vidushi Savita Devi. Savita established "Smt Siddheshwari Devi Academy of Indian Music" in the loving memory of her mother in 1977, the year in which Siddheshwari passed away.


Mataji, Vidushi Siddheswari Devi taught vocal technique and repertoire at the Kathak Kendra during the latter years of her life. In retrospect it seems inconceivable that an artist of such magnitude would teach a beginner such as I was, when I arrived at the Kathak Kendra in summer 1967. Yet she was fascinated by the musical sophistication I had acquired during thirteen years of professional training in western flute and piano, combined with my perfect vocal pitch and utterly unmodulated voice in terms of Indian vocal technique. I was a blank slate. I naively accepted the gifts Mataji gave me, whether a thumri in rag Jog or food which she cooked, while I cut onions in her kitchen on Sundays. Senior students and artists including Rita Chatterji graciously accepted my inclusion in Mataji's circle of art and love.

Mataji's full-throated, ungirlish range and daring flights up and down the raga shook me physically and shaped my aesthetic during those joyous moments when I sat with her - in the classroom, in her Pataudi House living room, and on stage in Lucknow and New Delhi. Since concerts at which she sang often lasted from early evening until early morning, I often heard other great artists such as Ustad Bismillah Khan.. For me Mataji embodied generosity, vulnerability, devotion, complex simplicity and artistry. She is joined by her daughter Savita in the on-stage photo of her typical singing position - her left hand covering one ear and the right hand extended toward the audience. When she gave me her tiny portrait - the second image of this unpretentious and open-hearted genius, she asked me to guess what was in her mind when it was snapped. Finally she said quietly ---- OM.

WHAT IS KATHAK?

WHAT IS KATHAK?

KATHAK is the classical dance of Northern India. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word kathaka, storyteller. Long before Kathak was recognized as a classical dance form, these storytelling kathakas were integral players in the Indian oral tradition. They transmitted knowledge of religious epics and mythology -- such as the MAHABHARATA and the RAMAYANA -- by a combination of music, dance, acting and narration. Bhakti -- devotion -- was the principal emotion that the kathakas tried to evoke in their audience.

Rooted in the Hindu ethos common to all styles of Indian dance, Kathak developed into its present, distinct classical form in the Moghul and Rajput courts. Beginning in the Eighth Century, growing numbers of Muslim traders, adventurers, soldiers and rulers from Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan brought their own music, dance and costume styles to India. These influenced the performance practices of indigenous dancers and musicians, who sought patronage in Muslim courts. Meanwhile, Hindu Rajput rulers of Rajasthan also brought temple music and dance into their courts, modifying simple Hindu storytelling styles to reflect court entertainment etiquette, and contributing to the secularization and decoration of Kathak dance.

Modern Kathak descends from two great eighteenth-century Kathak dancers, Thakur Prasad of Lucknow and Janaki Prasad of Jaipur. Two of the major Kathak sytles are named after the geographical locus of the homes (ghar) of these great guru's: the Lucknow gharana and the Jaipur gharana. Each generation of Kathak dancers identifies himself/herself as "from the house of" his/her guru. It is as if becoming a student of a particular guru from a particular lineage gives second birth to the fledgling dancer, and from thenceforth, all the students of a particular guru are brothers and sisters -- guru bhai and guru behen -- no matter from what blood line or ethnicity or country they originally were born.

The narrative and poetic repertoire of Kathak continues to expand into the twenty-first century, including epics, devotional, romantic and mystical poetry in all the major languages of North India. Poetry written in Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi and its dialects such as medieval Braj Bhasha and Avadhi reflects the mixed Hindu and Muslim roots of Kathak. The North Indian Hindustani style of classical music accompanies the dance, played by a musical ensemble that can include tabla and pakhawaj drums, sarangi, sitar, sarod, bamboo bansuri flute and vocalists.

Combining the spiritual fervor of the Hindu temple with opulent entertainment from the Moghul and Rajput courts, the Kathak dance tradition in the Twenty-first Century continues to evolve throught the art of Kathak dancers in India and throughout the world. Enriched by contemporary literature, music and performance practice, Kathak responds to an increasingly global culture.

Source : kathakensemble.com

Pandit Birju Maharaj

Pandit Birju Maharaj

The most eminent Kathak dancer of recent times is Pandit Birju Maharaj. His full name is Brij Mohan Nath Mishra. He is the only son and disciple of Shri Achyan Maharaj and is a competent inheritor of the Lucknow Gharana. Birju Maharaj is a very talented and dignified personality. He is a born artist. During his childhood, he used to keenly watch and imitate various modes and ways of Kathak while his father used to give dance lessons to his students. In this way, rather playfully child Birju learned lots of things. Pleased by his son's achievements, Acchan Maharaj started to teach his son whole-heartedly. By the age of seven, Birju performed Kathak in home town Lucknow. It was the first recital in his life. The audience was spellbound at his wonderful presentation. At the age of ten, poor Birju lost his father. That was a tremenduous blow in child Birju's delicate mind. However, he tolerated that tragidy. Then he started taking dance lessons from his uncle Shri Lacchu Maharaj and Shri Shambhu Maharaj Later on, he became the teacher of Sangeet Bharati of Delhi. He teaches at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi. He composed many dance dramas like 'Gobardhan Leela', 'Makhan Chori', 'Malti-Madhav', 'Kumar Samvav', 'Phag Bahar' etc. and gained extensive fame all over the country. His talent, dedication, vivacity, innovation enabled him to get involved in thousands of concerts not only in India but also in different places abroad. Today, whenever Kathak is discussed, Birju Maharaj's name is always raised.

Birju Maharaj has an enormous knowledge in Bol (musical phrases interlinked with drum strokes)-Laya (speed)-Taal (beats). Apart from being a Kathak dancer, he is also introduced as a singer of Bhajan, Thumri, Dadra, Hori etc. and also as a Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dholak, Naal (percussion instruments) player. He fluently plays various string instruments like Israj, Violin, Swar-Mandal, Sitar etc. To be respectful, Birju Maharaj can be introduced as a dancer, musician, composer, teacher, director, choreographer and a poet. He is an all-rounder. In 1986, he received the prestigious 'Padma Bibhushan' tittle from the goverment of India. He also received the 'Kalidas' award. He is also a recipient of 'Nehru Fellowship' in the name of India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He is an instituition in himself. Currently, he is the chief faculty at Delhi's Kathak Kendra.

He is the father of two very well-known God-gifted talents - Shri Jai Kishan and Deepak Maharaj. He has many able desciples in India and abroad. Saswati Sen is one of the most versatile ones.

Born in the family of hereditary dancers, Birju Maharaj is the torch bearer of the famous family , Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Lucknow, which has been serving the art of Kathak dance through centuries togather. Not only on India, he is familiarly known abroad, nearly all over the world. He has extensively toured all over the world, i.e. USSR, USA, Japan, UAE, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Aaustria, Czechoslovakia, Burma, Ceylon etc. for performances as well as lecture-demonstrations. Besides deing a superb dancer, he is also gifted with a number of other qualities which add to his artistic career.

He is a wonderful singer having command over, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazals and is also superb drummer, playing nearly all drums with ease and precision. He has given a new dimension to Kathak, by experimenting this technique in the application of dance-dramas, which has become very successful medium for mass propagation. As a choreographer he is the finest in the country today. His bold and intellectual compositions in traditional themes are brilliant, whereas his contemporary works are also refreshing in concept, crisp and entertaining.

He directed and composed music and sung playback for two classical dance sequences in the film, 'The Chess Players' directed by Satyajit Ray. A measure of his genius is the fact that at the age of 28 years, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award. He is also a recipient of the country's second highest civilian award-Padma Vibhushan, besides several other pestigeous awards like- Kalidas Samman, Nritya Choodamani, Andhra Ratna, Nritya Vilas, Adharshila Shikhar Samman, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Shiromani Samman, Rajiv Ghandhi Peace Award.

He has been conferred with the Honorary Doctorate degrees from Banaras Hindu University, as well as Khairagarh University. He is widely acclaimed not only as a performer but also as an inspiring 'Guru' - teacher, having successfully trained numerous students in India and Abroad.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS "Y" - An Indian Art.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.

yati - An obsolete system of patterns of manipulation of lay. See also srotagata yati, mridanga yati, pipilika yati, sama yati, gopuchcha yati, damaru yati, or visham yati.
yati tal - An obsolete tal of six beats.
yatishekhar tal - An obscure tal of 15 beats.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS "Z" - An Indian Art.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.

zarab - (Lit. "To strike") The arrangment of vibhags or ang.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS "V" - An Indian Art.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.

vichitra vina - An instrument similar to rudra vina except that it has no frets. It is played with a slide in a manner similar to a Hawaiian guitar.
vadi - The important note of a rag.
vakra - The usage of notes in an oblique fashion.
varan tal - An obscure tal of eight beats.
varanabhina tal - An obscure tal of eight or 16 beats.
varanamanthika tal - An obscure tal of 20 beats.
vardhan tal - An obscure tal of 19 beats.
vasant shikhir tal - See Basantshikhir tal.
venu - A south Indian flute.
vibhag - The measure or "bar".
vijay tal - An obscure tal of 20 beats.
vikshep - (Archaic) A style of silent timekeeping (marg nishabd kriya).
vikshipt - (Archaic) A style of silent timekeeping (deshi nishabd kriya).
vilambit - Slow tempo.
vimohi tal - An obscure tal of 13 beats.
vina - 1) Any stringed instrument. 2) The saraswati vina of south India.
vinaya - Humility, said to be a prerequisite for discipleship.
virbhadra tal - An obscure tal of 25 beats.
virpanch tal - An obscure tal of 20 beats.
visarjit - (Archaic) A style of silent timekeeping (deshi nishabd kriya).
visham grah - 1) The process of hiding or de-emphasizing the sam. 2) An archaic term referring to the start of the percussion on something other than sam (das pran).
visham tal - An obscure tal of 18 beats.
visham yati - An ancient rhythmic form which is constructed so that the changes in tempo are calculated to avoid the structure of the tal. Therefore, the structure of the tal is consciously hidden.
Vishnu - The preserver (i.e., God).
vishnu digambar paddhati - A notational system developed by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar.
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar - A famous Indian musicologist.
vishnu narayan bhatkhande - A famous Indian musicologist.
vishnu tal - An obscure tal of 17 or 36 beats.
vishva tal - An obscure tal of 13 beats.
vitat - A bowed, string instrument (e.g., violin, dilruba, sarangi, etc.)
vivadi - A note which is not allowed in a rag.