Agra gharana

Last updated

Recording by Zohrabai (1910).

The Agra gharana is a tradition of Hindustani classical vocal music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi.

Contents

The first known musician of this tradition is Nayak Gopal. The style prevalent then in the Gharana was "Dhrupad-Dhamar". Ghagghe Khudabuksh (1790–1880 AD) introduced the "Khayal" style of Gwalior Gharana into Agra gharana which Khudabaksh learnt from Natthan Paribaksh of Gwalior.

Pedagogical genealogy

The following maps are based on recorded accounts by Vilayat Hussain Khan and Yunus Hussain Khan. [1]

Ancestral Lineage

Gauharbani Guru
Parampara
Nayak
Gopal
Swami
Haridas
Nauharbani Guru
Parampara
Kirana Gharana
Parampara
Miyan
Tansen
Lohang
Das
Alakh
Das
Khalak
Das
Malukh
Das
DaughterSujan
Singh
Bichitra
Khan
Surgyan
Khan
Qader Shah
(Jogi Bacche)
Daughter
Hyder ShahWazir
Khan
Dayam Khan
("Saras-rang")
Hasan & Saiyad
Khan
Gwalior Gharana
Guru Parampara
Qayam Khan
("Sham-rang")
Faiz Mohammed
Khan (Barodewale)
Nathan Peer
Baksh
Rangile Gharana
Parampara
Junggu
Khan
Soosa
Khan
Gulab
Khan
Ghagge Khuda
Baksh
Ramzan Khan
("Rangile")
Sher
Khan
Mohammed
Khan
Ghulam Haider
"Kallan" Khan
Ghulam Abbas
Khan
Mohammed Ali
Khan
Nisar Hussain
"Natthan" Khan
Hydori Begum Tassaduq
Hussain Khan
Qadri BegumAbbasi Begum Safdar
Hussain Khan
Faiyaz
Hussain Khan

Distinguishing characteristics

The gayaki (style of singing) of the Agra Gharana is a blend of khayal gayaki and dhrupad-dhamar. In training, both the khayal and dhrupad components run hand in hand and are not taught in an isolated fashion. This is obvious from the method of singing notes of the Agra Gharana which demands that the projection of voice be more forceful and voluminous than usually encountered in khayal gayaki, as well as uttering notes open and bare (without grace notes).

Most khayal performances by artists of Agra gharana commence with the nom-tom alaap, a tradition unique to the Agra gharana. Different facets of a raga are displayed with the help of bandish while the raga is elaborated using vistaar.

The gharana adopts a kind of voice production which relies on a flatter version of the vowel sound "a", which makes its music agreeable to rhythmic variations and is best suited for a deep masculine voice. Emphasis is laid on bold, full-throated and robust voice production, and singing in the lower register (mandra) is favoured. Keeping in tune with its dhrupadic origins, the singers use broad and powerful ornamentations (gamaks), extensive glides (meends) and resonant articulations of notes. As with the Gwalior gharana, the Agra singers accentuate the importance of the bandish and its methodical exposition. Singers following Faiyaz Khan's style resort to the dhrupadic nom-tom alaap before singing the bandish. The singers of this gharana are also great masters over layakari or the rhythmic component. In fact, layakari is the foundation on which the singers build the edifice of the bandish. Agra singers' tihais are eagerly awaited, as are their nifty ways of arriving at the same, by building up anticipation within the listener.

This is the only Gharana that has still continued to sing Dhrupad-Dhamar along with Nom-Tom Alap, Khayal, Thumri, Tappa, Tarana, Hori,

Exponents

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Alladiya Khan was an Indian Hindustani classical singer who founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, also referred as just Jaipur Gharana. He is recognized for his revival, reinterpretation, and creations of many rare raags, compositions, and techniques and for producing disciples like Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale, Kesarbai Kerkar, and Mogubai Kurdikar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mewati gharana</span> Classical music school of India

The Mewati gharana is a musical apprenticeship tribe of Hindustani classical music. Known for being Pandit Jasraj's musical lineage, the gharana was founded by brothers Ghagge Nazir Khan and Wahid Khan (beenkar) of Indore in the late 19th century at the Holkar Court. Members of this gharana have had an active influence in Indian cinema for over half a century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashid Khan (musician)</span> Indian classical musician (1968–2024)

Ustad Rashid Khan was an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani tradition. He belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and was the great-grandson of gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faiyaz Khan</span> Indian classical vocalist

Ustad Faiyaz Khan was an Indian classical vocalist, an exponent of the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khamaj</span> Hindustani classical music raga

Khamaj is a Hindustani classical Music raga within the Khamaj thaat which is named after it.

The Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana is a Hindustani music apprenticeship fraternity (gharana), founded by Alladiya Khan in the late-19th century. Evolved from the dhrupad tradition, but known for khayal, this gharana is known for producing acclaimed musicians like Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Laxmibai Jadhav, Mogubai Kurdikar, Mallikarjun Mansur, Shruti Sadolikar, Dhondutai Kulkarni, Pandit Mrityunjaya Agadi Consequently, this gharana developed a reputation for its distinctive vocal aesthetics, raga repertoire, and technical aptitude.

The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khyal Gharana in Indian classical music. The rise of the Gwalior Gharana started with the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zohrabai</span> Indian singer

Zohrabai Agrewali (1868–1913), also known mononymously as Zohrabai, was one of the most noted and influential singers of Hindustani Classical Music from the early 1900s. Along with Gauhar Jan, she marks the dying phase of the tawaif singing tradition in Indian classical music. Known for her masculine style of singing, she recorded several songs for the Gramophone Company of India.

Gajanan Anant Joshi, better known as "Gajananbuwa Joshi", was an Indian vocalist and violinist in the field of Hindustani music.

Jagannathbuwa Purohit, also known as Pandit Gunidas, was a singer and a teacher of Hindustani classical music. He studied under Vilayat Hussain Khan of Agra Gharana. Buwa's colophon was 'Gunidas'.

Bhaskar Raghunath Bakhale was a Hindustani classical vocalist, a composer, and a teacher.

Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar born 31 December 1899 and died 14 February 1974. He was a distinguished scholar and teacher of Hindustani classical music, from the Agra gharana. Foremost disciple of Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande and Faiyaz Khan of Baroda State, he also remained principal of Bhatkhande Music Institute, Lucknow, for many years, where he trained many noted names in the field of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Rashid Khan</span> Indian singer

Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan was an Indian vocalist of Hindustani music. Apart from khayal, he performed dhrupad, dhamar and thumri. As of 2020, he is the oldest person to have been conferred a Padma award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalith J. Rao</span> Musical artist

Lalith J. Rao is an Indian classical singer and a representative of the Agra gharana.

Sumati Mutatkar was an Indian classical music vocalist and musicologist from the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music, and a Professor of Department of Music in University of Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilayat Hussain Khan</span> Indian classical Agra Gharana singer

Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan (1895–1962) was an Indian classical singer and teacher belonging to the Agra gharana.

Ramchandra Purushottam Marathe, also known as Pandit Ram Marathe, was a Marathi music director, singer, and actor on stage and in films. As a child actor, he performed the title role of Krishna in Prabhat Film Company's 1938 film, Gopal Krishna. He was disciple of Vilayat Hussain Khan, the maestro of Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music., Master Krishnarao Phulambrikar and others. Through Master krishnarao, he developed his Khayal style which had elements of different gharanas such as Jaipur, Gwalior and Agra.

Nazir Khan, more commonly known as "Ghagge" Nazir Khan or Jodhpurwale Nazir Khan, was an Indian classical singer and, along with his elder brother Wahid Khan, founded the Mewati gharana, later popularized by Pandit Jasraj.

The Atrauli Gharana is a Hindustani music apprenticeship fraternity, founded by four brothers from the Gauharbani tradition who moved to Atrauli from Gwalior in the late-18th century. The gharana is best known for its influence and association with the Jaipur-Atrauli and Agra gharanas.

Pandit Dhruvatara Joshi or Joshiji (1912-1993) was an exponent of Hindustani Classical Music. A sitarist, vocalist, scholar and composer., Joshi ji was trained in the traditions of the Etawah Gharana and the Agra Gharana of the Hindustani Classical Music.

References

  1. Ghosh, Tapasi (2008). Pran Piya: Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan. India: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. p. Appendix. ISBN   978-81-269-0855-4.
  2. Jeffrey Michael Grimes (2008). The Geography of Hindustani Music: The Influence of Region and Regionalism on the North Indian Classical Tradition. p. 139. ISBN   978-1-109-00342-0.