Music plays a very large role in the Indian culture, and serves many functions. It can act as the centerpiece of a religious performance or a lighthearted background to a wedding. Due to the increased globalization in countries such as India, the cultures of East and West intermix. Composers draw from different forms of music, and often drastically alter Indian music with new instrumentation, lyrics, and rhythm. This puts the teenaged youth of India in a predicament: What exactly should they listen to?
India was one of the first civilizations to develop sophisticated melodies based on the diatonic note system, in other words, the "Do, Re, Mi..." that western civilizations developed much later. The Indian form of the diatonic scale, "Sa, Re, Ga...", was developed during the Vedic Age, in the 13th-14th century. The main difference between Indian and American tunes, however, is the prevalence of instrumental music over vocal music. Take, for example, the famous sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, compared to an American artist of the same era, George Harrison.
Shankar never opens his mouth during his performance, while Harrison's lyrics dominate his song. These musicians are from the same era, and George Harrison even took sitar lessons from Shankar.
This tendency to mix instrumental sound with vocals has slowly migrated to the Indian subcontinent. Strangely, the instrumental music that remains in India, as a background for vocals, is very similar to the pure instrumental music of old, such as that played by Ravi Shankar. The video below is a perfect example of music that has been influenced in such a manner, and one familiar with Western and Indian music can clearly see the 'tug-of-war' between the two art forms. Listen closely, past the 'Westernized' vocals of this popular hip-hop tune (It's about money), and the familiar sitar and percussion beats emerge, though they are amplified and altered electronically.
For a young child that grows up listening to this type of music, reverting to traditional music can seem very boring and strange. It does not seem as though appreciation for ancient Indian music will increase, since India and its neighboring countries are globalizing more and more.
SS: (Bobbing head) I love rap! I want to become a rapper when I grow up.
SJ: You foolish boy, you will never attain nirvana listening to that '50 rupee' fellow!
SS: Grandma, its 50 cent.
SJ: Do not Grandma me! Why cannot you be a successful sitar player like Ravi Shankar? (Holds up sitar)
SS: Indian music is boring. The newer songs are better, though...
SJ: That? You call that music? The lyrics make me want to throw up. It is a shame upon our mother country. All the music today is the same- no regard for the old classics.
SS: Its called modernization, grandma; lighten up.
SJ: Grandma is not lighting anything! From now on you are forbidden from listening to this music of the devil.
SS: But-
SJ: No buts! Now go study for your college entrance exams!
SS: Grandma, I'm 8 years old...
Works Cited
1. Fleming, John. "Ragas with a jazzy accent." The St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL) (Oct 2, 2003): 15W. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bloomfield Hills School District. 5 May 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
2. Timmons, Heather. "India's New Partnership: Bollywood and Hip-Hop.(Business/Financial Desk)." The New York Times 157.54385 (July 28, 2008): C6(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bloomfield Hills School District. 5 May 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
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